From:
Caitlyn Martin
Date: 2001-12-14 18:24:00 UTC
Subject: Re: [Ferret-Health-list] Re: Are annual vaccinations still
necessary?
Hi,
> The vet, who was not extremely
> ferret knowledgable and the vet we use for surgeries, who sees at least 15 ferrets every
> day, both agreed that if the ferrets do not go outside and are not exposed to other animals
> who may have contracted distemper that it may be better not to take the chance on future
> reactions.
We considered all the issues you raise when Nyssa had a severe reaction
to her rabies vaccination last year. (She went into shock and would
have died without immediate vet intervention.) My vet still felt she
needed to be vaccinated, and benadryl alone would not, in his opinion,
have been enough to prevent another dangerous reaction. He pretreated
with dexamethasone injections for three days prior to vaccination and
again about an hour before she got her shot. He also gave her benadryl
on the day of the vaccination.
Anyway, it worked. Nyssa was sleepy, but she did not have another nasty
reaction this year. This may be something worth discussing with your
vet.
All the best,
Caity and the terrific 10