Gina wrote yesterday about Dallas' fur woes:
 
My ferret Cully is prone to recurring scabs, about the size and shape
you describe.  Two different vets have agreed that it's not likely to
be tumorous, but rather just knots of scar tissue (fibroid
something-or-another) that periodically get itchy.  He scratches them until
they're scabby, then they heal up, stay clean for a while, then he does it
again.  The scars (he's got three of these things) are probably from old
puncture wounds or scrapes.  One of them is in a place you wouldn't think
he could reach on the back of his hip, but somehow he does reach it.  The
vets' advice was to clean it when I notice blood (I use Hibitane), and
otherwise not to worry unless they start spreading.  If you're worried
about tumors, Ferret Central has a good section on mast cell tumors in the
medical FAQs.
 
The hair loss on the tail-- if Dallas has blackheads, pimples, or an orange
crust, then this is probably that normal mangy tail thing some ferrets get.
Keep her tail clean, and the fur will grow back.  That's the extent of my
experience with tail hair loss-- I haven't seen that long line of loss you
mention, so I may be way off base here.
 
Regina
 
Regina Harrison
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[Posted in FML issue 2406]