Regarding the ferret with a bald tail and mites: Over the years my ferrets have had recurring bald tails. The jills seem to suffer this especially when they are in season. The cure is simply to bathe the tail (i.e. dip it) in TCP. If you don't recognise the name TCP, it's an anti-septic solution which people use on small grazes, cuts, bee-stings etc. If necessary, I'll try to identify its makeup. Anyway, four or five days treatment is all that's required before new hair appears. [You're right, females quite frequently lose a lot of fur during the heat cycle. Nicia's tail was completely bald when we got her. People should be reminded though, that females really should be spayed unless you intend to breed them. (Female ferrets will usually not come out of heat unless bred or given special hormone shots - this prolonged condition can lead to aplastic anemia, and is OFTEN fatal.)] Has anyone had problems with abcesses, particularly round the mouth/neck/head? I've had this problem with two jills (separeted by about 5 years). It seems that once they are prone to it then the kindest answer is euthanasia - expensive & prolonged surgery just provides a temporary respite. So what's the cause? [Don't know what the cause is, but Mocha had such an abcess once just above her eye. It was a clear fluid. We drained it a couple of times, but it kept coming back until the vet excised it. No recurrances. I suspect a stopped-up gland of some sort. It certainly sounded as if the excision was simple and quick.] Sender : Jonathan M Spencer Mail : Computing Lab, University of Newcastle-upon-Tyne, NE1 7RU, UK Phone : +91 222 8229 ARPA : [log in to unmask] JANET : [log in to unmask] UUCP : !ukc!newcastle.ac.uk!J.M.Spencer [Posted in FML 0112]