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Post by valkyriestorm on Dec 5, 2008 21:17:52 GMT -5
Skunkers fur on his tail is getting thinner. Is it because of his age or because he supposedly has adrenal? He is still getting Prednisone once a day. He just turned three in September. Now I am getting worried if the Adrenal is getting worse or if its the meds doing this.
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Post by mustelidmusk on Dec 5, 2008 23:19:20 GMT -5
oes the tail have blackeads on it? It may be rat tail - nothing more. I've know of ferrets getting rat tail that never got adrenal issue. Rat ail usualy starts thinning toward the tip of the tail first. Adrenal ususally starts at the base of the tail and the bald patch creeps up the the back from the tail base in a ymmetrical pattern. Other signs include: increased itchiness/dry skin thin fur between the shoulder blades, thin fur on the tops of the feet loss of muscle mass and weight loss with a pot-bellied shape hyper and/or agressive/sexual behaviors (neck biting, mounting ear chewing, etc.) Problems urinating (straining, repeatedly backing into the potty box)
I've never heard of pred causing rat tail. There may be some cause/effect relationship with hormonal activity, but rat tail isn't always associated with adrenal disease.
-jennifer
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Post by valkyriestorm on Dec 6, 2008 18:30:47 GMT -5
You can really tell on the underside of the tail and the tip. I did not really notice any black heads but I'll look. Thanks
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Post by mustelidmusk on Dec 8, 2008 23:36:37 GMT -5
Sometimes the blackheads look bigger and obvious - sometimes the tail skin just looks gray/blackish with tiny dots. My albino girl had small blackheads in the fall - a grayish looking tail - all naked But her fuer came in fine - it's very thick all over now...she never did lose fur all the way up to her but - the last inch of tail at the base of her butt was full and very thick - the rest of her tail was as bald as an egg! It looked really stupid -jennifer
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Post by animalsgetrevenge on Dec 10, 2008 2:52:59 GMT -5
Two of my ferrets lost tail hair this summer (July-Augustish) and have finally grown most of it back. With Didjeridu, it was the bottom side mostly.
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Post by magic on Dec 11, 2008 11:01:40 GMT -5
Mija question me about loosing hair but not going bald. She was really really fluffy and nice when I 1st got her and now she really sleek and not fluffy anymore . It was like Nina and Mija trade hair because Nina now has the really fluffy hair and Mija took on Nina baby hair which was sleek. I don't understand... Only one that have little baldness is kenai when he fizzes his tail out the tip of his tail looks more bald then the rest but when it not fizzed out it look normal.
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Post by sherrylynne on Dec 11, 2008 22:20:33 GMT -5
Mija question me about loosing hair but not going bald. She was really really fluffy and nice when I 1st got her and now she really sleek and not fluffy anymore . It was like Nina and Mija trade hair because Nina now has the really fluffy hair and Mija took on Nina baby hair which was sleek. I don't understand... Only one that have little baldness is kenai when he fizzes his tail out the tip of his tail looks more bald then the rest but when it not fizzed out it look normal. It almost sounds like they've gone through a seasonal shed, and Mija has the seasons mixed up! It does happen sometimes that a ferret gets their full, lush winter coat in the summer, and their sleek summer coat in the winter.
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Post by Heather on Dec 12, 2008 23:24:10 GMT -5
My little Niki nik is like that. He's my poor little aussie boy Not really, he's a Marshals but he's got his sleek summer coat and his ratty little tail on right now. He's done this every winter that I've had him. He's just confused (he's been tested for adrenal, it came back negative and was then placed on observation) That was 4 yrs ago now...he's just a little messed up that's all He puts on his fuzzy thick winter coat in the spring and he has this beautiful black bushy tail during the summer Go figure. ciao
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Post by mustelidmusk on Dec 16, 2008 9:46:03 GMT -5
Many things affect fur/hair growth. An increase or decrease in hormonal activity (including thyroid) can affect fur growth. One of my previous ferrets had both adrenal glands go bad. I always had the fullest, fluffiest fur, and he never showed fur loss as a symptom of adrenal problems.
SOmtimes ferrets can't really figure out when to shed - their systems do get confused. Some of this is related to light exposure from living indoors. If you limit your ferret's exposure to light and follow natural day/night light cycles, your ferrets' coats will be more consistent. Keep ferrets in the dark when its dark out. Artificial lights and extended hours of light are factors that aggrevate adrenal conditions and may even bring the problem on sooner. Ferrets are extremely photo-sensitive.
-jennifer
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Post by magic on Dec 22, 2008 14:36:35 GMT -5
Wow thanks for clearing some things up
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