Dear all,

I am sorry this email will be long because it is my first health scare
with my ferrets, I just got home from the emergency vet with him and I
am about to have a heart attack. All help is appreciated.

My little angel, Mac is a three year old male fert with no previous
health problems and all vaccinations up to date as of today. He has had
his rabies and distemper vaccinations each year as scheduled but today
when he had his DISTEMPER vaccination he nearly passed away. Him and
his two cage-mates (one of whom is his sister) had their distemper
today and on the way back from the vet he was panting and clawing at
the carrier. He is NOT a fan of car rides, so we chalked it up to that.
(he does usually cause a ruckus like that but this time it was worse.)
Towards the end of the trip home he calmed down and we thought that he
was falling asleep as he usually does when going to the vet. I took him
out of the carrier and he was limp. His eyes were half-open and he was
breathing rapidly and shallowly. I put a tad of ferretone on his belly
for cheering up (even though my heart was in my panties at this point)
he refused it and I KNEW that this was bad! I took him to a light and I
saw his nose was purple and completely out of it. He wouldn't move and
was limp in my arms. We rushed back to the vet and on the way he pooped
bloody stool all over himself and me. When we got there he was not even
lifting his head.

Thank GOD he is ok now after they did their magic on him. He is very
tired, and the injection site between his shoulders is huge and red.
He can't really walk but they say that's because he is sore from the
injections he has been given for emergency care. The diagnosis:
reaction to the distemper vaccine. Since he was with me he got this
shot twice and from his records he had it as a kit too. With no
reaction! He gets sleepy and sluggish for the day after but never
anything like this! They said that some people don't vaccinate their
ferts for distemper. I read ALL the articles I can find on ferret
health but I never read this fact. All I know is that distemper can
be contracted by un-vaccinated ferrets from all infected animals AND
from the clothes and shoes of owners carrying it in from the outside.
I know it is 100% fatal.

Has anyone had this before? who doesn't vaccinate their ferrets for
distemper? what should I do to protect him from that disease now that
we can't vaccinate him in the future? Please help! I am a first time
ferret owner but I have read many articles about them. To tell you the
truth I search your databases for the cancers and their symptoms, but
never thought to check for this. At this point I am so sick after this
scare that I cannot think. I hope this email made sense, and I am sorry
I have no energy to look in the database for this. Any help is
appreciated.

Thank you so much!

Sonia and Mac(the recuperating fert)

[Posted in FML 5784]