To Pam Barber, Pam - hair loss is generally the tip-off that your ferret has adrenal disease. Because the affected adrenals secrete estrogens instead of cortisone, like we see in other species, you don't have blood changes like you may see early on in some other species. There is a blood test available for estrogen through a company called CenVet, but it is only positive in 33% of ADVANCED cases, so I don't think at this point it would be a suitable test for routine checking. But stay tuned... Bruce Williams, DVM Department of Veterinary Pathology [log in to unmask] Armed Forces Institute of Pathology (202) 782-2600/2602 Washington, D.C. 20306-6000 [Posted in FML issue 1043]