I thought I'd relate a story about a miraculous recovery after a tragic accident. A dog who normally adores my ferrets got peeved and lashed out at Magill -- grabbed her by the head and gave her a quick shake. She became comatose from severe brain injury. We rushed her to an emergency clinic where they began steroid and oxygen therapy. She became slightly lucid, but suffered from severe torticollis (sp?), which is a balance/head rolling problem. She rolled to the right whenever she tried to move. She had no control of her head. It was a nightmare. She came home on day three, still not responding to sounds, but alert and eating with assistance. She was flailing about and exhibiting symptoms of stress. Her personality seemed completely intact within a week (very determined, assertive, "problem" ferret) and she could hear. Within ten days (at her demand) she was living with her buddy Guinness, although their cage had to be heavily padded to protect her head. By then she was gaining her feet for several paces. At two weeks she was mostly feeding herself. The stress behavior disappeared. The accident was three months ago. Now she dooks and ferrets about the place, albeit with a drunken swagger. She's never been happier. She only falls when she tries to stand on her hind legs or when startled. She doesn't have enough fine motor control to catch the water bottle, so we've given her a bowl. She also doesn't perceive sensations normally, so she might accidentally grab a thumb along with a treat, not realizing her error until she's part way through the thumb. She bites too hard when playing with Guinness, but he has adjusted -- he just pins her head. All things considered, she has made a great recovery. She's a very lucky little ferret. In addition to luck, I attribute her recovery to her tenacious personality and the skilled veterinary care of Dr. Charlie Weiss. Cheers, Lynn Burroughs Rockville, Maryland [Posted in FML issue 1635]