Anisthetic - back leg weakness

[josaphine32]

Has anyones pet been under anisthetic for an operation, and things go wrong?
I have a hob ferret that I got from a rescue center, had him a month now, most of his teeth where broken off at the jaw line and started to cause him absesses, he had 2 canines removed 3 weeks ago under gas and air, but last week we noticed he was still in pain and took him back to the vets as he was having a job urinating and teeth still hurting, vets advised that he needed most teeth on left side of jaw removed, (This decision was not taken lightly) he kept getting stititus through mouth problems. He went in on friday for his op but things did not go well and he cardiac arrested on the table, the vet bought him back quickly but he was under anisthetic a long time, we went to pick him up later that evening but he wouldn't come round so they kept him in special care for the night, we finally got him home yesterday and he is eating like a horse, urinating well, but one of his back legs is not working so well, he kind of forgets to move it forwards, My vet was not there when I picked him up it was a locum, but I am due to see my vet tomorrow morning,
anyone had a pet that has had weekness in back legs due to anisthetic?

[RATTER15]

I really think your poor ferret has been through enough, dont you? Personally I could not have put him through that.

The key is knowing when to say enough is enough!

I used to rescue ferret's myself and often had 40+ ferrets at my home, I also used to show and judge ferrets.

[josaphine32]

I thought someone was going to say something like that, ratter, If I had known he had cardiac arrest on the table I would never have said bring him round, we had no idea and only found out when we went to pick him up, It wasn't till he came round and we got him home that we noticed one leg was not working as well, It has improved since yesterday just wanted to know if anyones pet had been through anisthetic with hopefully temporary parallisis, I am taking him back to the vets in the morning.

[RATTER15]

Good luck with your visit to the vets. Please give us an update.

[wolf63]

I know that my last dog recovered from anaesthetics much quicker when he was younger. The last time that he got operated on (bar the time that we decided to let him go) he was wobbly on his back legs for a couple of days.

I am sure that I can say all sorts of upbeat and optimistic things to you - but it really doesn't look well. You did the best that you could to give the wee lad a good life.

Good luck at the vet - and I hope that I am wrong. :-) or should that be :-( ??

[Nibble]

Poor ferret - let us know how you get on tomorrow.

[josaphine32]

I will let you all know how we get on, he's up and about he has feeling in his toes, he is alot brighter than yesterday, he is not dragging his back end or anything like that i am just hoping the little chap (stan) gets his strength back in his back end, poor little blighter is only 1 years old and was ill kept on the wrong diet which made his teeth weak so alot broke off, he is scoffing his mince, chicken, convalescence, and baby food as I am typing this, Nothing puts stan off his food.x

[Kiki-frog]

The fact that he's wolfing down (sorry, wolfie!) everything he's offered is surely a good sign. It might well be that he's still got anaesthetic in his sytem that's making him a bit wobbly. It can take a few days to get over that. I hope the trip to the vet goes well.

[nungate]

Nice to hear he is eating well, that's a good sign. Don't know if this will help but when Lou went to be spayed she was fine after the op and we got her back from the vet but she was back with them again with them within the hour, we found her lying flat out on the floor trying to drink. She had had a bad reaction to the anaesthesia. The vet tried to get a line into her to hydrate her but couldn't find a vein so he injected fluids directly under her skin and stayed up with her all night at the surgery, we eventually got her back the following afternoon. She was only about 6 months old at the time and I'd insisted that she have all the necessary checks before she was put under, the was no way to gauge that she would have had such a reaction, so it is possible that your little chap is still coming out of the anaesthesia and will be fine in a few days. I do hope so, keep us posted as to his progress won't you? (BTW she's fine now but we'd never allow her to "go under" again)

[josaphine32]

Hi, just a follow up, Been to the vets and she reassured me that his back legs will be ok, She said as he had been through so much trauma of the arrest and anisthetic it may take a week or so to get them back working properly, he has to have plenty of cage rest, metacam, and antibiotics for a week to we go back to see her next monday, His lymph nodes are raised in his neck but they should settle down within the week, he seems happy today, he even got in to his hanging basket earlier.
Thanks all x

[wolf63]

That's really good news about Stan. How long do ferrets live for? I know that they make good pets (like rats) but I don't actually know anyone who has a pet ferret.

[LoftyLottie]

That's good news.

[josaphine32]

They can live past 10 years old but I think the average is between 6/7, Ratter will give you a better answer wolf, We have not been very lucky with many of ours, they mainly died from lynphoma, around the age of 2, There is alot of interbreeding with ferrets in the last decade, (so the rescue center told me),