>Debbie Utter <[log in to unmask]> >Subject: Hair Loss >I'm posting for a coworker who admits she doesn't know a lot about ferrets, >but somehow came to own one sometime within the last year. She thinks >her ferret is about three years old, and he has lost his hair. It was a >gradual loss, starting at his shoulders. Some hair is growing back on >his legs. The vet, who admits to not seeing many ferrets, says it's an >endocrine gland, says it's common in ferrets, and that you have to leave >one. Does this make sense? Debbie The vet is referring to hyperadrenocorticism, or Adrenal disease. The symmetrical, bilateral hairloss (even though it has started to reqrow) is a classic symptom of adrenals, and for a vet who admits to not seeing many ferrets to catch it, is GREAT! The vet is referring to the removal of the adrenal gland (when s/he says you have to leave one) and that isn't entirely correct - bilateral removal of adrenals while uncommon, does happen successfully. I would print out the adrenal FAQ from ferret central and some of these other links and provide it for her to give to her vet. <A HREF="http://www.ferretcentral.org/faq/med/adrenal.html"> Ferret Adrenal Disease FAQ </A> <A HREF="http://www.miamiferret.org/FHC/"> Adrenal disease and Insulinoma in the domestic ferret </A> Best of luck to her and her ferret! Lisa, Head Ferret The Ferret Haven "By-the-Sea" URL: http: www.kozykingdom.com/ferrethaven Want to help The Ferret Haven By-the-Sea? Register at iGive.com by cutting and pasting this link: http://www.iGive.com/html/ssi.cfm?CID=1236&MID=854 [Posted in FML issue 2712]