From:
"edward_lipinski"
Date: 2006-12-08 10:32:27 UTC
Subject: [ferrethealth] Re: Hair loss on tail
To: ferrethealth@yahoogroups.com
--- In ferrethealth@yahoogroups.com, "Robert Rose" <robert.rose@...>
wrote:
>
> Good Day one and all,
>
> I am a new member to this forum and would like to ask what is
perhaps
> a basic question. My wife and I have five ferrets, all between 3
and
> 3 1/2 years of age. We have begun to notice that 4 of the 5 are
> starting to lose hair on their tails. The hair loss appears to be
> starting at the tip of the tail and progressing upwards. The hair
> loss is confined to the tail and does not continue up the back or
> down the belly. We have had adrenal panels done and they have come
> back negative. The vet doesn't seem to concerned.
>
> We feed Ultimae 8 in 1 Crunchy Advanced Diet for Ferrets mixed
with
> Innova EVO Ferret Diet. We have tried washing their tails, increase
> and decrease their light exposure (slowly over several months); but
> none of this seems to have effected the amount, or lack thereof, of
> hair on thier tails. At first we thought that this was the result
of
> seasonal shedding; however, it seems to be a permanent thing now.
> Does anyone have any information about what could be occurring or
> what, if anything, my wife and I should be doing to correct this?
>
> Sincerely,
>
> SirHopofGrass (a.k.a., Robert Rose)
> Toronto, Ontario, Canada
>
HI RR,
I have noticed the same condition with some of my shelter ferrets
(28) of them from time to time. And I may know what causes this tail
hair shedding. It is likely due to perhaps more than one factor at
any given time.
Are all of your ferrets males and are they neutered and descented?
Are they all caged most (75%) of the time?
When not caged, how much free-running space on the floor do they have
available for running, playing and jumping?
The three factors I have noticed associated with tail hair shedding
are:
1.) Onset of disease (See Cushing's syndrome in dogs and cats)
2.) Inadequate and un-natural diet
3.) Lack of free-roaming exercise
With respect to your "unconcerned" vet, demand that
he search the literature to provide you with his best diagnosis in
layman's language that you can understand, not in veterinary med
mumbo-jumbo.
Please write me on the consequences of your and your vet's actions.
Edward Lipinski, F.E.R.R.E.T.S.,N.W. Mercer Island, Washington
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