Hi Everyone:
 
I am new to the FML since August 2000.  So far I have been lurking and not
posting, except for my Maxi I know he has been sneaking in here to use the
pooter and post to the FML, but that's okay.  Anyway I have 4 ferrets Maxi,
Maxine, Booger and Buddy.  We are all going to Thunder Bay next week for
a trip out of town if you can call it that.  All of us have medical
appointments and the fuzzybutts have a vet appointment, which I know they
will not be happy about, but it's for their own good.  This may end up
being a little long, but please bare with me.
 
We do not have any ferret knowledgeable vets around here.  We have had Maxi
and Maxine at this vet we are going to in Thunder Bay in the past, but I do
not remember staying after the shots were given to see if they would have
any reaction.  Now that I have been reading the FML everyday since August
last year, I have seen where some of you have posted that your ferrets have
had a reaction to the vaccine.  Refresh my memory was it for distemper or
rabbies?  Our ferrets cannot get rabbies shots only distemper because they
can't get the rabbies vaccine up here in the north, this is what the vet
said the last time we were there for Maxi and Maxine's shots (at that time
we didn't have Buddy or Booger).  I phoned today to setup an appointment
for next week Thursday, because our appointments are on Friday and I asked
them again about the rabbies shots, apparently they do not have Ferret
rabbies shots, but they still have the distemper shot that they can give
them.  We love our fuzzbutts very much and I don't want them to get sick
(I hate to see them sick), but what do I do.  I have never heard or seen
any of the things that I have read on the FML.  Until I joined the FML we
had never heard of adrenal disease, lymphoma, insulinoma, etc., I never
knew that there were such horrible diseases out there that ferrets can get.
Now, some of you have mentioned about giving Benedryl before a shot.  Ours
have never reacted before to shots and now that I read all this stuff on
the FML I am worried.  If they didn't have a reaction in the past is it
possible they could have one this time around?  To my knowledge neither
Buddy or Booger had a reaction and in the past I was never asked by the vet
to stay.  I mentioned it to the secretary today about this and that I was
on the FML, but she said she didn't know and wasn't sure if they asked
people to stay for a half hour after the shots, should I stay to play it
safe?  If they do have a reaction what should we or the vet give them to
counter act the reaction?
 
You can e-mail me privately at the above e-mail address or on the FML which
ever you prefer.  I would appreciate any advice or help that you all can
give.  I know that all animals can be or get sick in anyway, blind, deaf
or whatever and this may sound really stupid, but I always thought that my
loveable fuzzies would just end up dying of old age and never get sick,
until I found the FML and realized all the horrible things that can happen
to them.  I am soooo glad that I have wonderful people like you to turn to
in a time of need, even though I have never posted before until now.
Please help us!!
 
Hugs,
Rosie & The Fabulous '4'
[Posted in FML issue 3359]