Hello,
 
        I am once again seeking help for my ferret, Cleo.  This time it
is not about how to keep her out of the garbage or how to get her to use
the litter pan.  I recently noticed that she has been losing hair.
Another wierd thing-- the hair around her head has turned grey where it
was brown before.  This seemed to happen over a period of about two or
three weeks.  She does not have any bald spots or hair noticibly falling
out but I have beennn finding large piles of ferret hair everywhere.
This has never happened before.  She seems alright otherwise.  She is a
little over a year old, she is spayed and has not shown any signs of it
not being a complete job.  She eats well and poops well.  Her diet has
not changed radically recently.  She is full of her usual energy.  She
drinks water fine.  I have not taken her to the vet yet as she seems
fine.  I was wondering though if I should and if anyone has any ideas
about what this might be?  She and our cat Missy share the same living
quarters... could she have caught some kind of skin problem from being
around the cat?  Could hair loss and discoloration like this come from
dry skin or from some kind of fungal infection?
 
        Any thoughts would really be appreciated,
                        thanks :)  Amy, Cleo n Missy
 
[Posted in FML issue 0701]