From:
dr_bruce_williams
Date: 2002-05-20 22:39:00 UTC
Subject: Re: When is Vaccine effective?
--- In Ferret-Health-list@y..., "ferretwoman33" <ferretwoman33@y...>
wrote:
> I have a ferret with an unknown vaccine history. I just had her
> vaccinated for Canine Distemper on Friday. On Saturday a friend
came
> by in the evening and she was playing with my ferret. This friend
> just told me today that she had been around a dog on Saturday
morning
> that went to the vet today and the vet believes it could have
> distemper (showing clinical signs-I think they did some test on it
> and are waiting for confirmation). She didn't actually touch the
> dog, but she was in the same house. She was wearing the same
> clothes. My question is how long can distemper live on someone's
> clothes like that, and would the distemper vaccine my ferret
received
> on Friday have already kicked in 36 hours later?
>
Dear Linda:
this is a very difficult question to answer. In previously
vaccinated dogs, distemper vaccines may show beneficial effects in
as little as 72 hours - but that is usually in animals which have had
a full series of boosters and probably a couple of additional yearly
shots.
Luckily, the possibility of transmission with this set of
circumstances are highly remote.
With kindest regards,
Bruce Williams, DVM