From:
Bruce Williams, DVM
Date: 2001-05-19 21:30:00 UTC
Subject: Re: question re: vaccinations/3 year shots
--- In Ferret-Health-list@y..., "sue" <ferret@i...> wrote:
> I'm a bit confused on this one, maybe one of the doctors on here
can help. Last time I took my cats in for their shots , the vet here
told me that they are 3 year vaccines, meaning they are good for 3
years. Then why do I have to get them their shots every year? Is this
true, are there vaccinations that last for 3 years. If so, then why
can't we get the ferrets their shots every 3 years? It would be less
stressful both to the ferret and the owner since so many have
reactions.
This is a quick one - (I'm going to work on my handout for the Boston
meeting tonight - so I'm just going to pick a couple of quickies to
answer).
Vaccinations may very well be good for multiple years in older
ferrets with a good vaccination history - we just don't know. The
approved vaccines for ferrets were only tested on a 1-year basis. To
test for three yeears, you have to take a group of ferrets, maintain
them in a facility for three years - that's expensvie, and for
vaccine companies who don't see anything more than a niche market -
not worth the cost and effort. "If they want to vaccinate ferrets -
they're just going to have to do it every year." (I don't agree with
it - I'm just telling you the prevailing opinion.)
There has been discussion on this list about running titers instead
of vaccinating every year - it's more expensive, less convenient, may
require anesthesia to take the blood, but on the positive side, it
may cut down on the numbers of reactions....
With kindest regards,
Bruce H. Williams, DVM, DACVP
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