From:
NCFerretMom@yahoo.com
Date: 2002-08-20 19:13:28 UTC
Subject: post-vaccine encephalitis?
To: ferrethealth@smartgroups.com
Message-ID: <13858020.1029870808705.JavaMail.root@scandium>
In 2000 I acquired by adoption a ferret that was surrendered by a college student. Oscar was born in late 1998 and was a happy, healthy, by all appearances normal MF ferret until he went to the vet for his vaccines in Dec. of that year.
Following that visit it was observed that Oscar could not walk normally. He had hind end weakness and a tendency to fall to the right. He was x-rayed, examined and thoroughly evaluated by several vets at that time. Nothing was discovered to be wrong. (Here let me point out that MF offered to reimburse vet expenses or replace Oscar. I am forever grateful he had already stolen his owner's heart, or you might not be reading this now.)
Since that time I have had him examined by 4 ferret experts myself. They all concur that he is perfectly healthy. In fact, Oscar does not know that he is *different.* He has learned to stand to eat and he has developed some muscle strength. I do OT and PT type exercises, as well as some hydrotherapy with him.
The general opinion is that, for some unknown reason, Oscar may have developed a mild case of distemper when he received his first vaccine. My current vet stated that he looked and acted like a *distemper survivor.* The tag Oscar gets is *post-vaccine encephalitis?*
What I would like to do is open this topic up for discussion and try to learn a little more about this condition in ferrets and it's prevalence. Does anyone out there have any knowledge of other cases similar to this? Vets, are there causes, conditions, suggestions, etc. that you might contribute to help further my vets' knowledge?
I will place some pics of Oscar in the picture section under my album - NCFerretMom.
Thanks for your input.
renee :)