I need some advice from those of you who've dealt with back injuries in ferrets.... Little Tyler - he's only 2.3 lbs - had an accident (I think Rhodri the Moose bounced him a little too hard in the wrong place at just the wrong moment) and is now semi-paralyzed in his rear legs. He does have some feeling in his toes, but you have to pinch him hard to know it. He has more feeling in the skin on his lower abdomen (he flinches when I wipe him down, if the cloth is cold....) He seems to have bladder control, but has almost no control over his bowels, or his back legs or tail. There is a "sensitive spot" in his spine now, about 1/4 of the way up his back from his pelvis, and he'll flinch if you press it. Dr. Klein suspects compression of the spinal cord, and has started him on steroid therapy to help reduce the swelling around it. She gave him an injection of Dexamethasone to start him off, and he's to get 1ml PediaPred twice daily. He's also on enforced rest in a single story cage with linoleum flooring, and no ferret allowed to do more than sniff noses with him. (as a side note - about 2 hours after the shot of Dex, he got his back legs under him and managed to put weight on them for a moment - although it didn't last very long.) She's going to re-evaluate him on Tuesday. She did say that as long as we're patient, and keep him quiet, that he has an even chance of recovering completely - as long as the nerves themselves weren't damaged. However, it may take some weeks or months, depending on the severity of the compression. He's not wanting to stop "being a ferret" and drags himself all over with his front legs whenever I take him out for just a moment to clean up his messes. I'm also cleaning him, since he can't get out of his own way when he poops. (I plan on picking up a good supply of Baby wipes) I don't allow him out at any other time, so that he can't aggravate the injury. He's eating well, and is not dehydrated. His stools are a bit runny and sticky, but not discolored. He does seem a bit depressed, or it could be just plain frustrated, that he can't make his back end work right, and seems grimly determined to overcome this "inconvenience." He's also mad at me for keeping him locked up. So, what else can I do to help make his convalescence (he says, "Imprisonment!") easier on both him, and on me? Once he begins to recover, what kind of therapy would be appropriate, if any? And, if he doesn't recover use of his hips and legs, how will this affect his overall health and lifespan? Many thanks for any suggestions. Carla S. WhyNot? Ferrets Rio Grande Domestic Ferret Club [Posted in FML issue 1875]