>From:    Sherri Holden <[log in to unmask]>
>Subject: Good, bad, waiting
>The bad: ... I noticed a small spot on my Gypsy where all the hair was
>gone....  My first thought, adrenal disease.  So when the Dr. came back
>I showed it to her and she said that she doesn't think that it's adrenal
>because she's a little young, 3 1/2, and also that adrenal disease tends to
>lose the hair patchy and in random places.  This was a very specific area.
>She thinks it may be something fungal.  So she did a patch test and I am
>now on the waiting game.  It will take 7 to 10 days for the results.  I'm
>so happy that she doesn't think it's adrenal, but what about this fungus?
>Does anyone know about this?  My poor baby is scratching and I don't know
>how to help her except to help her scratch.
 
Dear Sherri:
 
Single areas of hair loss can be a difficult diagnosis.  I wouldn't totally
rule out adrenal disease here, but it is certainly too early to make this
diagnosis.  3.5 years is certainly not too early - while the mean age for
adrenal disease is 4.8 years, I have seen it as early as 1.4 years.
 
Skin fungus is also known as ringworm.  Ringworm is a bad name for a
superficial fungus that infects the hair follicle and causes the hair
shafts to break and fall out.  A superficial scaping of the infected skin
will allow culture and the results you expect in a week or so.  Ringworm
is not common in indoor animals - we occasionally see it transmitted by
other pets in the household, usually kittens.  In ringworm, affected areas
are generally white and crusty.
 
Another possibility that I would suggest would be a skin neoplasm,
particularly a mast cell tumor.  More info, including a picture is
available at http://www.afip.org/ferrets - these sites are usually a bit
crusty, too.  Other skin tumors (which are usually benign) often show up
as hairless areas.
 
The bottom line is - the vast majority of possibilities here are benign
and very treatable, so don;t fret overly.
 
With kindest regards,
Bruce Williams, DVM, DACVP
[Posted in FML issue 3180]