>From Tara the human
>About 3 weeks ago, she lost about 1 1/2 inches of fur along the base of her
>tail on the bottom only.  No hair loss anywhere else, and within a week baby
>hairs were starting to grow in but sparsely.  I have been cleaning her tail
>4-6 times a week with noxema pads since this started, and she's got one
>dirty tail!
 
Excerpted from the FAQ (sections 10.3 and 10.4):
Hair loss on just the tail is generally nothing to worry about.  It can be
caused by stress, such as a change of environment or the arrival of a new
animal in the household.  Even the normal seasonal coat change can be enough
stress to make your ferret's tail go completely bald, and sometimes it will
take several months for the fur to grow back.  Often this seasonal "rat
tail" shows up with tiny black spots.
 
Ferrets sometimes get tiny black spots on their tails, often accompanied by
a reddish-brown waxy deposit and hair loss.  They look a lot like
blackheads, and in fact that's probably pretty much what they are.  Gentle
cleaning, perhaps with a medicated cleanser (a dilute benzoyl peroxide
shampoo) that your vet can recommend, should help, though it may take many
weeks.  Often this is a seasonal problem that clears up on its own in a few
months.
 
>From:    Nadine Toukan <[log in to unmask]>
>I am willing to invest in getting the vet here literature on ferrets and
>even getting him in touch with our vet in Florida, but this education will
>take time!!
 
Feel free to pass along a copy of the Ferret Medical FAQ on Adrenal Disease,
which you can get from any of the locations in my signature.  It's probably
not detailed enough for a vet who doesn't know ferret anatomy, but it's a
start, and it's quick to get.
 
>From:    MariahYo <[log in to unmask]>
>I've noticed that both of my ferrets are scratching badly!!To the point
>they are mad!  I've kept flea medicine on them, I have only seen one flea
>ever
 
Other than fleas, it could be dry skin, allergies, mites or another skin
infection/infestation, or adrenal disease.  If you haven't noticed any otehr
symptoms, adrenal disease is pretty unlikely.  For starters, try bathing
them less (if applicable), keeping the house more humid, and giving them a
bit of an oil supplement (Ferretone etc.).
 
>From:    Vesna Kovach <[log in to unmask]>
>I have found the Ferret Highway by Shepherd and Greene to be well worth the
>pricetag (about $25).  It's much more sturdy than the actual dryer hose we
>had before.  It comes in a 25 foot length.
 
WNYFLFA and a few other ferret clubs sell sturdy, 20-foot clear dryer hose
as a fundraiser for $15 or less.  I've seen the Sheppard & Greene one, and
as far as I can tell it's identical.  No offense intended, but S&G's price
stunned me.  Feel free to email me about the stuff WNYFLFA has.
 
>From:    Dave <[log in to unmask]>
>My ferret has more of a white face with not a very noticible mask
>and red eyes.  I dunno if this is just because of his "jeans" or if
>he's another type of breed.
 
There's really only one breed of ferret -- well, maybe two, standard and
angora -- but they come in all kinds of colors and patterns.  Sable is just
a color description, and not a very specific term.  Yours doesn't sound like
what I'd call a sable, but he may look more like one in his summer coat.  To
see pictures of some of the colors and their formal names, see
 
LIFE Show Standards (colors), with pictures
   http://www.acmeferret.com/life/shows/
AFA Show System Color/Pattern Chart, also with pictures
   http://www.ferret.org/afacolors.htm
 
--
- Pam Greene
Ferret Central <http://www.optics.rochester.edu:8080/users/pgreene/>
            or ftp://ftp.optics.rochester.edu/pub/pgreene/
            or send INDEX FERRET in email to <[log in to unmask]>
[Posted in FML issue 2181]