To: Melanie Suzanne Pacella <[log in to unmask]> >>I have a question that nobody has been able to answer, so here it goes. Around the end of the summer, I notice that my female ferret gets black dots on her tail (clogged hair follicles?) and starts to lose the hair on her tail too. It gradually goes away, but what can be causing this? If anyone has any info. on this, please let me know. << Let me guess, your ferret is around 1-2 years old? If so, then you are dealing with "teenage" acne. Oil buildup on the tail is quite common, and blackheads can be treated with alchohol skin cleanser, or some products in fancy pet shops for this purpose. Just clean the tail though. >>Also, I feed both of my ferrets Friskies (kitten) that has about 33% protein. Should I switch to some of the better foods such as Iams or does it really matter?<< I recommend a change in diet, because Friskies may have the protein, but is it animal or vegetable? What is the first ingredient? What is the fat content? These are considerations. for all you interested in diets for ferrets, STAR* puts out a list of 15 foods suitable for ferrets which compares the proteins, fats, ash, and ingredients in chart form. If you would like a copy, please send a self-addressed stamped envleope to: Food Chart STAR* Ferrets PO Box 1714 Springfield, VA 22151-0714 It's Free! Pam STAR* [Posted in FML issue 1106]