Okay, I've missed a few FML's lately but have read the recent concern over
the distemper vaccine.  Count us in the category of folks who have almost
lost a ferret to an immediately life-threatening anaphylactic (sp?)
reaction to the distemper vaccination.  However, in our case IT WAS
GALAXY-D that caused the reaction, *not* Fervac.  Luckily, Xena survived
and seems to be fine now.  This was two years ago and we have not
vaccinated her since.
 
Then there are inflammatory nodules and fibrosarcoma, both caused by the
rabies vaccine, if I understand correctly.  There is an adjuvant in the
vaccine that is supposed to provide the necessary inflammatory reaction to
get the immune system started so it will react to the killed rabies virus
and produce antibodies.  One of our cats recently developed fibrosarcoma at
the injection site.  Luckily, the injection site was the hind leg (changed
specifically because of such concerns) and we think the vet got it all.
One of our other ferrets, Bear, also developed a *huge* lump on his back
that we were afraid was fibrosarcoma but came back as simply an
inflammatory lump, caused also by the vaccine.  This was last year.
 
*This* year, yet another of our babies, Gabrielle, had a reaction, this
time to her *rabies* vaccination!  Again luckily, it did not seem to be
immediately life-threatening.  She vomited and was very lethargic, but she
never lost consciousness and was fine after a few hours and an injection of
dextramathoraphan.
 
My main question is this -- are we going to have to keep dealing with
these things?  Specifically, should Gabby be vaccinated again next year?
I've heard that reactions have a tendency to get worse every time.  WHAT
DO WE DO?  I'm at the point where I don't want to vaccinate anyone for
anything! :(:(
 
-Tasha
[Posted in FML issue 3239]