Dear Amy:
 
>I washed her with warm water and watched her make a very nice poop so I
>know she is still going and it is normal looking.  The next day it looked
>much better - kind of drier not so raw looking.  Then she licked it a bit
>and it looked a bit raw again.  This morning she again looked almost
>normal.  Should I just give her a few more days to see if is goes away or
>is this a big problem that needs to be seen by a vet.  It doesnt' seem to
>affect her at all.
 
A puffy, but not protruding rectum in a ferret with normal poop shouldn't
be a problem for long.  You can try putting a combination of Preparation H
and 0.5% hydrocortisone cream on it after gentle rinsing when it looks
puffy.  I don't think we need to run to the vet on this one, nor do I
think it is related to the insulinoma or the possible adrenal.
 
Your vet's wait and see approach is a good one for the mild hair loss, but
let's watch closely, and if it continues, let's not wait too long.
 
With kindest regards,
Bruce Williams, dVM
[Posted in FML issue 3282]