Re: cod liver oil: It's not a stain problem; it's the smell.  0.33 cc
of her meds in cod liver oil is like opening a pound of sardines and
the smell lasts and gets into everything.  The best combo we have found
so far is to use lemon hand dish detergent in the laundry, bleach the
washer, run something with some lemon oil in it in the drier now and
then, and use citrus soaps in our clothing drawers.  I wish the man who
flew the Little Looper was still with us.  It was a 1914 plane that ran
on cod liver oil so I could find out who did his laundry and what worked
best.  I figure that we might have some folks here who make their living
on the sea who will have tips.
 
>In reading up on Adrenal last night, I found mentions of hair loss that
>could occur on the tail only, or on the tail and the rump.  What about
>the rump only, and not the tail?
 
When it is just the tail it is more likely to be dermal but can be a
pointer to adrenal neoplasia.  Significant bilateral fur loss ANYWHERE on
the trunk, limbs and head can be caused by adrenal neoplasia but part of
the loss you describe -- over the sacrum if I read you right -- is one of
the truly classic patterns for fur loss due to hyperestrogenism and
adrenal neoplasia is the most common cause of that in the U.S.
 
We have had only one early adrenal neoplasia here and that was when we
went for a while without providing a lot of true darkness.  We do NOT
know if that was the reason.  She wasn't as young as your's but I have
read on ones as young as your's, and have even read in the FHL of one
whole ferret who had adrenal neoplasia at the age of 2 years.
 
Think of alternative causes, too, but don't discount adrenal.  In such a
young one do remember that at times dermal problems occur which cause fur
loss, either with or without adrenal neoplasia.  Another possible cause
of fur loss can be hyperestogenism from going into heat (estrus) and that
is a consideration in one who may have had an incomplete spay or may be
whole.  An incomplete spay would require corrective surgery and some
breeders (including at least one farm) do compensate in this situation.
 
The big thing is to take her to your vet.  If surgery is tried then cost
will vary depending on if there is adrenal neoplasia, location, if it is
a right or left, or bilateral, etc.  Nationally as a whole think between
$300 to $800 usually.  In some areas vet hospitals vary.  Our ferret vet,
Joe Martins, moved to a different hospital from the Basking Ridge one to
the Bellemead one.  We now are getting the same care for much less than
before.  Granted, we have to drive an hour now, though... (We're in New
Jersey.) In such a situation the critical factor is level of care, of
course.  If it is bilateral or the remaining adrenal is atrophied then
the vet NEEDS to have handy: Florinef and Pred, or Procorten and Pred.
 
Oh, since I haven't said it in a while; I'm not a vet, just someone who
has had ferrets in the family for 20 years and who has been involved in
an assortment ferret projects for maybe something like 17 years now.  I
tend to forget that there may at times be new folks who don't know this.
 
Post op be SURE to allow NO climbing (even ramps), use paper instead of
litter or use a newspaper litter, etc.  We don't allow other ferrets in
without supervision due to stitch pulling.  Watch for signs that the meds
mentioned above may be needed (Discuss with vet.), watch for infection,
watch for stitch pulling, etc.  We have never lost a ferret to adrenal
surgery or after adrenal surgery.
[Posted in FML issue 4029]