Prev Thread Prev Thread   Next Thread Next Thread
 Yesterday bald tail, today vomiting...
Author Message
mary99

  • Total Posts : 15
  • Reward points : 0
  • Joined: 5/26/2009
  • Status: offline
Yesterday bald tail, today vomiting... - Sunday, September 14, 2014 6:26 PM
My old ferret (5 or 6) has been really healthy but last night I noticed his tail is suddenly half bald.  And this morning he was coughing and vomited.  I read about 'rat tail' so I washed it with acne scrub.  I'll probably call the vet tomorrow but does it sound like adrenal problems starting?  Thanks for any thoughts.  
kesjames

  • Total Posts : 83
  • Reward points : 0
  • Joined: 6/26/2013
  • Status: offline
Re:Yesterday bald tail, today vomiting... - Sunday, September 14, 2014 7:30 PM
My ferret has adrenal and before it was treated the hair loss was always VERY sudden (like suddenly HUGE bald patches, then it would grow back slowly and fall out in another area). I don't know about the vomiting though.
unclejoe
Re:Yesterday bald tail, today vomiting... - Sunday, September 14, 2014 8:32 PM
Member in blocked list
mary99

  • Total Posts : 15
  • Reward points : 0
  • Joined: 5/26/2009
  • Status: offline
Re:Yesterday bald tail, today vomiting... - Sunday, September 14, 2014 9:50 PM
Thank you both.  I hope you're right.  I did give him some hairball remedy immediately when I noticed the coughing and saw him vomit.  He hasn't done it since.  He still eats his chicken soup at night but has been shunning kibble for months.  But his weight seems fine.  

Also for months now he's been doing this thing where nearly every night he either climbs into my bed and 'digs' at my feet or digs at my daughter's bedroom door, as if he's trying to tell us something.  It makes me wonder if he's in pain or something.  Though would he come to us if that was it?  Whenever it starts I put him in his cage and give him a dab of ferretone, which might be why he keeps doing it-- for the ferretone.  But you'd think the caging would be a deterrent.  
kesjames

  • Total Posts : 83
  • Reward points : 0
  • Joined: 6/26/2013
  • Status: offline
Re:Yesterday bald tail, today vomiting... - Monday, September 15, 2014 11:28 AM
I think it's more likely that he's just trying to get you to play with him, especially if he's only doing it when you are in bed. Caging to punish behavior has never really worked for me; I would just put him in when you go to bed if it's really bothering you, maybe give him some ferretone to make him associate the cage with happy times. 

Ferrets are naturally crepuscular anyway, so while they may wake up and have a little activity during the night they prefer evenings and mornings. Mine are pretty well adapted to my schedule and wake up around when I return home from my first class of the day, then when I get home from work at night. On days that I don't have that morning class they wake up earlier (since I'm around to let them out). It's really cute.
mary99

  • Total Posts : 15
  • Reward points : 0
  • Joined: 5/26/2009
  • Status: offline
Re:Yesterday bald tail, today vomiting... - Monday, September 15, 2014 7:32 PM
Thanks.  That makes me feel better about the 'foot digging'.  My first thought was maybe he wanted to play, too.  

I don't cage him as a punishment but just so I can sleep.  We have a weird routine.  The dogs have a dog door open til 7pm, then the dog door is turned off and the ferret comes out, has soup, plays or lies around for a bit, then goes to sleep somewhere.  Most of the time he wakes me up in the night and I cage him.  Sometimes he stays hidden til morning.  I feel like he deserves those 8-12 hours of cage-free time.  Though he has the giant FN cage to himself and always gets Ferretone when put in, so I think he's pretty happy in his cage, too!  Sometimes I say that he wakes me in the night in order to put him to bed!  
mary99

  • Total Posts : 15
  • Reward points : 0
  • Joined: 5/26/2009
  • Status: offline
Re:Yesterday bald tail, today vomiting... - Friday, October 03, 2014 8:18 PM
unclejoe


We've had a few adrenals now and I wouldn't say the vomiting is related.  It could be shedding starting and he got some fur in his throat.  You can try a few licks of vaseline to help move things through.  See if you can pull and loose fur out of his coat.  The adrenal shedding I've seen is bunches of fur, with bare skin visible beneath.  I have 3 ferrets with balding tails and they are just 2 years old.  I'm going with shedding season.  

Just wanted to update you and tell you I think you were right.  He's been fine since and his tail is filling back in.  No more symptoms or hair loss.  And you saved me a vet bill so HURRAH!  


Thanks!  


unclejoe
Re:Yesterday bald tail, today vomiting... - Friday, October 03, 2014 8:34 PM
Member in blocked list
mary99

  • Total Posts : 15
  • Reward points : 0
  • Joined: 5/26/2009
  • Status: offline
Re:Yesterday bald tail, today vomiting... - Saturday, October 04, 2014 7:07 PM
Yeah, my Romy's is maybe half-filled in.  Still sparse but not almost bald like it was.  

Jump to:

Current active users
There are 0 members and 1 guests.
Icon Legend and Permission
  • New Messages
  • No New Messages
  • Hot Topic w/ New Messages
  • Hot Topic w/o New Messages
  • Locked w/ New Messages
  • Locked w/o New Messages
  • Read Message
  • Post New Thread
  • Reply to message
  • Post New Poll
  • Submit Vote
  • Post reward post
  • Delete my own posts
  • Delete my own threads
  • Rate post

© 2000-2008 ASPPlayground.NET Forum Version 3.1.5