Hi All!
 
     Dr. Williams, you replied:
 
     >>  Urine color often varies between individuals based on diet and the
     >>amount of water consumed.  The color of urine generally is
     >>representattive of its concentration - the more urine passed, the less
     >>concentrated, and the more dilute and brighter yellow.  More concentrated
     >>urine is darker yellow.
 
     Thank you, I appreciate the reply and will follow up with the vet and have
     it checked out.
 
     I have a few other questions, all concerning my older ferret, Maggie, that
     I'm hoping Dr. Williams and others can assist me with.
 
     1) Maggie's tail is losing its hair (no don't say adrenal tumors yet). The
     pores on her tail are all black, like black heads. And when you squeeze
     them lightly, it seems that something does comes out. And there is a mild
     strange smell to her tail that the rest of her body does not have. I took
     her to the vet and he doesn't know what it is. He gave me some antibiotic
     spray and told me to wash her tail in Betadine solution. Then I spoke to
     the ferret shelter here and I was told that it is "ferret acne" (?) and
     that she would lose all the hair on her tail and I should put some acne
     medicine on it. Has anybody ever seen something like this?
 
     2) Next: Maggie has a HUGE spleen. I've taken her to the vet and he says
     that removal of the spleen is very traumatic and that Maggie is fairly old
     and may not need it. So we are watching her. But yesterday I was feeling
     her abdomen (and spleen, of course) and felt a fairly large (about the
     size of a big chick pea) hard nodule at the end of the spleen. I have not
     felt this before (that's not to say it wasn't there). Could there be a
     further complication arising? and what diagnostics would be good for the
     vet to do? I have the medical FAQ on spleen problems and will show that to
     my vet.
 
     3) Last: Given the above issues, I'm worried about Maggie. Starting
     yesterday, she doesn't have much energy. She normally sleeps alot and
     plays a little (if coaxed) but she didn't want to get up last night or
     this morning. I know she's been eating (she got up just long enough this
     morning to leave me a present in the corner) but she just wants to sleep
     and I've let her. Is it normal for older ferrets to have "bad days" and
     should I watch her and take her to the vet? But what do I tell the vet,
     she just sleeps and eats.
 
     Any and ALL input is greatly appreciated. As a mom, I'm very worried and
     not sure what to do.
 
     Thanks, Jennifer.
[Posted in FML issue 0974]