About 3 weeks ago I noticed that Einstein's tail fur was very thin, no
completely bald spots, just thin over all.  So off to the vet we go.  The
vet called our attention to more thinning on his tummy, and diagnosed
probable adrenal tumor.  The vet gave us some shampoo for irritated skin (to
be left on for 10 minutes every 5 days), said to bring Einstein back in a
month, unless the hair loss really took off, and then we'd decide when to do
surgery.  Einstein is about 2.5 years old.
 
At the same time, Einstein was diagnosed with ear mites, so we did a week of
mitaclear drops for all three ferrets.
 
Now for the question: I have seen references on this list to seasonal
shedding resulting in a thinned tail.  I have also seen references to ear
mites infesting the tail, as ferrets often sleep with their tail by their
head, and causing hair loss.  The only possibility my vet mentioned besides
adrenal was that Einstein was chewing out of boredom, but that he doubted
that since we have two more ferrets to keep him busy.
 
   _How_do_I_tell_the_difference?_
 
Einstein's fur has not become any thinner, except for possibly a spot
between his shoulder blades (I'm not sure if it's really thin, or if I'm
just paranoid now).  He is eating, playing, and pooping normally.  He
scratches himself a bit,and chews on his tummy ocassionally, but he's always
been a very itchy ferret, with coarser fur than the others.
 
If Einstein needs surgery, he will get surgery, have no fear, but we hate
for him to go through the trauma and us to go through the expense if it's
really something else.  Should we keep waiting for him to lose more hair or
develop other symptoms to be sure?
 
Janna and Aron
Einstein, Daisy, and Bandit
[Posted in FML issue 2081]