Shedding

Question
My ferret hasn't be shedding too much, and just the other day almost towards the end of her tail she had about 1/2 inch part of her tail with no hair. And today I noticed a small part on her lower stomach was with no hair at all.. is that a problem? What should I do?

Answer
That is an interesting pattern of hair loss.  I do have several questions for you.  

What type of litter do you use?  Especially since the hair loss is on the stomach, I am thinking she might have an allergic reaction.  Wood chips release toxins that could be affecting her skin.  Clay litter can be abrasive and both can cause respiratory problems.  The best type of litter is Yesterday's News.  It is readily available in most pet stores.  It may be wise to switch litter and see if there is improvement.

http://www.yesterdaysnews.com/

Also, she may have other allergies.  This is very difficult to rule out, and can be caused by any number of things.  The food, laundry detergent, cleaning supplies, or particles such as pollen in the air.  Look at the patches of fur.  Does she itch and scratch at them?  Is it red and inflamed? These would be symptoms of an allergy to something in the environment.  The question would be ... to what?  This is hard to determine, and you should make a check up with your vet to help find the reason.  There are blood tests that can be run, but these are expensive. Steroid injections can be given to help with the itching, but longterm use of any steroid can have negative effects.  It is ALWAYS better to find the cause and eliminate it!

Hair loss can be due to flea or mite infestations.  Even if you have not noticed any signs of these, they can still be there!!  This could be the cause if she is itchy and constantly scratching the area.  Your vet can do a skin scrape to see if there are any little buggies and provide the proper medication.

Onto a new topic!   

How old is she?  Hair loss on the tail can be indicative of adrenal disease.  The general pattern of hair loss is often seen on the tail and lower back before it progresses to the torso.  This is very common in ferrets over 3 years of age.  It is thought to be caused by the early spaying and neutering of ferrets, since this is RARELY seen in countries that neuter later.  Your ferret has hair loss on the tail and stomach, which cannot rule out adrenal problems.

Adrenal disease can be treated though medications or surgery but without removing the affected gland(s) it is fatal.  Whether your ferret would be a candidate for surgery depends on a veterinarian's judgment.  Medication slows the progression of the disease but does not cure it.  It is a serious condition and one that is best caught early.  Since your ferret is indeed showing signs of hair loss, it is prudent to have a diagnostic blood test to rule out this condition.  Your veterinarian should be able to send out the blood for this test.

Info on adrenal:
http://www.ferretcentral.org/faq/med/adrenal.html
http://www.ferret-universe.com/health/adrenal.asp

Hair loss can be caused by so many things!  I do believe you should make an appointment with your veterinarian to help determine the cause. Especially if it is adrenal, it is pertinent to begin treatment early.

Please let me know if you have any other questions!  I hope the best for both of you.

-Cindy P.