From:
katharine
Date: 2001-05-19 19:08:00 UTC
Subject: Re: Are we over vaccinating our ferrets?
I agree that our ferrets should be vaccinated for
both. Rabies because it's not worth having them
killed and tested if they bite someone. Even if
no one is ever around your ferrets, how about when
they are taken to the vet? I have actually had
children stick their fingers in my ferrets'
carrier before I even realized they were there.
What if they bite a vet tech or the vet?
Regardless of what the compendium recommends, each
jurisdiction has its own rules. The distemper
vaccination is important because it's airborne.
When my Lily was undergoing chemo, she didn't have
her vaccinations because they would have been
ineffective. During that time, I did not allow
any wildlife into my home that could potentially
be a distemper carrier, such as raccoons and
foxes. I wasn't terribly concerned about her
rabies shot since there would be no direct
contact.
Kim, I know you're also a wildlife rehabber. In
that situation I wouldn't even consider not
vaccinating your ferrets for distemper when you
could have carriers in your home.
Dr. Murray wrote:
<BTW-I get my rabies vaccine every 2 years! The
human vaccine cost
$50 a dose.<
What a good deal! The 3 shot pre-exposure series
cost $105 per shot at my local health department
(total of $315). I got them for my wildlife
work. I would assume that the booster would be
the same ($105). I recently had my titer checked
and I'm OK. Does it make sense that the titer
checks consider that it would only be checked once
a year, and that the level is such that it
wouldn't fall below acceptable levels in the next
12 months????? So, Dr. Murray, you just opt to
get the booster instead of titer checks? Of
course, in the event of a bite, I would have to
have a booster anyway. But, that way, my
insurance would have to pay for it. They won't
pay for the preventive stuff. We had a huge
discussion about that one.
Someone mentioned tetanus boosters. I also
recently had one of those, also mostly for my
wildlife work but everyone should keep those up to
date. Tetanus is a nasty disease. I think you
only have to have a booster every 10 years.
Getting off-subject so will close.
Katharine