What is causing my ferret's hair loss?

I have a 6-7 year old female. She's been perfectly fine but she almost lost all the hair on her tail and some hair on her back is starting to thin out. She's always been an itchy ferret but I'm concerned. (She being losing her hair over a long period of time I mean like years. It didn't just start happening.)What is causing my ferret's hair loss?
She needs a ferret savvy vet, NOW.








Check her privates... is her vulva swollen? Puffy looking?











Hair loss like you're describing is one of the first signs of adrenal disease/cancer. Its very common in older pet store ferrets. Your girl is at the right age for it.








Get her to a (ferret savvy) vet. Adrenal is not curable, but treatable. Treatements range from surgery to a shot of lupron. Being older, your girl might not be a good canditate for surgery. See if your vet will carry lupron and how much it will cost you per month.











EDIT: You wouldnt notice her glands. If its been happening for years, then shes had adrenal for years and I'm surprised shes lived so long. She needs a vet.What is causing my ferret's hair loss?
She has tumors on her adrenal glands. It causes the adrenal glands to go into overdrive which causes their hair to fall out starting at the tail and hind legs. Ultimately it means surgery to remove the affected adrenal gland (there are two, but if its on... i think its the left... then its inoperable because its too hard to get to). The other answer is to find a vet who will give your ferret a melatonin implant (looks like a grain of rice that is injected under the skin on the shoulder blades and lasts four months). They aren't widely used to treat adrenal ferrets yet, but I have had great luck with it. Four of my ferrets have one and one other that has since passed away due to other cancer. Three of the four have bounced back and have very fluffy fur now, the other has minimal fur covering but he isn't going bald anymore. If the melatonin implants aren't available near you, talk to your vet for the correct dose to give a liquid melatonin supplement.


Good luck and I hope your fur kid does better.
You need to take your fuzzy to the vets. This could be signs of cancer. Don't expose it to any other ferrets until you see the vet and he tells you whats wrong. Good luck. God bless you and your fuzzy!!!

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