From:
Bruce Williams, DVM
Date: 2001-05-03 14:17:00 UTC
Subject: Re: Vaccine Reaction- Long Term Effects?
--- In Ferret-Health-list@y..., coyote@m... wrote:
> Hello once again. I do hope no one minds, but I am reposting this
> question. There was only one reply (Thanks, Alicia!). I would very
> much appreciate other people, especially the vets, relating
anything
> they have noticed.
>
> Thank you for your patience.
>
> Anastasia Kidd
>
> PS: the vaccine reaction mentioned below occurred at my local vet,
> not my ferret vet. This practice does not allow you to be present
for
> even the simplest of procedures, thus my not knowing if oxygen was
> given. I just wanted to clarify in case people thought poorly of my
> ferret vet who is pretty well known in NJ. {I no longer go to the
> local vet after 5 vaccine reactions (3 ferret, 2 feline) and 2
missed
> tumors of considerable size, all in a span of 2 months. Also, they
do
> no ferret surgeries.}
>
> --- In Ferret-Health-list@y..., coyote@m... wrote:
> > 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?
> >
Dear Anastasia - There is no evidence that an animal which has
successfully recovered from a vaccination reaction that has had long
term reactions to it. While there is a lot of anecdotal information
on the Internet, there really is no hard data, that the vascular
leakage that is the hallmark of anaphylactic shock leaves long term
damage. If the animal survives, the cleanup is usually rapid and
complete.
With kindest regards,
Bruce H. Williams, DVM, DACVP
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