Sukie,
 
My vet and I, too, do the 18 months between my kids distemper shots
because I have almost lost my kids many times to reactions.  We think
that they probably still have some of the vaccine still in their little
bodies if you do it exactly 1 year from last shot.  So far so good, my
vet also used the Galaxy this last time and all was well.
 
I keep reading about how people swear by the Purevax but in 2003 when
my Gizmo got his distemper, he had the worst reaction(was Purevax used)
that my vet, Dr. Katrina Ramsell, had ever seen.  They worked on him for
almost 3 hours and then I took him home, they were pretty sure they were
sending him home to die but I babied him got him to drink and eat some
a/d and within 2 days he was eating again.  But I was so scared, he was
pooping out big puddles of blood and couldn't even stand when I brought
him home.  It did affect him bad though because he never really played
again, just wasn't his old grumpy self.
 
He was a little past 5 when this happened, so I am afraid to use that
one again even though each ferret is different it is hard to let go of
the image in your mind.  He is at the bridge now, I came home from work
in aug. 2004 and he was already dead, looked like he had a convulsion
cuz there was food on his mouth like he threw up some and then choked,
was a bad time since his sister Sissy had just died 3 weeks before.
 
Anyway, as you say, it is every persons personal choice on how and what
they use but I sure wish that they would get something with NO reactions,
maybe if we pray enough, will happened one day.  I too don't show my
fuzzies so don't have to have the proof of each year shots but do get
the rabies since my Sammy likes to nip on occasion!!
 
Julie, Sammy, Noni & the 3 at the bridge
[Posted in FML issue 5158]