carolyn johnson <[log in to unmask]> wrote: >Shelby, one of my older furries has a major problem. He has lost all >of his guard hairs as the vet calls them and I call them him outer long >coat. This was just beautiful and sleek until a month ago and now all >he has is his undercoat. He is not bald and get this--his tail is >perfect-- no loss of hair there. While this may be a symptom of an adrenal problem (I do not know), it may also just be an odd coat change pattern. I have had a few ferrets do this - change the undercoat gradually and after that is done, suddenly loose all their guard hairs. And, when this has happened, it has usually been a few weeks before the guard hairs start to grow back. Hopefully this is what Shelby is doing. Try looking under the undercoat fur at the skin - is there any sign of a new coat coming in? If Shelby has dark colored guard hairs, a darkening of the skin will indicate that the new guard hairs are getting ready to start coming in. I have also had instances where ferrets have blown their entire coat in the matter of a few days. With mine, it has always been whole hobs that do this. Then, I have a bald ferret for a week or 2 until the coat starts to come back. I hope whatever is going on with Shelby is nothing more serious then changing to a winter coat. -- Danee ADV - If your ferret hasn't been tested, you don't know! For more information visit: http://www.geocities.com/russiansmom To find out how you can help visit: http://www.geocities.com/help4adv/index.htm [Posted in FML issue 4261]