# Sudden Hind Leg Paralysis



## zany_toon

All my plans went out the window from last night and today (had intended getting in touch with Onyx for a few girls after feeding the mice but ended up dealing with a really ill mousie.)

Scrambled Egg had been running around in his wheel and tubes all day yesterday whilst I'd been cleaning and as normal was still enjoying himself at 10pm. When I went to feed the hoardes at 1am I found that Scramble was in his tube struggling to come out. I lifted him out to find that he had lost all ability to move his entire back end and was dragging himself around. I stayed up with him until 7am to keep an eye on him and make sure he didn't get any worse. He wasn't moving his back end when I got him to the vet and he's on anti-inflammatories. He's happy enough and not in any pain but I don't know what's casued it - there isn't anything in his cage that he can hurt himself on, he lives alone, there are no wounds (that I can see and I even checked to see if a wasp or bee had managed to get in) and he can't fall anymore than than 3 inches because of the cage he is in. 24 hours later (now at almost 1am again) he is moving his tail again as normal and has some movement in one foot but both legs and the other foot are still hanging limp. A friend has pointed out that there is something similar in rats which is seen by a progressive degeneration in the legs and ability to move them but there hasn't been anything like this in Scramble and he is one of the healthiest mice I've owned (with the exception of scratching his eye a while back and causing oedema.) Has anyone ever come across this before in mice and if so did you find out what caused it and did they improve? I'm trying to think positive seeing as he is still happy enough (currently throwing bedding around and upending his house then having a munch of biscuit) but would like to know what has perhaps caused it so I can keep an eye on all my others incase they develop it in their old age. (Scramble is 16-17 months old.)


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## Kallan

With mice we're rather stuck, as there is not much literature on them! But I can take you through a vet's reasoning 

To locate the problem, the hind end is affected but the forelimbs are not - the put the lesion causing the problem between the shoulders and the pelvis.

A sudden loss in hindlimb function will not be a progressive thing - you would expect to see worsening over time rather than a complete paralysis. But something has happened to squish or destroy the spinal cord. Things that will do that are trauma, fractures, blockages of the blood vessels in a region or a disc prostrusion or prolapse.

The fact that he's improving almost rules out a fracture. I would suspect a disc problem as he's older, it was sudden, and is getting better. Most likely the lesion is where the ribs end and lower back begins.

Did Chris give you preds? They're usually the best treatment for an unknown neurological problem.


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## zany_toon

Hey Kallan. Yeah Chris went through all that and gave me preds for him (although I noticed now that I hadn't mentioned any of that in my post  Sorry!! 48 hours with no sleep...not good for the old brain!! Chris had thought along the lines of a trauma of some sort because he'd started moving his tail again but I couldn't think of anything in his cage that would cause it) I just completely forgot to ask if he'd ever heard of this before and if Scramble would be okay living like that so thought I would ask here to see if anyone had a mouse who coped with this and lived happily. So far no luck on that front


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## Kallan

He will probaly regain sensitivity to a point, then not go further. If he can at least get some movement in his legs he may be able to cope, as long as he doesn't have to climb to get to anything, or compete with other mice.


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## zany_toon

Nope - lives on his own and I'm already thinking of heading into the loft to get the Gabber lux for him so that I can make some small levels with cardboard boxes that he can reach with a ramp and to make sure that nothing has to be climbed for. If he even progresses to the point that he gets some movement in both hind feet so that he can turn properly I'll be a happy bunny  Thanks Kallan  (And I'll try to remember not to write any posts again when I've not had any sleep - maybe then they will make sense as to what I'm asking  )


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## zany_toon

:gwavebw Both feet are moving!! Both feet are moving!!!


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## NuttySian

:gwavebw Woo keep going Mr egg!


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## zany_toon

NuttySian said:


> :gwavebw Woo keep going Mr egg!


:lol: Thanks for the encouragement - he needs all the encouragement he can get!!!


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## NuttySian

:lol: I'm full of encouragement for other meeces, it's my own I lack it with as I feel so useless!


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## zany_toon

I'll encourage yours then and you can encourage mine


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## NuttySian

Deal!  *Makes a little cheering squad for Mr egg* :gwavebw


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## Kallan

C'mon Mr Egg! Or it's another trip to the vets for you! (Nutty is being carrot, I am being stick :twisted: )


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## zany_toon

Kallan said:


> C'mon Mr Egg! Or it's another trip to the vets for you! (Nutty is being carrot, I am being stick :twisted: )


  My mice only respond to love and biscuits :lol:


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## Kallan

Well I'll be a breadstick then, that's a savoury type biscuit sort-of thing...


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## zany_toon

Kallan said:


> Well I'll be a breadstick then, that's a savoury type biscuit sort-of thing...


:lol:


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## NuttySian

:lol: and _I'm_ meant to be the nutty one! I think I'm being given a run for my money here!


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## zany_toon

Well Mr. Egg is doing great!! He has about 90% of the movement back in his legs now but they are still rather weak and he is very shakey on them. But who cares!!! He can walk properly again and he is still here and I'm a happy mousie mum   Thanks for the cheering squad and the breadsticks :lol:


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## NuttySian

:gwavebw :gwavebw Woohoo! Well done Zany and Mr egg!


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## Lizzle

Go Scrambled Egg!!! (I love that name, by the way!).     That's seriously awesome that he has improved so much! I shall go tell Amica about him and hope that it will give her more encouragement as well. :lol:


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## zany_toon

Liz at FMH said:


> Go Scrambled Egg!!! (I love that name, by the way!).     That's seriously awesome that he has improved so much! I shall go tell Amica about him and hope that it will give her more encouragement as well. :lol:


Thank you  Fingers crossed Amica tries to out shine Scrambled Egg!


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