>Are there other signs of adrenal tumors other then hair loss? There are many signs of adrenal tumors in ferrets. The first sign is usually hair loss. The loss of hair can involve only the tail or involve the whole body. Other symptoms include pruritis (itchy skin), Swollen vulva (females), return to sexual behavior in neutered males, skin that is thin and dry, and abdominal distention. Unfortunately there is no reliable blood test. It is important to note that the tests we use to diagnose adrenal gland problems in dogs and cats (called Cushings Disease -a completely different disease) have been proven to be ineffective to diagnose adrenal tumors in ferrets. There is a blood test to check estrogen levels (which are suspected to cause the symptoms of ferret adrenal tumors), but unfortunately as Dr. Williams mentioned before this test is only evevated in 33% of ferrets with advanced disease (long after hair loss has been present). The bottom line is...Yes, hair loss is usually the first symptom and the ferrets don't feel sick at this point. Dr. Weiss c [log in to unmask] 301-299-4142 [Posted in FML issue 1047]