To Pam Barber,
 
        Pam - hair loss is generally the tip-off that your ferret has adrenal
disease.  Because the affected adrenals secrete estrogens instead of cortisone,
like we see in other species, you don't have blood changes like you may see
early on in some other species.
 
        There is a blood test available for estrogen through a company called
CenVet, but it is only positive in 33% of ADVANCED cases, so I don't think at
this point it would be a suitable test for routine checking.
 
        But stay tuned...
 
       Bruce Williams, DVM                 Department of Veterinary Pathology
       [log in to unmask]         Armed Forces Institute of Pathology
       (202) 782-2600/2602                 Washington, D.C.  20306-6000
[Posted in FML issue 1043]