The reason a ferret has a bald tail is due to various factors. Loss of hair is caused by infection, stress, or moulting.
Why does a ferret go bald and have a tail
Ferrets have recently taken their place among domesticated animals. These playful predators are kept in homes like cats. However, ferrets, like other living organisms, have a number of their own diseases. Owners of a furry pet can face such a common problem as baldness of a ferret's tail. Sometimes such an ailment is a complete disease, but most often it is one of the symptoms of a disease.
Causes of Tail Baldness in Ferrets
Ferret wholly or partially bald is a common occurrence.
The reasons for hair loss can be different. Some of them are associated with the characteristics of the body, others are the first symptoms of diseases. If the ferret is balding, you should watch the sick animal and first of all put him away from healthy individuals.
Tail baldness can be associated with various factors:
- high ambient temperature;
- jar of Hearts;
- unbalanced diet;
- seasonal molt;
- advanced age;
- period of increased sexual activity;
- the ferret’s reluctance to care for the coat.
These reasons are associated with improper conditions of detention or natural manifestations of the body. However, in some cases, tail baldness in ferrets can mean:
- dermatitis;
- scabies;
- infection by harmful insects;
- avitaminosis;
- weakened immunity;
- adrenal gland disease.
In this case, you should contact a veterinarian and undergo a course of treatment. You should also carry out monthly prevention of such diseases.
In some cases, the tail of the female may become bald during pregnancy or after childbirth. The quality of the ferret's coat depends on the hormonal background. During pregnancy or hunting, the animal's body can undergo a change that can cause baldness.
Tail baldness treatment
If the cause of hair loss is due to natural factors, a ferret can be cured at home. To do this, you must comply with sanitary norms of maintenance, balance the daily diet and conduct a set of procedures that will help the animal recover after losing hair.
Depending on the causes of the disease, a fluffy treatment technique is also selected. So the veterinarian, before prescribing treatment, it is necessary to conduct a full examination of the pet.
Ferret molt
Animal fur tends to molt during season changes.
Typically, this process occurs twice a year. Shedding of ferrets usually begins precisely with the tail, after which the animal peels off completely. A few days later, new wool grows, the quality of which also depends on the season. In winter, ferrets acquire a warm undercoat, and in summer they lose excess hair. Care should be taken to monitor the molting process. Very often, the old wool begins to become confused with the new, which is why the skin of the ferret is covered with tangles. In such balls fleas and lice like to settle, therefore it is required to comb out a predator on time.
Ferrets can also have focal alopecia. This is a natural phenomenon for furry animals that live in places with hot summers. The tail of the animal is completely covered, and the ferret can regulate body temperature.
If the animal has a bald tail after the transition from winter to summer coat, nothing needs to be done: the hairline will be restored in the fall during the next molt. Alopecia areata does not pose a threat to the life of a small predator and is often found in the wild.
Pore contamination
Very often the tail of a ferret is able to bald due to clogged pores. A similar phenomenon may be associated with the following problems:
- hormonal failure during hunting or pregnancy;
- low cleanliness of a particular individual.
Clogged pores are clearly visible to the naked eye: in places where the tail is bald, black or brown dots are located. In the neglected state, the skin may be covered with red scabs. To cleanse the skin of an animal, a certain series of hygiene procedures should be carried out. In specialized pet stores you should buy a scrub for animals, however, a similar tool can be done at home.
The cleanser recipe is simple:
- almond;
- cereals;
- sour cream.
The first 2 components should be ground in a blender, then mixed with sour cream, which has a healing effect on the skin. Decked places need to be processed several times until black dots disappear completely.
A more budgetary option is ordinary household soap. It is diluted to a mushy state and applied to the tail with a toothbrush, gently rubbing the skin. Make sure that the soap does not have the effect of bleach, otherwise the tail of the animal can be severely burned.
Jar of Hearts
The ferret is able to bald from stress or longing. These small predators need an active lifestyle. If you keep the animal in a locked small cage, the animal can become ill and begin to bald rapidly. Also, loud sounds or a pungent smell can cause hair loss. Do not spray air fresheners near the cage of the animal or install a TV, stereo system or radio. During the repair, the ferret should be kept in the farthest room from the restructuring.
A nervous shock may be due to a lack of shelter. In natural conditions, ferrets live in the steppe burrows, so the animal must definitely equip a small house for the night. The home should be warm and dark with a rounded entrance. At the bottom of the house lay a soft litter, insulated with foam rubber.
Harmful insects
If baldness of the tail is accompanied by combing of the skin and biting off the remaining hair, this is the first sign of parasites. It is required to examine the animal's hairline for insects or nits.
If a ferret has lice or fleas, his coat should be treated with special insect repellents. Such treatment is carried out for prevention twice a year.
Unbalanced diet
The quality of the hairline is largely dependent on the products that the animal consumes. Ferrets should be fed meat, boiled eggs or dairy products. In the daily diet, cereals and vitamin supplements should also be present.
Ferrets cannot be fed human food, especially smoked and salted meat. Such scraps impair the quality of the coat. The solution will be a special balanced dry food rich in vitamins and minerals. However, it is impossible to completely transfer an animal to such food: ordinary foods should be present in the diet. If the tail of an old ferret is balding, then the amount of B vitamins in the body of the predator should be increased.
Tail baldness as a sign of kidney disease
Sick adrenal ferrets are difficult for domestic ferrets to tolerate. These organs are the most vulnerable place in the body. Loss of hair on the tail may be the first symptom of diseased internal organs. In this case, the hairline begins to fall out on the tail, after which the back and head of the ferret peel off. Other symptoms of kidney disease include aggression, long hunting, and painful urination. The cause of the disease is the hormone estrogen, which is produced in large quantities by the ferret. As a result, baldness occurs in decorative ferrets.
At the first symptoms of this disease, you should immediately consult a veterinarian. A protracted adrenal gland disease leads to loss of appetite and apathy. Over time, the animal may fall into a coma, after which a lethal outcome occurs. The treatment of the disease is surgery. The affected organ is removed from the body of the animal, after which the ferret again returns to normal after 2-3 weeks. During the rehabilitation period, the pet requires increased care and a lighter diet.
