From:
"Sukie Crandall"
Date: 2007-07-28 14:16:31 UTC
Subject: [ferrethealth] Re: questions about health concerns in stray ferret
To: ferrethealth@yahoogroups.com
The ferret probably WAS afraid and may even have been abused in the past.
There are no recorded cases of anyone worldwide ever contracting rabies from a ferret.
Theoretically it could happen but very few ferrets have ever had rabies and those few who
have had it tend to die before they transmit the disease.
Furthermore, the ferret may have already been vaccinated with the IMRAB 3 Rabies Vaccine
which was approved as effective in ferrets in 1990 if memory serves for the date.
Here are some professional resources from the CDC and from the National Association of
State Public Health Veterinarians as well as some others.
Rabies:
Professional information:
http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dvrd/rabies/professional/professi.htm
CDC Q&A on ferrets, dogs, and cats in relation to rabies:
http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dvrd/rabies/Ques&Ans/q&a.htm
National Association of State Public Health Veterinarians: the latest Compendium of Animal
Rabies Control and Prevention is in documents:
http://www.nasphv.org
The rabies section here has useful data:
http://www-micro.msb.le.ac.uk/3035/bushmeat/bush4.html
Rabies info from the Immunization Action Coalition
http://www.vaccineinformation.org/rabies/qandadis.asp
Rabies info from Lawrence County, OH
http://www.lawrencefire.com/safety_tips/rabies/rabies.asp
I am not a vet, but my own inclination if I were in your shoes would be to have the ferret
observed by someone who knows ferret behavior, including the strange dance they do
when happy (which I have heard novice people incorrectly think was a disease symptom)
while seeking the owner to find out if the animal was vaccinated. Of course, this is not a
clear situation so your inclination may vary from mine. If the animal has clear signs of
disease my take would be different.
People with missing ferrets often call the pounds, the police, the vet, and the area's ferret
shelters. Here is where you can find the ferret shelters:
http://www.supportourshelters.org/
Click open the life-ring icon saying "Shelter Ferrets in Need".
I hope that the owner is soon found, that you will learn that the ferret is up to date on
vaccinations, and that the ferret will just be watched for the typical 10 days if you are still
concerned.
Since you are so worried I will get this to you right away.
Sukie (not a vet)
Recommended ferret health links:
http://pets.groups.yahoo.com/group/ferrethealth/
http://ferrethealth.org/archive/
http://www.afip.org/ferrets/index.html
http://www.miamiferret.org/fhc/
http://www.ferretcongress.org/
http://www.trifl.org/index.shtml
http://homepage.mac.com/sukie/sukiesferretlinks.html
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