From:
sukiec@optonline.net
Date: 2005-03-22 22:47:57 UTC
Subject: RE: DISTEMPER VAC.
To: ferrethealth@smartgroups.com
Message-ID: <4618324.1111531677174.JavaMail.root@thallium.smartgroups.com>
Whether one vax would do it for the annual of an older ferret with an unknown history may depend on vax. I have heard off the record that for Fervac one *should* suffice, but have not been able to get a reply on this score from Purevax. If the ferret was old enough I'd be inclined to *suspect* that one *may* suffice, but... (big but there...) If in doubt go the safest way, of course.
Yes, with young kits there is a declining degree of immunity from the mother having been vaccinated. If teh mother wasn't vaccinated then there won't be even that immunity. The reason the vax is repeated until a specific age is reached is because an immature immune system can't respond well enough to the vaccine to have a lasting immunity. (It's something several of us had to ask some experts about last year.)
There actually is a recent discussion of this (maybe within 6 to 8 months ago or so?) with vet input in the Ferret-Genetics list in Yahoogroups so that will be in the archives there, and it would be no surprise if there is info in both the FHL and FML archives on the topic.