Help!
My wife and I are owned by two extraordinary ferrets- a sable named
Herschel and a cinnamon named Tikki.  Tikki has a skin allergy mannifested
by alopecia, blackheads and reddish pustules under his tail, on his back
and on his stomach.  Last year this was limited to his tail and the vet
stated that Tikki probably had a skin allergy possibly complicated by a
skin infection and prescribed the shampoo Pyoben.  We were instructed to
use the shampoo two to three times a week.  We tried it for about a month
or so and he grew back his hair.
 
Late this summer Tikki's fur on his back started to thin.  The vet noticed
this during the boys' annual visit and told us to use the shampoo again.
He presented with the reddish brown pustules indicative of a skin allergy
so we were reassured that an adrenal tumor was unlikely.  Unfortunately the
medicated shampoo has not completely alleviated the problem over the last
month and a half.  We use the shampoo three to four times a week, and, as
one might expect, Tikki's skin has dried out.  There is some fur slowly
growing back but we want to do something about Tikki's dry skin.
 
Any suggestions?  Have any of you seen this problem in your own ferrets?
 
If Tikki's condition does not improve soon we will have to visit the vet.
 
We appreciate any advice you have to offer! :-)
 
-Steve, Tammy, Tikki and Herschel
[Posted in FML issue 2476]