BIlateral fur loss anywhere EXCEPT the tail is usually adrenal neoplasia. Fur loss on the tail only (with no other adrenal symptoms beyond the general category of fur loss) might be adrenal neoplasia but more commonly is a dermal (skin) problem. If you look up RATTAIL/RAT TAIL in the FML Archives http://listserv.cuny.edu/archives/ferret-search.html, or FHL Archives http://fhl.sonic-weasel.org you'll find easy things to try. The necropsy discussion: I think that there was perhaps confusion because either the first post did not make it clear that the cause of death was known to be a tumor, or the reader missed that. As a result the reader thought about other possible causes of death as being possible. Usually when an unexpected death occurs it DOES make complete sense to do a necropsy WITH PATHOLOGY (and at times with toxicology) because the cause might be something which poses a hazard to the other ferrets. Over the life of the FML there have been maybe three times when the cause also posed a hazard to everyone else in the home. I can recall: a leaking gas line under a stove and two situations involving carbon monoxide, one a hole through to a neighboring garage during winter with people warming cars in the garage instead of being logical and doing so outside. It does not make sense for people to be over-reacting on either side when this seems to be a simple case of leaving out an essential detail or missing it on reading. It doesn't matter which of those happened; we each do both of those at assorted times, and we each have days when we are rushed or grumpy due to the pressures of our already full day-to-day lives. We're all ONLY HUMAN (just ask the ferrets) and WE ALL GOOF UP NOW AND THEN. It's not like we're talking about anything worse than that in this situation or like it is going to derail or destroy anyone's life, so let's keep calm heads, please. There have already been too many fights here recently (at least for my taste so I have been skipping a lot of posts which I guess does save time...). This does bring up something that we all need to think about right now, though. The tension levels all over are high right now. There are too many of us without income right now, too many with recent losses over the last two years, too many afraid of terrorism who are just made more tense by the continuing discussions and the risks to freedom some think are needed (though losing those would create a situation in which the terrorists win), too many with loved ones in combat zones, too many reliving the worries they had when they had or lost loved ones in similar situations (This especially seems to echo Vietnam for a great many of us.), etc. As a result many of us are hurting a LOT more off-list than we had before two years ago -- in many cases a real lot more. I understand that; many of us are much worse off now than we were in previous years in terms of tension, family, and finances. Steve and I have been living on savings for a while now, and in the last about two years we have lost multiple ferrets, two uncles, almost lost two aunts, almost lost Steve's dad four times and his mom once, had a few human and ferret emergencies and surgeries that turned out okay (including a terrible emergency on Friday which against all odds worked out okay), and we have my absolutely adored aunt and uncle now in a protected situation with them not having designated anyone with Power of Attorney and both having suddenly acquired mental infirmities but some needed medical care not being agreed to by them and the state possibly due to declare them incompetent and name guardians if they don't chose among their attorney or us family members to select people to help them. It's been a truly miserable time and I know that I am unusually tense as a result, but it will NOT make my tension any less to punch anyone physically or verbally (though hitting a punching bag can help). THIS IS A PLACE FOR FRIENDSHIPS. Maybe we ALL need to think a bit more about holding posts and cleaning them up before sending them during this rough time for us all. One thing about bad times: they either break up people (families/friendships/communities) because folks feel safer showing anger to those with whom they are close or have a tie in common assuming that forgiveness will be forthcoming even if they push things too far, OR they make such relationships stronger by those people binding together and supporting each other emotionally. Let's try for the second, please, and let's all take a gentle minute to remember those who are in a harder place than we are ourselves. Right now I am thinking of those FML people past and present who have loved ones in combat zones or are there themselves. [Posted in FML issue 4292]