Well, after owning ferrets for 11 years, it finally happened -- one of my
ferrets had a reaction to Fervac.  What I'm curious about is, why at the
age of 4 is she now having a reaction?
 
I went to my regular vet and we talked about how neither of us had ever
had reaction problems before.  And, of course, today was the day I DIDN'T
stay -- I had a rush project to get to at my home office.  (After all, why
should I stay?  For years I've sat there watching the ferrets bounce around
and bite on the carrier bars.)  Within five miles of my departure, Hannah,
who is 4, began throwing up and pooping on everyone else.  I saw her face
and her nose was bright red.  At a stop light I pulled her out and looked
at her and her paw pads were bright red too.  Then her tail fuzzed out, she
went limp, and began panting.
 
You have never seen anyone turn around so fast in your life!  I raced her
back to the vet and they took her immediately.  She's okay now, with
dextrose and epinephrine, but for a while she wasn't responding to
treatment and was touch and go.
 
She never had bloody diarrhea or vomit -- she just barfed up food and
pooped out some watery poop.  Nevertheless, the other indicators were
there.
 
I know a whole bunch of you have had this problem -- even more severe --
and I THANK YOU for sharing your stories.  Because I've read so many
different symptoms I didn't hesitate to get Hannah back to the vet.  So
please, keep sharing -- it helps even us 11-year-veteran ferret owners. ;)
 
I do have a question -- what was the average age your ferret first had a
reaction?  Hannah is 4, and has had Fervac for years.  Showed no signs of
anything last year.  Why is this happening at this age, instead of younger?
 
I know we've just had a few threads about this on the FML, but until it
happened I kind of dismissed it as something I didn't need to worry about.
 
Hannah is caged by herself tonight.  She's eating a little and drinking and
using the litter box.  She's also sleeping a lot.  But she seems fine, and
I'm so glad -- after losing my Sidney in November I'm not prepared to let
another one go just yet.  :)
 
Amy, Dave, Sarah & Paul (and their gaggle of giggling ferrets)
RIP Ian, Elektra, Claudia & Sidney
[Posted in FML issue 3126]