Elayne We just had a 2 1/2 year old Marshall Farms female come to the shelter with a bare lower back. Her vulva is normal. She has a large flabby stomach and a rougher coat than I would expect from a ferret that was eating only Iams Kitten. She is VERY active and playful. Bev will be examining her this evening. I will also call the former owners and see if they can tell me how long she has had the hair loss, and if they ever noticed vulval swelling. Linda Iroff North Coast Ferret Shelter Serving Northeast Ohio http://www.oberlin.edu/~liroff/ncfs.html [Posted in FML issue 1917]