Why does a ferret shed and peel off its tail?
The reason why a ferret has a balding tail can be various factors. Hair loss is caused by infection, stress or normal shedding.
Why does a ferret go bald and peel off its tail?
Ferrets have recently taken a place among domesticated animals. These playful predators are kept in homes like cats. However, ferrets, like other living organisms, have a number of diseases of their own. Owners of a fluffy pet may encounter such a common problem as tail baldness in a ferret. Sometimes such an ailment is a full-fledged disease, but more often it is one of the symptoms of a disease.
Causes of tail baldness in ferrets
Fully or partially bald tails are common in ferrets.
The reasons for hair loss can vary. 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 observe the sick animal and, first of all, remove it from healthy individuals.
Baldness in the tail can be attributed to various factors:
- high ambient temperature;
- jar of Hearts;
- unbalanced diet;
- seasonal molt;
- advanced age;
- period of increased sexual activity;
- the ferret's unwillingness to care for the coat.
These reasons are associated with improper living conditions or natural manifestations of the body. However, in some cases, tail baldness in ferrets can mean:
- dermatitis;
- scabies;
- infestation with harmful insects;
- avitaminosis;
- weakening of 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, females' tails may become bald during pregnancy or after childbirth. The quality of a ferret's coat depends on hormonal levels. During pregnancy or hunting, the animal's body can undergo changes that can cause hair loss.
Tail baldness treatment
If the hair loss is caused by natural factors, you can treat your ferret at home. To do this, you need to comply with sanitary standards for keeping, balance the daily diet and carry out a set of procedures that will help the animal recover after hair loss.
Depending on the causes of the disease, the method of treating the fluffy is also selected. So the veterinarian, before prescribing treatment, must conduct a complete examination of the pet.
Ferret molt
The fur of animals tends to shed during the change of seasons.
Typically, this process occurs twice a year. Ferrets usually begin molting from the tail, after which the animal peels off completely. After a few days, new wool grows, the quality of which also depends on the season. In winter, ferrets acquire a warm undercoat, and in summer they shed excess hair.The shedding process should be closely monitored. Very often, the old coat starts to get tangled with the new one, which causes the ferret's skin to become covered with tangles. Fleas and lice like to settle in such balls, so it is necessary to comb out the predator in time.
Ferrets can also have alopecia areata. This is a natural phenomenon for furry animals that live in hot summers. The tail of the animal will completely cover, and the ferret can regulate the body temperature.
If the animal has a bald tail after switching from winter to summer coat, you do not need to do anything: the hair will be restored in the fall during the next shedding. 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, a ferret's tail can become bald due to clogged pores. This phenomenon can be associated with the following problems:
- hormonal disruption 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, there are black or brown dots. When neglected, the skin may be covered with red scabs. To clean 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, but a similar tool can be made at home.
The cleanser recipe is simple:
- almond;
- cereals;
- sour cream.
The first 2 components should be ground in a blender and then mixed with sour cream, which has a healing effect on the skin. Peeled places need to be processed several times until the black dots disappear completely.
A more budgetary option is regular laundry soap. It is bred to a mushy state and applied to the tail with a toothbrush, gently rubbing the skin. Make sure that the soap does not have a bleaching effect, otherwise the animal's tail can be severely burned.
Jar of Hearts
The ferret is capable of baldness from stress or melancholy. These small predators need an active lifestyle. If you keep the animal in a locked small cage, the animal can get sick and begin to grow bald rapidly. Loud noises or strong odors can also cause hair loss. Do not spray air fresheners near the animal's cage or install a TV, stereo or radio. During the repair, the ferret should be kept in the farthest room from rebuilding.
A shock may be associated with a lack of shelter. In natural conditions, ferrets live in steppe holes, so the animal must definitely equip a small house for the night. The dwelling should be warm and dark, with a rounded entrance. At the bottom of the house, a soft bedding is placed, insulated with foam rubber.
Harmful insects
If the balding of the tail is accompanied by scratching of the skin and biting off the remaining hair, this is the first sign of parasites. It is required to inspect the animal's hairline for insects or nits.
If the ferret has lice or fleas, its fur should be treated with special insect repellents. Such treatment is carried out for prevention purposes twice a year.
Unbalanced diet
The quality of the hairline is largely dependent on the food that the animal consumes. Ferrets should be fed meat, boiled eggs, or dairy products. The daily diet should also contain cereals and vitamin supplements.
Ferrets should not be fed with human food, especially smoked and salted meat. Such leftovers will degrade the quality of the wool. The solution to the problem will be a special balanced dry food rich in vitamins and minerals. However, it is impossible to completely transfer the animal to such food: ordinary foods should also be present in the diet. If the tail of an old ferret becomes bald, then the amount of B vitamins in the predator's body should be increased.
Tail baldness as a sign of kidney disease
Diseased adrenal glands are difficult for domestic ferrets to tolerate. It is these organs that 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 hair begins to fall out on the tail, after which the back and head of the ferret peel off. Other symptoms of kidney disease are aggression, long hunts, and painful urination. The cause of the disease is the hormone estrogen, which is produced in large quantities by the ferret's body. As a result, baldness occurs in ornamental ferrets.
At the first symptoms of this disease, you should immediately contact your veterinarian. Prolonged adrenal disease leads to loss of appetite and apathy. Over time, the animal can fall into a coma, after which it becomes fatal. Treatment of the disease is surgery. The affected organ is removed from the animal's body, after which the ferret returns to normal after 2-3 weeks. During the rehabilitation period, the pet requires increased care and a lighter diet.