Why does a ferret's tail grow bald: causes and how to fight, prevention

Ferrets are still exotic pets, and some owners don't always know how to deal with the problems that can come with keeping them. For example, in animals, hair can fall out strongly and climb around the tail. Consider the reasons why ferrets have a bald tail, how to deal with such a problem. What preventive measures exist and when should you contact the veterinarian.

Why does a ferret's tail go bald

There can be quite a few reasons for hair loss in ferrets. These are both natural causes and pathologies that have developed in the animal due to improper feeding or poor care.

Natural shedding

The coat of ferrets is replaced 2 times a year - during the change of seasons of the year. The change of coat begins with the tail, after a few days a new one grows on it. In winter, the tail and body of the animal is covered with thick fur, in summer the wool is rare.

During shedding, you need to ensure that the old coat does not tangle with the new one. To make it fall out more easily, you need to comb the animal with a brush.

Also, this type of predator may have such a phenomenon as alopecia areata. In the spring, with the transition to summer fur, the tail can climb for natural reasons. This is the normal state of the animal in a hot dry climate. In autumn, with the onset of cold weather, the tail will again be covered with thick hair.

Clogged pores

The hair on the tail of ferrets will fall out due to contamination of the skin pores, which can occur due to the uncleanliness of the animal or due to hormonal imbalance during pregnancy or in the state of hunting.

Black or brownish dots on the skin of the tail - this is clogged pores. To prevent the fur from falling out, the animal must be bathed with a special zoo shampoo. If it is not available, you can use baby soap, apply the gruel on the tail, rub with a soft toothbrush and rinse with warm water.

Stress

Wool loss can be a consequence of severe stress or longing of the animal. Ferrets are active, mobile, inquisitive animals. If the pet sits in a cage all the time, his emotional and physical condition will worsen. The causes of stress can be moving to a new place, change of owner, conditions of detention, noise and unpleasant smell, which the animal is forced to feel most of the time. The ferret, as a burrowing animal, must live in a shelter, he needs to build a small house - warm, dark, with a soft floor.

Wrong diet

The quality of ferret fur depends on what they eat. Proteins, fats, vitamins must enter the body of a predator. A lack of B and H vitamins, that is, hypovitaminosis, is a common reason that a ferret's tail begins to go bald. With a lack of biotin, which develops in an animal with frequent feeding of raw eggs, a disease develops with skin inflammation, itching, seborrhea, section and hair loss. To achieve a balance of vitamins in the body of a pet, they are fed preparations containing artificial biotin or give the kidneys and liver, in which there is a lot of this substance.

In the diet of a domestic ferret, raw meat should take first place, as well as dairy products, eggs, some cereals and vegetables. They should not be given food from the table, s alted, smoked, fried meat. All unsuitable food degrades the quality of wool.

In addition to natural food, ferrets can be fed with special dry food, but it is important to choose high-quality and expensive, the ingredients in which will be well selected and nutrients balanced.

Parasite

If the animal often itches and bites the hair, this is a clear sign of the presence of parasites - fleas and lice. With this behavior, you need to examine the ferret and treat it with insecticidal veterinary products. Preventive treatment should be carried out 2 times a year.

Disease

Skin diseases such as eczema and dermatitis cause ferret hair loss. The animal also loses hair due to endocrine diseases. Before starting treatment, you need to establish a diagnosis, which will help the veterinarian.

Adrenal lesion

Loss of hair covering the tail may indicate a disease of these organs. The tail is followed by the back and head of the animal.With adrenal disease, the ferret becomes aggressive, feels pain when urinating. The cause of hair loss is excessive production of estrogen during the disease, as a result of which the fur falls out. If there is a suspicion of damage to the adrenal glands, you need to take the animal to the veterinarian. There is no self-healing from this disease; in an advanced case, the animal will die.

Pincers

Sarcoptes mites can infect ferrets when walking outside, especially in summer, during the breeding season. An infected ferret itches, its skin is flaky, covered with crusts. With a severe lesion, appetite and physical activity decrease. Ticks are destroyed by treating the animal with Ivomek.

Tumors

Neoplasms on the internal organs, for example, on the same adrenal glands and skin, can lead to baldness. In this case, only a veterinarian can make a correct diagnosis and choose a treatment.

Mycoses

These are fungal skin diseases that cause permanent hair loss. The fungus without treatment can spread to the entire body of the animal. The skin at the site of the lesion is red, inflamed, dry and flaky. The animal combs it, leaves scratches from its claws.

How to deal with the problem

If the problem is not serious, you can solve it yourself. If the cause of ferret baldness is improper care, then you need to take action: bathe the animal 1-2 times a month, using special shampoos. If the matter is in malnutrition, correct it: review the diet and bring it back to normal in accordance with the requirements of the animal's physiology. Additionally, you need to give your pet vitamin preparations and mineral supplements.

If the cause of baldness is animal stress, you need to eliminate its source. Provide the animal with sufficient physical activity - it is necessary to take him out for a walk on the street or at least let him out of the cage to run around in the room.It is necessary to ensure that the room has a suitable air temperature and humidity so that the skin of the animal does not dry out. Treat a pet infected with parasites with antiparasitic agents until the insects are completely destroyed.

Prevention measures

Prevention of hair loss from the tail and body of a ferret is to maintain cleanliness in the cage and the room where he spends time. In caring for the animal's fur - combing and bathing. In feeding with food from which the body of a predator can receive all the substances it needs for the proper functioning of organs.

Despite their lively disposition, ferrets are sensitive to stress factors, so you need to protect them as much as possible from anything that can irritate and unnerve them.It is necessary to allocate time more often to communicate with your animal, to walk with it. If time is short, you can get a cat or dog with whom ferrets develop a good relationship.

When you need to see a veterinarian

Veterinary care for a ferret is necessary for diseases of the adrenal glands, tumors, endocrine diseases, eczema, dermatitis. It is problematic to cure them on your own, without special knowledge. In case of serious diseases of the skin and internal organs, first consult a veterinarian, self-treatment can be harmful, not beneficial. When the diagnosis is established, you must strictly follow the recommendations of the doctor, give the animal prescribed drugs, do not stop treatment until the pet recovers.

A ferret's tail baldness can be caused by a variety of factors. In addition to natural molting, which occurs twice a year at a certain time, wool falls out due to diseases and improper care and feeding.In almost all cases, the responsibility for this lies with the owner of the ferret. Most problems can be prevented by monitoring the condition of the animal, its behavior, and examining the coat in order to detect violations at an early stage. In such cases, treatment will not take much time, will not be tiring for the animal and its owner.

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