Dear Anonymous:
 
>I posted a question a few weeks ago asking about why the poor babies tails
>brush up when passing and got not one response.  I assumed it was just
>because it was a very sensitive topic.  But now that we are on the subject
>again, I'm going to ask again...does anyone have any idea why this
>happens?
 
The likely reason for this phenomenon is simply a contraction of the
erector pili muscles which are attached to follicles in the tails of
ferrets.
 
These small muscles are not distributed diffusely throughout the body, but
many species have them - and when they contract, the attached hairs "stand
on end".  Dogs have them along the dorsum of the neck and back, so when
they get angry - "their hackles stand up." In ferrets, the largest
follicular muscles are in the tail, so they can have that bottle brush
effect.
 
These muscles are composed of smooth muscles and contraction is generally
involuntary.  Thus, the reaction at euthanasia is an involuntary one, as
is defecation and urination - smooth muscle contraction.  I have never
considered it a pain or fright reaction.
 
With kindest regards,
Bruce Williams, dVM
[Posted in FML issue 3304]