>I was going through my Jeffers catalog the other day because I will be
>ordering vaccines for my dogs and cats.  I went to look in the ferret
>section and saw that they were selling Fervac-D vaccine.  My questions
>are, does anyone on here vaccinate their own ferrets?  And what has been
>your experience with vaccinating at home?  Where do you order your
>vaccines from?  I know there is a risk of the ferret having a reaction
>but thought I'd put these questions out there.
 
Hi Melina
 
I am a shelter and I vaccinate at home.  Before you decide whether or not
to vaccinate, I would urge you to talk with your vet - on how to properly
administer the shot, what to do in case of a reaction and whether or not
vaccinating at home is a viable alternative.
 
The difference in cost is partly the issue for me - I give approximately
150 distemper shots each year (it varies - some ferrets released to the
shelter are actually up-to-date on vax!).  But the reason that your vet
charges you $25 is because he/she is often giving a physical and is a
trained professional with the knowledge of properly treating a reaction.
I use Fervac-D to vaccinate - As previously discussed, Purevax (Merial)
isn't available for sale to anyone but a veterinarian.
 
There are certain 'rules' that I abide by when I vaccinate:
 
1 - I don't vaccinate when a vets office is not open;
 
2 - I will not vaccinate a ferret within a hour of the clinic closing;
 
3 - I premedicate with OTC liquid benadryl 30 minutes before vaccination;
 
4 - I have made arrangements with a vets office that is within 2 blocks
    of my house for those extreme anaphylactic reactions;
 
5 - I won't vaccinate more than 5 ferrets at a time;
 
6 - if one reacts, they all go;
 
7 - I buy my vaccines directly from United Vaccine and I have them shipped
    overnight.  I prefer to purchase my vaccines from the manufacturer
    rather than a supplier - and no, its not cheaper purchasing from
    United.
 
8 - I will not vaccinate a ferret that appears to be sick in any way.
    Because of the nature of the immune system and its reaction to a
    vaccine, if I believe that the ferret is ill in any way, I quarantine
    and wait until the ferret is healthy.
 
9 - Before beginning the vaccinations, the carriers are ready, car is
    ready and I am ready, watching the clock.  I don't relax until 1 hour
    has passed from the initial vaccination time;
 
11 - Ferrets with a previous history of reaction go to the vets, get
     pretreated with benadryl and receive a Galaxy-D shot.  With Purevax
     on the scene, I'm fairly confident that Purevax will be substituted
     for Galaxy...I will not personally administer a vaccine to a ferret
     with a previous history of reaction.
 
10 - I will not vaccinate any ferrets other than my own or a shelter
     resident.
 
My vet and I have discussed at length my decision to vaccinate at home -
and he agrees reluctantly with me that by saving the cost of the
vaccinations means that I can better afford other veterinary care...since
I'm already spending at least $6,000/year, I don't think he has too much
worry about losing business..
 
I have two reactions each year - its uncanny.  Only two - and its been
that way for the past 4 years.  Before that, I think we had three or four
at the most.  Thats pretty good odds if you take into consideration that
its 2 out of 150 vaccinations.  I have only had one reaction that was
dire enough that I thought I was going to lose the ferret - and luckily,
she survived with no lasting side effects.
 
My regular vet, Petcare, is 20 minutes away.  There is a vet clinic that I
don't use as a regular basis that is 2 blocks away.  But I have discussed
with them in advance emergency treatment for ferrets, just in case.  Its
nice to know that in the off chance that a major anaphylactic reaction
occurs, there is a vet less than 5 minutes away ready to treat.
 
As far as strange occurrances - my personal ferrets have never had a
reaction to their distemper shots...and that goes back to 1985.  It has
always been a shelter ferret - and I observed my first distemper reaction
in 1995.
 
I hope that this helps..
 
Lisa Leidig, Head Ferret
The Ferret Haven "By-the-Sea"
www.ferrethaven.org
[Posted in FML issue 3714]