To Greg Hastings - >1. the new guy has a cataract on his right eye and another one starting on >the the left eye, this means he is at least three, correct? Greg - animals can be born with cataracts. They cannot be used to age ferrets. Aging ferrets is a difficult process with a high margin for error. You would be better to use the term "adult" instead of trying to pin aan age on an animal you have no information on. >2. i have another guy, willie--4 1/2 who has lost almost all of his >hair except for the tail, rear, top of head, legs. he has no other negative >symptoms. i am concerned that this could be an adrenal problem except >everything i have read says tail and rear hair loss are major symptoms. he eats >great, no swelling anywhere, no fever, plays all the time, and gets his 'willie >scratches'. he pees and poops okay. >i hate to put him through surgery if all he is going through is the hair change >time of the year. This sounds very much like adrenal disease. Not every animal loses hair off of the tail. Bilaterally symmetrical hair loss is probably a better catch-all term for the coat changes in animals with AAE (adrneal-associated endocrinopathy. Time for Willie to see the vet. Bruce Williams, DVM Department of Veterinary Pathology [log in to unmask] Armed Forces Institute of Pathology (202) 576-2453/2454 Washington, D.C. 20306-6000 [Posted in FML issue 0949]