From:
Roger Vaughn
Date: 2002-01-26 20:47:00 UTC
Subject: Fur barbering
My ferret Digger has been biting the fur off of his flanks on both
sides of his body just above and forward of his hind legs. The guard
hairs are still in place, but he seems to be chewing off much of his
undercoat there. It's obvious from the short and uneven hairs left
that he is chewing - this is not balding. He may also be chewing raw
spots on his belly.
One of my cats does something similar and has been licking her belly
bare for some time. With her, we are able to control the licking with
Elavil, but can't eliminate it.
Can anyone suggest why Digger might be doing this? His companion Bear
doesn't do anything like this. I can think of three things this might
be - 1) Environmental allergens. We have tried eliminating food
allergens with him and with the cat with no effect. I'm very afraid
there may be allergens in the carpets that are affecting them both. I
just don't want to *think* about replacing the carpet... 2) Heat
stress. We're in Florida and we keep the house fairly warm -
mid-70's. 3) Playmate stress. While he seems happy with Bear, Bear
is very playful (wants to fight ALL the time) while Digger sometimes
just wants to be left alone to explore.
Has anyone seen this before? Thanks for any input.
Roger, Digger and Bear