My ferret puffs his tail on walks?

Question

What does this mean? Im worried. And I can see his pink tail through his fur when he does it. He does have thin fur but I know hair loss on the tail is bad and I havent seen any hairs falling off him ever but I can see his pink skin!

And he puffs his tail on walks and sticks it up like hes going to go to the bathroom but he doesnt. Help me! My parents wont take him to the vet because they think im overreacting and they dont want to pay $50 to check him since hes having his annual checkup in two months anyway but I think thats to long to wait. Please just tell me what the puffy up tail means?

Answer 1

my ferrets used to puff their tails on walks too. i think it's just because they are in new surroundings.

Answer 2

maybe hes just nervouse

Answer 3

Ferrets usually puff their tails when frightened, but they also do it when investigating new territory. Some ferrets also puff their tails when they're playing with each other and get overly excited (I've noticed mine do that a lot). The tail puffing thing is nothing to worry about, it's completely normal.

As for the hair thinning - do you notice any actual bald spots? Some ferrets do have thinner hair than others and their hair does usually thin out for the spring and summer seasons. Balding around the base of the tail is usually the first (and sometimes only) sign of adrenal gland disease. However, it could be many other things as well, a blood test is the only way you'll know if the balding is caused by adrenal or not. If the hair on the entire tail has thinned out and nowhere else, then it could be a case of "rat tail." Some people believe this is a precursor to adrenal, but it's really not known what causes it and the hair does usually grow back in with the next coat change. Do you notice any black dots on his tail? Ferrets are also prone to blackheads on the tail, which could cause the hair to thin out, too. Blackheads are nothing major and you can clear them up by using a gentle, salicylic acid cleanser to wash the tail (and ONLY the tail) every day.

Answer 4

Mine do it when they are nervous and/or excited about stuff. This behaviour is completely normal when out in unaccustomed surroundings.

It sounds like he probably has lost some hair on his tail, if you see so much pink skin through the "bottle-brush tail" - you normally see a little skin but a lot tends to indicate what's called "rat-tail" or "stud-tail". I see this reasonably often on one or more of my bunch, particularly during seasonal sheds, and I don't tend to view that as cause for worry.

However, if he exhibits hair-loss (ie. baldness, NOT seasonal shedding) on any part of his body apart from the tail, that would be serious cause for concern that he may have Adrenal Disease. If you see that, get him to a vet right away, as early diagnosis and treatment are key for long-term survival of this.

And yes, all mine are neutered by the way, despite the name "stud-tail", being neutered seems to make little difference to this trait.