Ferret PT
One of our ferrets (Bruno, not Jack of the recent crisis) had double knee surgery in July. Since then, he has tried to get as much mileage as possible out of being a recovering patient. The vet has given us a simple physical therapy regime to do. Last night and tonight, J decided that he was being too lazy and added swimming to his workout routine.
I think it is doing good for him; it is certainly being entertaining for us.
She fills the tub with water to about shoulder height on a ferret and puts Bruno in the tub. He alternately looks at us with the "Mama, I'm drowning" look (while standing on the bottom with his head inches above the water) or stands on his hind legs against the side of the tub. (The tub is tall enough that it takes a healthy ferret a good amount of effort to get out.) J reports that the first time he stood on his back legs, it was followed a moment later by the "oh, I didn't want you to know I could do that look".
J will put him in the deep end of the tub, and he will swim/walk back to the shallow end, which is good exercise for him. The movement is like walking (of which he does not do enough) but since it's in water, he does not have to hold up his normal body weight.
The next time we go swimming, we definitely need to have the camera ready.
I think it is doing good for him; it is certainly being entertaining for us.
She fills the tub with water to about shoulder height on a ferret and puts Bruno in the tub. He alternately looks at us with the "Mama, I'm drowning" look (while standing on the bottom with his head inches above the water) or stands on his hind legs against the side of the tub. (The tub is tall enough that it takes a healthy ferret a good amount of effort to get out.) J reports that the first time he stood on his back legs, it was followed a moment later by the "oh, I didn't want you to know I could do that look".
J will put him in the deep end of the tub, and he will swim/walk back to the shallow end, which is good exercise for him. The movement is like walking (of which he does not do enough) but since it's in water, he does not have to hold up his normal body weight.
The next time we go swimming, we definitely need to have the camera ready.