A friend of mine wrote me last night to ask about her son's ferret.  It is all of a sudden loosing hair, losing muscle and is weak.  I told her it is probably an adrenal gland problem which are quite common in middle aged American ferrets.  These problems include a proliferation of adrenal gland cells, benign and malignant tumors or the over production of some hormones. 

The most common sign of an adrenal problem is hair loss.  It usually starts around the tail head and progresses up the back, abdomen and chest.  The head and legs usually keep a little bit of hair on them.  Sometimes a rash develops as well.  In some females you can notice an enlarged vulva and some males have difficulty urinating.  Other signs include muscle wasting, skin thinning, weight loss, lethargy, increased agression or weakness.   

If you notice any of these signs a trip to the veterinarian would be a great idea.  There the vet will take blood tests, xrays and sometimes an ultrasound to confirm the enlarged gland.  Sometimes your veterinarian will be able to actually feel the gland if it is swollen large enough.  Usually the left gland is the only gland affected for some strange reason. 

Treatment plans include surgical removal of the affected gland or medical management.  If a ferret is too weak to undergo anesthetic then the second option is best.  The disadvantage of drugs over surgery is that the drugs simply control the symptoms without doing anything to remove the source of the problem. This is especially important because some adrenal tumors are malignant, so surgery should be the first choice if at all possible.

So if you notice that your friendly ferret isn't up to snuff or is losing his hair take him to the veterinarian sooner rather than later to have him checked out.  Prevention is the best medicine but early detection of problems usually means a better prognosis.