Message Number: YG2375 | New FHL Archives Search
From: coyote@macrophile.com
Date: 2001-04-09 11:30:00 UTC
Subject: Vaccine Reaction- Long Term Effects?

Hello to all. Please bear with a little history before I pose my
question.

Of my ferrets, I have one that has twice had life-threatening
reactions to his distemper vaccine. (For anyone wondering, he reacted
first to Galaxy-D and then to Fervac-D.) The ferret is a 3.5 year old
male, neutered at 6 months and non-descented. In the latest reaction
this past year, within 5 minutes of vaccination, the ferret began
vomitting and having uncontrolled diarrhea, which rapidly became
bloody diarrhea. His temperature rose considerably and he collapsed.
He was given dexamethasone, epinephrine, IV fluids, and I suspect
some oxygen, although I was not charged for it and so have no record.

My question/concern is whether these types of severe reactions can
cause damage to a ferret's systems (respiratory? cardiac?) and
whether there have been any reports of (or experience with)
difficulties arising later in life from this damage?

As a quick aside, I have this ferret's sister, from the same litter.
She has never reacted to a vaccine.

Thank you for your consideration of this question.

Anastasia Kidd