Paraplegic Flyer

[Joan]

Here's a little boy Tom is rehabbing that is paralized in his hind quarters. Tom calls him Hopalong. He has excellent upper body strength and climbs and pulls himself all over the cage.







He's not releasable, adoptable and can't go out with the Wild Bunch.

[hauk]

Darra, I think he is around 5 weeks old, He is very small but he is quite mobile and he eats like a hog, His defect does not seem to be painful,I am going to start physical therapy on him monday, Perhaps I can help him regain some use of the rear end and maybe he can get to be a 4 wheel drive model some day. Tom

[Anita Rae]

Tom you are amazing for all that you do.

[Judy C.]

Tom, I have a grey, about a year and a half old, with the same problem. We have had him since he was about 4 weeks old. Another rehabber gave up on him and I took him because we didn't want to see him put down if we could save him. Dusty,(for Dustin Hoffman in Midnight Cowboy), can get around as well as any of the other squirrels - he has no idea that he is handicapped! The strength in his front legs is amazing. He climbs the tree branches we have in the house for them, and goes hand-over-hand across the top of his cage, like a monkey! We have the bottom of his cage padded, and I have made him 'tree' branches for inside his cage out of 'Funnoodles' - those foam tubes that kids play in the swimming pool with - covered in fleece 'slipcovers', so that it won't be so rough on his tummy and private parts. Dusty gets plenty of exercise, and plenty of out-of-cage time with my husband. His cage is just like nearly all of ours - 18"D X 30" W X 5 feet tall.

If you ever decide to place Hoppy, and we can work out some sort of transportation, please consider Texas for his new home. We couldn't leave home long enough to make a trip that long, because of all our squirrels (I'm sure you can relate to that!), but maybe we could find enough people to get him closer. I would really love to have him.

Judy

[hauk]

Judy thanks for the kind offer, I may have to find a place for him if my health gets any worse, For now I couldn't bring myself to give up on him and I am going to work with him because I have seen so many of these little heros survive things that seemed hopeless

[Judy C.]

I understand completely. Keep me in mind if you ever do need to place him - I can guarantee a home full of love and pecans.

Judy

[Joan]

... We have the bottom of his cage padded, and I have made him 'tree' branches for inside his cage out of 'Funnoodles' - those foam tubes that kids play in the swimming pool with - covered in fleece 'slipcovers', so that it won't be so rough on his tummy and private parts.

Judy, this is really interesting. I was worried that over time, Hoppy might rub himself raw dragging those legs. Especially since he is incontinent and needs bathing every now and then. This sounds like a good solution. Of course, a flyer may be so light it's not an issue.

[Kay]

What a little cutie pie. Cheeps is still not using her back foot, but it's in the right place more often than it was when she just drug it. It's so amazing how they compensate.
kay

[Pam]

Tom it is people like you that make me glad that some of the small critters in our world get care like you have given to so many. It really is a blessing, good luck with your little one....Pam

[Joan]

Tom states that today Hoppy had 15 min. of physical therapy. When Tom took him out tonight he was moving one of his rear legs. He is able to hold himself up and is not peeing on himself. The other rear leg is still not usable but Tom is encouraged. "These guys are absolutely miraculous." ... Tom

[Naya]

That's awesome! I hope he gets well soon!

[Joan]

Inquiring Mind Want to Know ... Can you describe the types of Physical
Therapy you has been using on Hoppy (What you do and what, if any, meds you use)?

What do you think is the window of opportunity for helping these little
ones?

Do you think that there is a chance that Judy could do anything for her grey, Dusty, after a year and a half?

Does anyone have information on PT for squirrels?

[hauk]

Joan, Back in the day when I had many different animals that needed help in one way or the other I had a lot of Greys that had rear end problems, most seemed to be from the falls they had but I saw a lot of MBD in older greys too, I never had a lot of luck with the greys but a little over a year ago when you got me started rehabbing these flyers I noticed how quickly they responded to treatment and given a chance they recover from almost anything.

I guess that my methods are a bit archaic (spelling?) but I will try to describe the PT:

I make a bowl of warm strong Epsom salt water and hold the flyer in a sitting position in the bowl for 5 min.
Then I dry his bottom and hold the front half between my thumb and fore finger while I gently pull straight back on the back legs and hold in that position for about 30 seconds.
Then I very slowly work the legs as if the flyer were walking. I do this for about 4 min per leg.
Then I massage the end of the spine where the legs are attached for about 1 min.

I have had several babies that had what appeared to be hurt legs as you remember and they all healed by them selves with a minimun of intervention but this is by far the worst one so I went back to the method described above, I am encouraged so far but the little guy needs a lot of prayers and I know our members can help with that.

As far as any medication, you know I lean very strongly on the antibiotic Trimeth/sulfa and I mix a minute amount of Albon with it.
I also keep them on Esbilac because it provides the things the flyer needs.
I mix wheat germ with esbilac when I feed them.

I believe this therapy will only work on very young animals while their bones are pliable. Joan always appears to take a back seat to what I do with the flyers but she is always there and is instrumental in what ever success we have with the babies so please give her a big heartfelt Thanks. Tom

[aminal lover]

YIPEE!!!!!!!!!!!! You go Hoppy!!!! So glad to hear this wonderful news!! God bless you Tom for being such a caring and compasionate person towards all the fur babies. The world definatly needs more people like you and Judy C. Too!!

[Joan]

Laura, could you add what you did for Rockie when you first got her?

[The Rock's Laura]

Laura, could you add what you did for Rockie when you first got her?

Hi, it's heartwarming to hear what's being done for little Hoppy.

These little creatures are amazingly resilient, that's true. To think what Rockie has been through since I got her and she is still happy and well is just a blessing and never ceases to amaze me.

When I first got Rockie she was very weak, she used to shake, couldn't climb and fell over when she sat on her hind quarters. I fed her calcium drops, applesauce and peeled pine nuts for her. As she got stronger, little by little day by day I used to cuddle and massage her through a sweatshirt sleeve. I figured it was a good way to get her blood circulating and stimulate her. She was not comfortable being held in a naked hand but felt very secure in the material. I used sleeves cut off at the shoulder as her first pouches as I didn't know anything about flying squirrels but figured she would like a place to cuddle up. She still finds comfort in the sleeves I hang in her cage.

It took many months for her to be well enough to attempt gliding but when she did she loved it. Now, she'd rather climb and run at warp speed then glide but I think that's because she knows she's a little chunky and might hit the deck like a lead balloon. Whatever, she's alert and happy.

As most of you know last year I thought I was going to lose her. She had a bad case of mites from something I gave her from the outside without freezing it (lesson to all) and had shots of medicine and treatments of Frontline and that little body just kept ticking. I again resorted to applesauce, vitamin water in a dropper and peeled pinenuts when she was recuperating. Worked like a charm. She's a trooper.

If you give them less than 1/2 a chance to survive they will kick ass and come through it with flying colors. They are amazing.

[Joan]

... Joan always appears to take a back seat to what I do with the flyers but she is always there and is instrumental in what ever success we have with the babies so please give her a big heartfelt Thanks. Tom

Tom you are too kind. Folks, I find 'em and run 'em over to his house.

[Joan]

These are 3 pictures of Hoppy after his bath and his PT is completed.

Notice in pic #1 the position of his back leg, He has feeling in both rear legs now and is beginning to use them.


This is his other side. Notice that the rear leg is under him in the right position.


Hoppy has been a great patient. He takes the therapy in stride and never tries to bite. He will soon be moving to Miss. where he will be pampered by Deb. I know he will have a great home and will very soon have Deb doing exactly as he wants. The BowFlex machine Hoppy is pictured with was not actually used in his rehabilation but he would like you to think he uses it.

[Deb]

ANOTHER little miracle! Tom is the BIG miracle So great to see the pictures Joan. Thanks for posting the update.
Looks like Tom Tom may actually have a playmate instead of just a intruder in his favorite spot in my shirt. It's very good news. I'll give him a loving home and keep up his PT. I dug out a foot spa that was stored at my mom's. Already cleaned it with a good dose of betadine and bleach in the water. I am gonna try to dip him into it cradled in my hand for hydrotherapy. we'll soon find out if I have Tom's knack for "telling them w

hat I'm gonna do instead of asking them"

I hope he doesn't give Patti too much trouble when she brings him to Mississippi for me. He certainly looks like he is capable of getting into trouble like any other furball

[Lora]

Tom & Joan, you are both amazing! Deb, you're very lucky to be getting this special little gift & Hoppy.... GO YOU! You can do it little guy! I've seen a few posts regarding mites so I'm gonna throw in my 2 cents worth. Mites on the skin usually come from the ears. Back in my rabbit breeding days we treated this with a small amount of mineral oil in each ear 1x per week for 4 weeks to kill the cycle. If mites are present on the body you can use 5% Sevin Dust which you can find in any nursery or even some grocery stores. It is gentle enough to use on baby rabbits. One of the few products that is. This treatment came straight from the head of rabbit research at Univ of Hawaii (I lived there at the time). There are very, very few products safe enough for a baby rabbit so I'm thinking could be used on Flyers as well. I'm thinking though that getting those drops in the ear would be a challenge, lol. The downside is that they're little greaseballs for about 5 weeks. PS: Before anyone asks... NOOOOOO, I did not raise rabbits for research! Mine were strictly raised for pet & show but I took advice anywhere I could get it.

[CatStina]

great news! im glad it all worked out for little hoppy

[Joan]

Check out http://www.nfsa.us/phpBB2/viewtopic.php ... ight=hoppy for photos of Hoppy and the Transportation Crew.

[4tupelo]

first this place is the best! Regarding reading of antibiotics an healing....Moonbeam fell into my soup much time ago terrible.. I took off work..went to Curt...AloeVera direct from the plant aloe juice an gel from health food stores brought back as normal as could be could still scramble up a door....so hot liquids have to always be mindful.....prevention One of my sis' is an herbalist an i have always like reading James A Duke natural cures ...Has anyone used miny amts. of like echinacea to prevent infections or help when have one... Bill Hello