From:
Sukie Crandall
Date: 2001-12-27 13:05:00 UTC
Subject: IMPORTANT -- health concern for giving 1st CDV vax before 8
weeks
--
I extend permission for people to use this in full without changes in
other ferret lists, except for the FML and FHL to which I have
already sent it, or the FOB for which the moderator has been sent a
copy to post. Such individuals certainly may append their own notes
outside my text if they very clearly separate what they wrote and
what I wrote.
Alicia is working very hard to get legislation through in the state
of New Hampshire which would ban the transport/sale of ferrets below
the age of 8 weeks. This is what USED to be done years ago till
competitors lowered the ages to compete with MF. It is also one of
those things which needs to be tackled for change among ALL farms
because no one farms can afford to reduce the purchases from pet
shops that an older age brings when competitors are giving the shops
14 to 21 more days for sales.
VET statements are needed, as a statements from other experts who
have info on early-age hazards/cautions, vaccines, etc. She has
already heard from one vet that due to maternal antibodies being
present that there is reason to suspect that giving the first CDV vax
at lower than 8 weeks of age is useless, and, indeed, the
manufacturer's own documents appear to call for the first to be at 8
weeks (and a copy is needed of that document). Such statements need
to be sent promptly to: xtasyferrets@u... . MANY THANKS!
Letters from NEW HAMPSHIRE RESIDENTS and NH property owners (vacation
home folks and NH business owning folks and relations -- heads- up!)
are also strongly needed; PLEASE, get in touch with your legislators
and the governor to support this change to the 8 weeks age. If you
do not have contact info for your legislator and the governor you can
get snail mail addies, phone and fax numbers, and e-mail from your
local reference librarian (or general librarian) at your library, or
from your town hall. Do NOT send only an e-mail. Many only rarely
read e-mail. Please, also do not send only a snail mail due to
current concerns about mail safety. If you do either or both or
those, please, ALSO call or send a fax.
It sure would not hurt if a few legislators were made to sit up and
notice by celebrity support if you are someone can arrange to
send/get some -- hint, hint.
If the ferret community sees to it that this legislation goes through
that means that other ferret people can use it as a route toward
change in their own states. Often being able to present existing
legislation as a sample of success helps get a change in place
elsewhere. We all need to be rattling our brains to figure out ways
to help; I, too, am out of state and trying to think of ways to help.
This is Alicia's project.
This is a CONSTRUCTIVE, FAIR and LOGICAL approach which would help
ferret health by making sure that the kits are shipped at a sturdier
age, and the vaccines happen when they have the best chance of the
first vaccine actually being effective. It is up to the ferret
community to see that gets passed by sending useful expert
information to Alicia, while messages of support for the legislation
need to go directly to the politicians.