FYI Rat tail is easily cured by bathing ferret under normal circumstances then follow with a tail end (or whole body) Dip in a mixture of 1tsp (teaspoon) of Avon's Skin So Soft to 1 gallon of warm water....... Doing this once should take care of the problem. No muss no fuss............. This will take care of the black heads, crusties, and most anything else. If you don't see new hair growth at the blowing of the next coat repeat (but I've never had that happen - this has always worked with one dip)......Don't use too much SOS as then you have a very slipper ferret. Added benefit is it repels fleas........ Have fun......... PS> It's easy to confuse Rat Tail with adrenal symptoms. If this does not solve the missing hair on the tail problem please see a vet. If the hair loss goes up the back please see a vet. If there are other symptoms (aggression in a male - swollen vulva in a female) please see a vet. Marie Davis EMSO - Purchasing Administrative Assistant 650.493.7473 [log in to unmask] [Posted in FML issue 4322]