There was a post yesterday that described a horrible and frightening
reaction to the rabies vaccine, the person made the decision not to
risk another life-threatening reaction due to the rabies vaccine.
Rational decision! I am only recently part of this group and have not
seen any comments pro/against the 'distemper' vaccine, which also can
have life-threatening side effects. Forgive me if this has already
been covered, but I think its valuable for people to be aware of the
clinical trial the 'Distemper Titre Study' - that is being run by Dr.
Ruth Heller, DVM. The study is looking at determining whether ferrets
remain protected against distemper one, two or three years out from
their most recent vaccination. The reason this study is being run is
because Dr. Heller believes that ferrets may remain protected for a
longer period than currently believed and therefore, may not require
annual vaccinations. Hence, reduce the risk of a bad reaction to the
vaccine. She apparently has lost 2 due to vaccination reaction

For more information on the details of the study - information can be
found on the AFA website at:
http://www.ferret.org/news/07-april-titer_study.shtm

And for everybody's information, another plug for the value of
homeopathy - Homeopathic Thuya 30C given immediately after a
vaccination will neutralize all negative side effects of an
immunization.

I've used it on myself whenever I get a flu shot and my daughter has
used it on my grandson since infancy following a vaccination. Only
once she forgot it at home and had a screaming toddler on her hands
until she gave him the Thuya when they got home. He was on a roll,
but stopped crying as soon as mom gave him the Thuya.

Still - if I had to choose, I'd forgo the vaccinations altogether for
my fuzzies. After much discussion, weighing pros and cons, both my
conventional primary veterinarian and my homeopathic veterinarian
agree.

Of note, in Canada both the rabies and/or distemper vaccinations
are considered good for 36 months, although some veterinarians may
vaccinate more often, most stick to the every 3 years - if given.

Tressie A. Dutchyn, MA
ID PhD student, Dalhousie University Research Associate
Atlantic Interdisciplinary Research Network for Social & Behavioral
Issues in Hepatitis C & HIV/AIDS 
Department of Community Health & Epidemiology
Dalhousie University, Faculty of Medicine

[Posted in FML 5771]