QUESTION:
I have had my ferret for about two months, and recently she's been losing hair but more hair is growing, and her new fur is a gray/silver colour. Is something wrong with my ferret?

ANSWER:

This is the season for ferrets to shed their summer coats and put on their Winter coats. Ferrets can also put on 40% of weight for winter months. Each time your ferret changes coat in Spring and Winter she may change color, this is normal. Winter coats have a lighter, thicker undercoat, which will be shed in Spring. Some ferrets turn lighter with age and some go quite silver/gray.

Keeping ferrets outdoors will produce a much thicker coat for winter. Keeping them indoors and with extended light, usually produces a thinner coat. Make sure you give the ferret Laxatone, a hairball remover during shedding season, to prevent ferret getting hairballs from swallowing hair.

QUESTION:
I have a one year old ferret named Cinnamon. She is very playful and energetic. However, it is winter and she seems to be losing hair on her tail. She doesn't act like it bothers her very much, though. It is supposedly normal for ferrets to shed- but I thought they shed in the Summer. It is almost Winter and she is losing hair, only on her tail. We just realized it today. She also has little tiny black dots on her tail. She has a sister names Storm who is the same age but she doesn't have any hair loss anywhere. Are Cinnamon's symptoms normal or should I schedule a vet appointment? Any information would be appreciated.

ANSWER:
Unfortunately ferrets do not always change coats with the seasons unless they are outdoor dwellers. Since we keep them indoors and extend the length of light we confuse the natural order of things, added to that is the neuter/spay before maturity, these things alter cycles in the ferrets life. Under normal circumstances ferrets will grow a winter (thick undercoat) in Oct/Nov and then shed that in Mar/April to a summer coat. Most ferrets kept indoors do not change coats as much and often times change into Winter coats in Summer and vica versa.

Your ferret has what is referred to as 'rat tail', it is seasonal and when she grows her next coat the hair should return. The black dots are most likely 'blackheads', there is not much you can do other than maybe wash in warm water, massage in shampoo, opening up the pores. Since your ferret is only 1 year old I would not overly worry about it. However if the hair does not grow back it could be a sign of adrenal disease, you can read all about it by going to: www.miamiferret.org Once there go to HEALTHCARE and then to ADRENAL DISEASE, it is important to know about this very extensive problem in ferrets and then you can take the necessary precautions, even now.

QUESTION:
I have a question/concern and I cannot seem to get an answer from anybody. I adopted a ferret from my ex mother in law. She had three then -in a large cage. Once I got the fat little girl home my new boyfriend gave me his ferret (a male) to keep while he was away in the military (I still have him). My little fat girl lost weight and her coat has become rough and shorter, while my boyfriend's ferret improved in appearance. My fat girl even become a little darker. I was so worried about her that I went and adopted my ex mother in laws other two today(a male and a female- my little girls old buddies) and bought the very large cage too- hoping that maybe stress caused this weight loss and fur thing to happen. The vet just tells me to keep an eye on her but I love her and I am very concerned. I now have a total of four ferrets- in a very large cage. I have been using the 8 and 1 fur and coat supplement for her- she's only a year old and I am worried about her.

ANSWER:
It is not unusual for ferrets to lose weight when they shed their coat and it sounds from your description, that is what has happened. She may have had her winter weight' which can be 40% more weight than her normal (summer weight). Since she is young her coat will change color as she matures, as she changes her coat each season. She will be darker in her summer coat as she has lost the thick white undercoat, which is why she looked much lighter before.

If she is eating, drinking and still playing then I really do not think you have anything to worry about. Being away from her pals is probably not the problem, as long as you did not drastically change her diet?