Question
Eros
Hello. My ferret, Eros, just turned four years old. We have recently noticed that he seems to be rather lethargic. He is eating and drinking as usual and actually seems to be gaining his winter weight. His stools appear normal. We are noticing hair loss on his tail, but assumed that this was simply his seasonal coat change. When we let him out of his cage, he will walk around for a while to explore, but then just finds a spot to curl up and go to sleep. He has always been pretty active, so we are concerned. Is this normal behavior of an aging ferret or does he need vet care?
AnswerHi Erin:
What a CUTE picture - how did you get that to come up on the page? That's the first time anyone has been able to add a picture to their question. Nice touch! :-) LOVE being able to see the little guy!! :-)
Nothing really jumps out at me saying that Eros is sick. At four years old ferrets do tend to slow down a bit. It would be about typical for him to kind of cruise around and survey his territory, then be quite content to just kind of lay around and watch the world go by. He sounds like a contented "elderly" ferret - not "old" yet, but getting there. There are a few things you will want to watch for though -
By four years of age, Eros should have a yearly vet exam just to be sure he's doing okay. Illnesses can hit older ferrets even quicker than young ferrets and will take them really quickly if you're not paying attention. Watch exactly the things you are watching - his eating and drinking quantities, and keep an eye on the poop, as all ferret owners should do...that's often our first indication of illness of any kind.
There can be several different causes of bare or thinning fur on tails....some to worry about; some not to worry about. Before I proceed though, I do want to mention that ANY fur loss means that he has probably ingested some fur, so you will want to keep on top of his intestinal health with adequate hairball treatment and increased vigilance for symptoms of intestinal blockage (stops eating, vomiting, pawing at mouth, drooling, weight loss, scant or skinny spaghetti-like poops, straining in the litterbox).
So, on to the reasons for fur loss on the tail... 1: If it is an 'all over' type thinning and you see black dots that look like blackheads, you can treat this by washing with a very soft toothbrush and antibacterial soap daily for a week or so. It should clear right up and the fur should grow right back - it's just an abundance of waxy, oily secretions that don't really mean anything serious. 2: If the fur loss is over the entire tail and is thinning OR bald AND/OR if the fur loss is at the base of the tail, it can be the first indication of adrenal disease. At four years of age, he's really on the outside edge of the age where we see adrenal disease...it's much more common around age 2 or even 3 yrs old. It is possible to have it at age 4, but just not as common. If you think it MIGHT be adrenal disease, I would wait and watch for further symptoms. Advancing fur loss would indicate it is adrenal. There is a blood test called the Tennessee Panel that is not very reliable, so it's probably just as accurate to wait another month or so to see if the fur loss progresses.
You have time IF it is adrenal disease. Since Eros is a male, the one symptom you would need to be concerned about by waiting would be that the adrenal gland could cause swelling in the prostate gland, which in turn MAY cause the urethra to become obstructed and the ferret will begin spending more time in the litterbox, either dribbling, straining to pee, or even (in very advanced cases) can become completely obstructed and the bladder may rupture. You will see plenty more symptoms before that happens tho.
For now, I think just a 'well ferret check up' may be in order. If you don't already have a ferret vet, it's a great time to start getting to know one. Most ferrets have *some* illnesses before they die and when your ferret is very very ill is a horrible time to start interviewing vets. Here are some lists of ferret vets you can check to see if there are any near you, just in case you don't already have a vet for Eros:
ETS CANADA:
* http://www.ferretrescue.ca/start.php
* http://tinylink.com/?TlVyYKa6e0
* http://www.ferrets.org/Veterinarian_Listings.htm (British Columbia)
* http://www.ferretcentral.org/for-others/db-vets.html
* http://pets.groups.yahoo.com/group/sask_ferrets/
VETS USA:
* http://www.quincyweb.net/quincy/vet.html
* http://ferrethealth.org/vets/
* http://www.ferret-universe.com/vets/vetlist.asp
* http://www.ferretsanctuary.com/vets.shtml
* http://www.ferretcentral.org/for-others/db-vets.html
* http://ferrethealth.org/vets/
Please give that sweet boy a big hug - it's so nice to see a responsible owner who is on top of their ferret's health and who is paying attention, planning and so obviously loves their ferret! Best of luck - please don't ever hesitate to come back if I can help with anything at all.
Sincerely,
Jacquie Rodgers
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