Hi, Kelly. Probably it is a common thing wich "happens" to many ferret's tails in the summer season. The "phenomenon" is called a rat tail and the tiny black dots are sort of bleackheads. It usually starts at the tip of the tail and the tail can go completly bald. Try cleaning bleackheads, altough it usualy helps only for a while. This is not a medical condition, it is only cosmetical and you can relive yourself. if those spots are reddish (and are present elswhere on the skin) and if the missing patches are present at the base of the tail (and/or elswhere), it would be at least worth about thinkong adrenal being present. -- I have a female ferret, Molly she is 1 and 1/2 years old, in the past 3-4 months I have noticed that her tail hair has thinned out and became bristly feeling ... snip ... I am wondering if anyone has had this happen to thier ferrets or has heard of anything like this???? -- m. www.zverinice.com --- Think of me long enough to make a memory --- [Posted in FML issue 5238]