I actually had a ferret who was allergic to one kind of wood pellet for stoves. (Don't remember the specific brand.) When her hair came off her tail, it was in a more rat-tail pattern so I initially wasn't worried, but washing the tail and all the other things that had worked before weren't and she just kept getting itchier and itchier so I started worrying about adrenal, but went though *any* other cause. I remembered it had started with the introduction of the litter, and so I switched back. The itching stopped almost immediately, and the hair was growing back within two weeks. So if the litter seems to be aggravating a problem, GO BACK to a litter that didn't! Oh, and washing ferrets every couple weeks could well be way too frequently for them. Overproduction of oils, dry skin, and discomfort can be a real problem. Once a month at MOST. I wash mine only when it's needed...when they've gotten into something, etc. I will more frequently wash *parts* of a ferret (tail/feet) if need be, but it's really better for the ferret to not wash too frequently. They'll actually smell less after they stop overproducing oils. Sue M. [log in to unmask] [log in to unmask] [Posted in FML issue 3572]