From:
"Sukie Crandall"
Date: 2007-02-22 18:27:23 UTC
Subject: [ferrethealth] Re:Incomplete spay & reaction to vaCcine
To: ferrethealth@yahoogroups.com
Incomplete spays can happen and so do stump pyometra BUT they are far less common
than adrenal disease. With ANY of the these surgery is needed and any vet who is used to
ferrets will check for ALL THREE.
Do NOT forget that adrenal disease itself can cause stump pyometra:
http://ferrethealth.org/archive/SG2727
Our Meeteetse wound up in that situation.
As to vaccine reactiions: while they are usually to distemper vaccines there have been
individuals who are allergic to rabies vaccines.
Has anyone else noticed how much the reports of such reactions has dropped here since
Fervac went away?
The location of the shot does not matter with systemic reactions such as anaphylactic
reactions. Trouble breathing and facial swelling are among the common things that can
happen with anaphylactic reactions, no matter where the allergen is given. Other possible
symptoms can include: nausea, feeling of impending doom, bright redness or paleness,
collapse from reduced blood pressure, fluids crossing the membranes into the intestines
so rapidly that they carry along blood cells in their flood right across the membranes
(bloody flux), etc.
What happens typically with an allergic reaction is that a past exposure to whichever
ingredient is the allergen (or to something similar enough which is why many people who
can't eat shrimp also can't eat crab or lobster) causes the body to think that the thing is an
invader. So, the next time there is an exposure the immune system over-reacts. This is
why things to which there are a lot of exposures are the common food allergens, BTW, and
also why if the funding could be arranged it would be great to have studies to know how
long specific vaccines are good for beyond a year in ferrets (as opposed to in other
species) so that they could be given less often. The dangers and discomfort that happen
with the allergic reaction are from the misplaced behavior of the immune system itself.
Now, you expect some immune system reaction and often a slight ill feeling or tiredness
as a result when a vaccine is gotten and that is a normal part of the response which
indicates that the vaccine is working, but beyond that is worrisome.
So, some ferrets will react to only one vaccine, but others will react to more. Such
reactions are why allergists have people stay in the office for 20 minutes or more after a
shot but ferrets can not say when they don't feel quite right or are starting to get
thickening in their throats so staying longer only makes sense.
Now, I don't know if this ever happens with ferrets but after I have had epi I get silly and
too inclined to think that I can do just about anything, so very careless. Luckily, it knocks
the stuffing out of me or I could imagine being very accident prone afterward. My point
being that it might pay to be extra careful to not have ferrets anywhere where accidents
can happen for a good chunk of time after a reaction and treatment.
It is good that your vet knows that Epi is essential and knows the rest of the medical
response. About 10 years ago it was found that a frightening percentage of human
emergency room physicians did not know enough to use Epi and one of the major allergy
charities organized a mass education campaign.
BTW, long ago there was a hypothesis proposed that such reactions and medications
might set the stage for cardiomyopathy. Since we have had ferrets who reacted to
vaccines ( I guess 4 or 5 of them over a space of 26 years.) and since we have multiple
human family members who get anaphylactic reactions on both sides of the family, Steve
and I have been sure to ask about this. There is no known increase in cardiac disease
among individuals who have such reactions and meds.
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