From:
Sukie Crandall
Date: 2001-08-31 19:12:00 UTC
Subject: Re: Ferret Distemper Vaccine
>I have had 4 ferrets and three of them have had reactions - all
>different. We try benadryl prior to the shot, but that doesn't seem to
>work all the time (in fact one of them continues to have a reaction,
>albeit much less severe, for up to 12 hours - we have to continually
>give him pediatric benadryl or he starts wheezing again).
>
>I sure wish there was something else out there (rabies doesn't seem to
>have the same reactions) that we could give them. I am tempted not to
>give them there shots at all, but then you never know and we have a lot
>of dogs in the neighborhood.
There WILL be something else out there that does not present this
risk anywhere near the rate in two studies (lab and field). It's the
Merial Recombitek vaccine for ferrets that Dr. Jerry Murray said is
hoping to have the final state approvals by the middle of Sept.
Over the years we have had 5 ferrets who reacted: one mildly, four to
the point of almost dying. Of multiple reactors: in our current
batch two are allergic to Fervac and Galaxy but are fine for their
rabies vaccines. A past one was allergic to all.