Fatal Ferret Hair Loss
It is 300 years since ferrets arrived in America as tamed pets. Just like any living species they show symptoms of various diseases and hence the ferret owners have to be aware of the symptoms to provide timely medical attention in case of conditions like the ferret hair loss.
Ferrets have a tendency to molt which results in detachment of hair during night. Normally the feathery hairs of the ferrets fall off in spring and grow again during winter. But due to molting, sometimes there is complete loss of hair in a very short span of time and equally quickly the hairs grow. You need not worry about this condition, as it is normal for ferrets to experience this.
There are high incidences of the tumor of the adrenal glands in ferrets found in America. The tumor is prevalent particularly when they are between 3 to 4 years old, but on few occasions it occurs even when they are beyond 4 years old. At this point they experience loss of hair, which is known as endocrine alopecia. Unlike during molting, during this condition hair begins to fall from the tail and the limbs to finally leave the ferret bereft of hair except for few patches at the end of the tail and the head. The ferret has to be rushed to a vet, when this happens.
As pet owners love their pets they are fully conversant of the symptoms occurring before the disease and never miss to notice the symptom. The ferret hair loss is a symptom of glandular enlargement, which results in tumor for the ferret.
Signs of hair loss in ferret have to be carefully noted without being confused with the normal loss of hair. If early detection of symptoms is missed it would become difficult to save the ferret as the tiny animal quickly lapses to distress and succumbs. Hence it is not a bad idea to take the ferret for routine periodic check-ups to the vet to prevent calamities.