From:
Sonia Dragulin-Otto
Date: 2007-11-07 01:29:05 UTC
Subject: [ferrethealth] Distemper vaccine reaction scare. First time ferret owner is going out of her mind.
To: ferrethealth@yahoogroups.com
Dear all,
I am sorry this email will be long because it is my first
health scare with my ferrets, I just got home from the emergency vet
with him and I am about to have a heart attack. All help is
appreciated.
My little angel, Mac is a three year old male fert
with no previous health problems and all vaccinations up to date as of
today. He has had his rabies and distemper vaccinations each year as
scheduled but today when he had his DISTEMPER vaccination he nearly
passed away. Him and his two cage-mates (one of whom is his sister) had
their distemper today and on the way back from the vet he was panting
and clawing at the carrier. He is NOT a fan of car rides, so we chalked
it up to that. (he does usually cause a ruckus like that but this time
it was worse.) Towards the end of the trip home he calmed down and we
thought that he was falling asleep as he usually does when going to the
vet. I took him out of the carrier and he was limp. His eyes were
half-open and he was breathing rapidly and shallowly. I put a tad of
ferretone on his belly for cheering up (even though my heart was in my
panties at this point) he refused it and I KNEW that this was bad! I
took him to a light and I saw his nose was purple and completely out of
it. He wouldn't move and was limp in my arms. We rushed back to the vet
and on the way he pooped bloody stool all over himself and me. When we
got there he was not even lifting his head.
Thank
GOD he is ok now after they did their magic on him. He is very tired,
and the injection site between his shoulders is huge and red. He can't
really walk but they say that's because he is sore from the injections
he has been given for emergency care. The diagnosis: reaction to the
distemper vaccine. Since he was with me he got this shot twice and from
his records he had it as a kit too. With no reaction! He gets sleepy
and sluggish for the day after but never anything like this! They said
that some people don't vaccinate their ferts for distemper. I read ALL
the articles I can find on ferret health but I never read this fact.
All I know is that distemper can be contracted by un-vaccinated ferrets
from all infected animals AND from the clothes and shoes of owners
carrying it in from the outside. I know it is 100% fatal.
Has
anyone had this before? who doesn't vaccinate their ferrets for
distemper? what should I do to protect him from that disease now that
we can't vaccinate him in the future? Please help! I am a first time
ferret owner but I have read many articles about them. To tell you the
truth I search your databases for the cancers and their symptoms, but
never thought to check for this. At this point I am so sick after this
scare that I cannot think. I hope this email made sense, and I am sorry
I have no energy to look in the database for this. Any help is
appreciated.
Thank you so much!
Sonia and Mac(the recuperating fert)
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