>>We routinely hear of CD vax reactions, and some of mine show flu-like
>>symptoms for a couple of days after a shot. (A different, but not
>>dangerous, kind of reaction.)
>##Have to disagree with this too <g>, any reaction is dangerous. From
>what I have seen it appears most ferrets have a reaction after they have
>been vaccinated a number of times.
There is confusion here between reaction and response. There actually
are some marvelous past posts in the FML archives on this type of
confusion form vets and biololgists.
The dragging along but healthy, not quite right feeling or appearance
after a vaccination is fine. In fact it shows that the vaccine is
working by teaching the immune system. That is a response and it is
an expected response.
What is bad is an allergic reaction, especially a severe one such as an
anaphylactic reaction. Now, this is something I am used to: Steve does
it badly, my sister had had a milder reaction approaching it, we have had
ferrets collapse with it but all survived because help was handy, and I
have done it a number of times. (My own personal experience and that of
Steve is that if it doesn't cause panic or serious smothering then it's
worse to observe than to go through even though it can and will be fatal
without prompt and careful medical care. Heck, I do it for my allergy
shots sometimes but the shots are helping so much that they are worth
it.) Some of the symptoms of an anaphylactic reaction (Some will happen
and some won't each time.) include: severely dropping blood pressure,
swelling mucus membranes, smothering, bloody diarrhea (the blood is
because the fluids are dropped so rapidly that they carry along blood
cells rather than due to injury of tissues), flushing, feeling of
impending doom, swollen face, swollen closed eyes, passing out, etc.
In ferrets sometimes vomiting can be seen, too, and then it can get
worse, so if one of our's vomits later we get follow-up care.
A reaction is bad -- potentially very bad and is why folks stay at the
vets for a long time after the vax.
A response that has a ferret not being normal for hours or a day is fine,
normal, and an indication that the vaccine is doing what it should.
Yes, it is the immune system mis-learning which leads to allergic
reactions happening after exposures to the triggering compound from the
same source, or one that also holds the same compound or something very
close to it. That is why the few folks who have true food allergies so
often have them to favorite foods. There is no way to make anything 100%
safe on that score. Today I can safely bet that most of the people here
will have eaten one or more common foods that would kill either me or
Steve or both of us. Allergies are an INDIVIDUAL thing: what is safe
for most simply is too danged dangerous for those of us who wind up with
our bodies' immune systems abberantly thinking those things are dangerous
invaders. That is true also for the vax. For most they help save lives.
For the allergic few who aren't vaccinated they help save lives
indirectly because other animals in the vicinity will be protected and
less likely to bring disease home as a result -- greatly reducing the
exposure risk.
I hope that no one here has to ever see canine distemper or rabies in any
critters. I've never seen them in ferrets but have in other species.
You never, never, never want to encounter those. I'd take a risk of an
anaphylactic reaction any day over those, and that would be in terms of
watching one or experiencing one. 'Nuff said.
[Posted in FML issue 4025]
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