Need ferret help, hair loss?!?

Question

Two of my ferrets are losing hair and i dont know what could be wrong but i'd really like to have some idea so i can help them. My female ferret is missing hair on her tail, and one of my male's is losing hair around the neck and tail. They live outside in a cage that is always covered, so they are sheltered and warm with blankets inside. I dont know what the cause would be but anyone that can help please let me know your thoughts.

Answer 1

When my Casey would blow his coat, the guard hairs all seemed to drop off in three days, it came out in clumps. But the new fur was pretty consistent and came in quickly.

If this isn't a summer shed, then you'd be looking at possibly Adrenal disease, but if it's happening to BOTH your ferrets at the same time, I'd be more apt to think this is the summer blowout.  

Though it might be a good idea to take at least one in for their yearly checkup and have some bloodwork done to make sure.

Answer 2

Hair loss on just the tail is generally nothing to worry about. It can be caused by stress, such as a change of environment or the arrival of a new animal in the household. Even the normal seasonal coat change can be enough stress to make your ferret's tail go completely bald, and sometimes it will take several months for the fur to grow back. Often this seasonal "rat tail" shows up with tiny black spots.

If your ferret is losing hair other places, there's something wrong. Apart from shedding, by far the most common cause of hair loss in ferrets of any age is adrenal-associated endocrinopathy, a serious, but treatable, disease of the adrenal glands. Even if the hair comes back at the next coat change, it's probably still an adrenal problem. There's a separate Ferret Medical FAQ for adrenal disease, which you should take a look at if you even think your ferret might have this problem.

Other possibilities include poor nutrition, fleas, a severe mite infestation, a bacterial or fungal infection, dry skin, or allergies to food, detergents, or cleaning products.

It sounds like your ferrets need a vet check to diagnose the problem. 85% of Ferrets over the age of 3 develope Adrenal disease and the most common symptom is hair loss.  Because your ferrets are housed outside and they are both having the same problem, it could be caused by parasites, allergies or even malnutrition.  The best way to diagnose and treat the problem is to have a ferret vet diagnose and treat.

http://exoticpets.about.com/cs/ferrets/a...

http://www.2ndchance.info/ferretadrenal....