From:
Alison Skipper
Date: 2002-03-12 14:14:00 UTC
Subject: Re:distemper vaccs
> Date: Tue, 12 Mar 2002 13:06:40 -0000
> From: "maevemoped" <angela@o...>
> Subject: Distemper shots
>
> I live in England and my ferrets are vaccinated against distemper
> using a dog distemper vaccine called Nobivac-D (no ferret vaccine in
> UK). They currently have been vaccinated once a year and each ferret
> gets a whole vial.
>
> However, there has been some discussion that they would be fine with
> only half a vial each and now there are suggestions that they will be
> fine having vaccinations every other year rather than annually.
>
> Can someone clear this up for me.
>
> Regards
> Angela C
>
Angela,
It's normally recommended over here that 1/2 vial each is fine. Since no
studies on duration of immunity following vaccination are carried out even
on dogs, for which the vaccine is made, let alone ferrets, for which it
isn't, nobody officially knows how long immunity will last. In general,
immunity to distemper is quite long-lasting. Your decision would partly
depend on the risk. If you live somewhere where distemper is seen in local
dogs or foxes, then perhaps more often would be safest. If your ferrets are
confined to a suburban garden in an area where distemper is never seen in
dogs, then they are at very low risk, and once every 2 years might well do.
The data sheet for each vaccine brand will say whether it is grown in a
ferret cell line (in which case it shouldn't be used in ferrets) or not. I
can't remember what it says for Nobivac, because we don't use it, and I
don't have the information here. If in doubt, get your vet to double check
this for you.
Hope this helps,
Alison Skipper, vet, England!