sick ones

Question
i have a ferret. her name is Fiona. we feel she has adrenal disease and i was looking for some advice on what i should do with her. i am taking her to a vet real soon. as soon as i can. but i would like to ask you this.

Fiona is a 3-4 y/o DEW ferret. we adopted her in February from someone who could no longer care for her. she unsuspectingly(i think) has a broken tail. it is kinked right at the base. the rest is all black spotted. what is this? she also has a bald tail, and is balding every where else exept the head. she is itching a lot to. she has a swollen vulva also. she is a fighter. she has had it since a little before february as i am guessing. she has been strong.. but i dont know what to do. if its time to help her cross. what can i do to get over it faster. is adrenal disease contagious or painful? fiona was adopted by her previous owner. just thought i would let you know. as we have the adoption papers.
now for her brother joe. joe was a pet store ferret. as we have those papers too. i dont know what store though. but i was wondering. pet stores dont sell 'deformed' ferrets. and joe has crippled legs. they are twisted. he can slightly use them but not even close to a normal ferret. he mostly hops. i was wondering if this could have been abuse. or if he could have been born with it. it just confuses me because she bought him at a pet store. and again. they dont sell 'deformed' ferrets. thanks for your time in reading this and i hope you can help!!

Answer
Hello Janet,

My main concern is adrenal disease from the symptoms you describe.  It can cause fur loss over the entire body, and a swollen vulva is pretty diagnostic.  It is unfortunate how common adrenal disease is in ferrets.        

One of the major symptoms is hair loss or thinning that begins on the tail and/or back and works its way up toward the shoulders.  Some other symptoms include a swelling of the vulva in some females (false heat), thinning of the skin, a dry or brittle pelt, aggression, weight loss and sometimes lethargy.  Even ferrets with this disease do not have to show all of these symptoms.  I have heard of ferrets with only valvular swelling, for example.

Adrenal disease is 100% fatal IF untreated but it is not contageous.  The best method is surgery to remove the affected gland(s) and this should cure her.  In a young ferret, this will likely be the best option.  In older ferrets, or those that cannot go through surgery, there are medications (Lysodren, Lupron, melotion injections, etc) that can help slow the progression of the disease.  This will NOT stop it.  Only surgery can cure adrenal disease.  Remember that if money is an issue, the cost of medication/vet checks will quickly surpass the amount of a surgery in less than a few years.  Adrenal disease is VERY painful in its advanced stages and the ferret will die without treatment.  

Some info on adrenal disease:

http://www.ferretcentral.org/faq/med/adrenal.html
http://www.ferret-universe.com/health/adrenal.asp
http://www.cypresskeep.com/Ferretfiles/Adrenal.htm    

The swollen vulva points to adrenal disease, but the fur loss might be due to another reason.  Check her body over very carefully for any signs of another cause.  Do you notice any flea dirt?  Fleas or mites can go unnoticed by even attentive owners and can cause itching that can thin the fur.  Your vet could do a quick skin-scrape for mites and check her over for any other parasites. Is she shedding and do you see new growth poking through?  Ferrets shed 1-2 times yearly (depending on the amount of light), mainly in the fall and spring.  At times their coats can become patchy or appear to have hair loss, but there should be new fur ready to replace the old.  Also, discontinue using any fabric softeners or any chemical cleaners.  Some ferrets are sensitive and can have allergic reactions to these.  Wash all bedding well and see if that helps.  As far as a cleaner, use VERY dilute warm bleach/water (about a 1:32 dilution... or until the water is no longer "slimy" to the touch).   She could also have a food allergy that is causing the hair loss (are we seeing a trend?  It really could be caused by almost anything!)  Have you been using any new products around the house?  If so, discontinue use immediately and see if that helps.  Remember, ferrets regrow their fur 1-2 times yearly, so you may not see any regrowth until the new coat!  

The black spots on the tail are usually blackheads and caused by the natural oils in the fur.  You can wash this away with acne medicated pads (for sensitive skin) every few days to help clear them.  While blackheads will not harm you ferret, they will inhibit the growth of new fur on the tail.  Make sure you rinse her tail well after each cleaning to wash off any remaining acne medication.

You should bring her for a checkup with your veterinarian ASAP.  A prompt diagnosis is ALWAYS the best option!  I hope everything goes well for your little girl and her hair loss is nothing more than an allergy.  Please keep me posted to her progress/diagnosis.  I will be wondering about her.

As far as Joe, it is impossible to say if he was born that way or if an accident/abuse/neglect caused him to heal improperly in that position.  Any decent pet store should NOT sell deformed ferrets!!  As long as he is happy and  acting as normal has he can, there is not much you can do but keep him comfy and let him live out his life as best possible.  I would bring him in for a check-up along with his sister.  That way, they can take a peek at him and see if there are any other reasons for his condition.  

-Cindy P.