>I have taken my new ward to the vet yesterday afternoon for bloodwork. >She is displaying what seems to me to be the classic hairloss I've heard, >read about and seen pictures of. Her back and belly were bald when I >got her.... Hi, Veronica The hair loss you describe could certainly be caused by flea infestation, though do continue to consult with your vet on this (who, incidentally, should have checked for swollen vulva right away with hair loss, and if they couldn't tell or didn't look, you need a new, ferret-knowledgable vet). However, DON'T USE HARTZ FLEA DROPS. The chemical they use to kill fleas is highly toxic to small animals and could cause drooling, hair loss, seizures, death, among other things (not that there's anything worse than death as an ultimate symptom, unless you consider suffering along the way). _Most_ over the counter flea remedies are pretty unsafe, including drops, powders, dips, sprays, shampoos. You are better off having your vet prescribe some ferret-appropriate doses of Advantage or another approved product. In the clinic where I work I have personally seen at least three cats in the last year get really sick from the Hartz Flea Drops, and ferrets are smaller and even more sensitive, so I would urge you not to use that product again (see my recent post about pyrethrins and flea products in the FML archives). Good luck with your baby-I hope fleas were all it was, though flea infestations can be pretty bad and cause terrible illnesses, too (anemia, tapeworm, etc) and kill an animal if not addressed. Dooks, April A.C. [Posted in FML issue 3938]