missing hair in female ferret

Question
Hello I have two ferrets a six year old champagne male who has cataracts. (He is a Marshall ferret, and apparently this sort of thing is very common with Marshall ferrets. I do not like them!)  I also have a one year old albino female.  

We got the female because we were both going to be working a lot and we didn't want him to get lonely. We also live with other people in the house who have a dog so we can't always take them out to play as often as we like.  The dog tends to get very excited and jumpy and she barks and makes little lunges at them but does not bite it makes me uncomfortable though so I try to take them out to play when she is outside or in her bed asleep.

Anyway, for the first couple of days when we put them together, their behavior seemed to be normal the male established dominance right away by grabbing her by the back of the neck. Sometimes he did get a little rough with her but she always squealed and fought back when she had enough, and he always backed off. I was worried at first because I noticed she kept getting little patches of missing hair and red marks on her body but she didn't bleed, and they would heal up after a while.  Apparently according to what I've read on the Internet this is normal.  However, I have noticed that her hair hasn't been growing back lately. She has a sore on the back of her left leg that has scabbed over but has not healed in several weeks.  He fur is also thinning along the center of her back where she has not had any bites or sores.  Her energy levels are the same she is still as curious and sweet as ever. She does not like it when I touch the sore on her leg though.    

I am worried if she needs to see a vet. I hope that it isn't too serious.  I would be very sad if she had a serious illness.

Thanks for your help.

Cynthia.

Answer
Hello Cynthia!  

Nice name!  We are of the very few Cynthia's I've heard =)

Honestly, I'm not a big fan of Marshall Farms ferrets either.  Too many health problems since they are poorly bred =(  I always adopt (as not to support them) or buy from a breeder.  One of the main problems with ANY ferret bought from a pet store is that they have been altered at a VERY early age (roughly 4 weeks old). This causes them to lack certain hormones during development which seems to put them at a MUCH greater risk for certain diseases such as adrenal.  This disease is rarely seen in countries such as the UK where the early altering of ferrets is not practiced.

I suppose you are wondering why I mentioned adrenal disease.  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.

So how can you test for adrenal disease?  Your veterinarian can send out a blood test to a lab to check some levels.  This should tell you if this is the cause of the hair loss.  If it does come back as the diagnosis there are several methods of treatment.  

Remember, adrenal disease is 100% fatal IF untreated.  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.

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    

It is difficult to say if the hair loss is due to adrenal disease or not, but it IS the most common 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!  

Regardless of the cause, you should bring her for a checkup with your veterinarian ASAP.  A prompt diagnosis is ALWAYS the best option!  It would also give you a reason to have the scab looked at.  Anything that does not heal well should be evaluated by your veterinarian.  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.

-Cindy P.