From:
"Shelley Knudsen"
Date: 2002-10-11 00:33:29 UTC
Subject: Vaccinating 'unhealthy' ferrets / distemper transmission
To: <ferrethealth@smartgroups.com>
Message-ID: <002c01c270bd$ed581da0$2545abcd@sknudsen>
Hello!
I have some questions for everyone on this list, especially the vets. I cu=
rrently have 3 older ferrets - 5 1/2, 6 1/2, and 7 1/2. The 5 1/2 year old=
has IBD. The 6 1/2 year old has insulinoma and 3rd degree AV node block, =
and the 7 1/2 year old has insulinoma. For the last few years, I have not =
vaccinated them for a variety of reasons. However, as I am advancing throu=
gh vet school, I am having more and more contact with dogs from unknown bac=
kgrounds, and it occured to me that maybe it might be a good idea to vaccin=
ate the fuzzies for distemper, preferably with PureVax. However, the exoti=
c vet here at school (who is also on this list) is not comfortable vaccinat=
ing ferrets with compromised health. But, I would feel horrible if I carri=
ed distemper home to my ferrets. So, she suggested that we both do some re=
search on just how contagious canine distemper is. I have always told peop=
le and been told that it was incredibly contagious. But, I have not been a=
ble to find any hard FACTS one way or the other in the research that I have=
done so far.
So, my questions for you all are: =
Have you ever vaccinated a ferret with insulinoma, IBD, or heart problems, =
and were there any problems associated with doing so?
Does anyone on this list have factual evidence of just how contagious the c=
anine distemper virus (genus: morbillivirus, family: paramyxoviridae) is - =
if I truly can carry it home on my clothes and shoes if being in close cont=
act with an infected, shedding dog, or if the virus would die before I made=
it home?
Thank you!
Dooks to your fuzzies,
Shelley Knudsen
Class of 2004 KSU Veterinary College
ferrets@kansas.net sknudsen@vet.ksu.edu
http://www.tcgcs.com/~ferrets
785-565-9041 cel402-984-4217
"There ain't no limit in this life to how far you can get,
but if you're going all the way, you gotta break a sweat."
- Chad Brock