>I believe it's been stated on the List that the only shots ferrets need
>are for rabies and for canine distemper. I've been looking over my pair's
>records. Buddy, my male, has always been given canine distemper shots, as well
>as canine hepatitis and leptospirosis, and feline rabies and distemper.
>Cassidy, my little girl, has gotten all the same shots except she always gets
>canine rabies shots instead of feline.
 
>Are all these shots necessary? I'm not concerned about the price, but
>why give them shots they don't need? Besides, with all I've heard of ferrets
>occasionally having dangerous reactions to vaccines, I'd rather not increase
>those odds by giving them 2.5 times the number of shots they need. Also, why
>has Cassie gotten different rabies shots than Buddy?
 
        Canine hepatitis and leptospirosis are often given in the same vaccine
as canine distemper (and canine influenza).  Generally it's a five- or six way
shot.  While there really is no benefit from this vaccine, there is generally no
harm, either.  In the "olden" days, it was common practice to vaccinate ferrets
with the same vaccine used in dogs, and a lot of practitioners still do so
today.  The added immunization really doesn't increase the risk of vaccine
reactions.
        As far as feline distemper goes, while ferrets can contract this virus,
it doesn't cause clinical disease in the ferret, hence, vaccination is not
necessary.
        And as far as rabies goes, rabies is rabies, regardless of a label of
"feline rabies" or "canine rabies", it's the same shot.
 
[I think you may want to say is that "feline rabies" just means rabies in
a cat, and "canine rabies" just means rabies in a dog.  What you probably
*do* want to ensure is that the vaccine is the one *approved* for ferrets
for possibly legal implications.  Most of the others will probably work just
as well, but they've not been approved for ferrets.  And one or two of the
other vaccines *may* have caused rabies in a ferret, according to a report
or two that I've heard of.]
 
 
       Bruce Williams, DVM                 Department of Veterinary Pathology
       [log in to unmask]         Armed Forces Institute of Pathology
       (202) 576-2453/2454                 Washington, D.C.  20306-6000
 
[Posted in FML issue 0826]