From:
Vickie McKimmey
Date: 2001-08-16 13:38:00 UTC
Subject: Lost Lexie after imrab vac
Friday night a friend and I took 19 ferrets to my vets for rabies
vacs. It was a stinking hot and humid evening.
My 12 went first. Had the range from kits to my four and a half year
old. Then my friend's 7 got theirs.
Sat in the office for at least half an hour - waiting for the
paperwork, watching for any reactions, doing the inevitable ferret
demo for the other clients and vet techs.
As soon as I hit the door and the humidity, Lexie, my 2 year old
breeder jill and Hussy, my 1 year old breeder jill started puking.
Turned right around and started treatment.
Subq fluids, epi, dex, tagamint, heat lamp, massage for at least an
hour. Hussy came around first, Lexie was taking longer. By the time
I left the office, both were responding and looking much better.
Got everyone home, but kept the two in the travel cage for the rest
of the evening. Both came around even more, both drank from the
water bottle and both crunched some food. Around midnight they went
back with the youngsters they were in charge of. No signs of the
reaction whatsoever.
Next day Lexie was found flat with a bottle brush tail. Administered
more fluids and dex. She would eat and drink if done by hand.
Contacted the vet for instructions and was told everything should be
fine, she wouldn't do anything differently.
I was getting concerned as the day progressed that Lexie's kidneys
had shut down. I never saw her urinate, but she would defecate. I
gave her more subq fluids and noticed the fluid was leaching into the
tissues under her skin. Her skin became flushed and her front legs
swelled. If you rubbed the skin you could feel and hear the fluid in
the tissue. Lexie could not maintain her body temperature and passed
later that day.
I have been told that this kind of reaction is extremely rare from
the imrab shot. I know it wasn't a reaction from fervac since her
fervac vac wasn't due until mid September.
My personal observation, especially when it comes to administering
fervac, is to not do it on a really hot and humid day. I also think
the high humidity played a key role in Hussy and Lexie's reactions
Friday night to their imrab shots.
Vickie