From:
"kazpat1"
Date: 2007-06-12 18:32:05 UTC
Subject: [ferrethealth] Re: Delayed reaction to distemper shot
To: ferrethealth@yahoogroups.com
To answer your questions "Do ferrets REALLY need distemper shots?"
Yes, they do and can get canine distemper. It is a horrible illness
and if the ferret is infected it is almost 100% fatal. I have
experienced this personally. Thankfully I had vaccinated ferrets,
but some were poorly vaccinated due to new rescues and one had
medical problems that meant couldn't be vaccinated on time. The
loss is tough, and in 10 years of owning ferrets, 5 plus of doing
some volunteer and rescue work- I have only had 2 react to a vaccine
in over 100 vaccinations either given in a rescue situation or in
the vet office. I did vaccinate those again, using another vaccine.
The actual rate of vaccine reactions is low, but it does exist so we
always have to balance that risk with the benefit of protection from
distemper.
Now, does your ferret need distemper vaccine? This is a better
question. if the ferret is older, had full set of vaccines prior,
has little or no risk to distemper exposure ( remember you can bring
it in on your shoes, or from exposure to a sick animal like at a vet
office). Then maybe not, discuss with your vet the risks vs the
benefit to vaccinating your ferrets.
You can also talk to your vet about premedications to use prior to
vacination, and alternate distemper vaccine to use if future
vaccinations are needed.
I am sorry you had to go through that, it is scary and I am glad
your ferret is doing better.
Patty
- In ferrethealth@yahoogroups.com, "larcd8835" <larcd8835@...> wrote:
>
> My 3 year old ferret had a 12 hour delayed reaction to her
distemper
> shot. Despite the fact that she had never had any reaction to
anything
> amd that we waited in the office for 45 minutes after the shot,
the
> reaction occured way after that. The vet said it was only the
second
> one she'd seen in her career. Now my little girl is going to be
OK, but
> will be on medicine for 3 days, and I was up all night holding
her. Do
> ferrets REALLY need distemper shots? I am reluctant to let any one
of
> my 3 babies ever get a shot again. However, I am thankful for the
> archives, because in the middle of the night, I got some great
info
> about distemper shot reactions that let me know what was going on
and
> that I had to get my ferret to the vet.
>
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