I have a question for our resident doctors, and other knowledgeable
people.  I just got a call from one of our club members.  She just
took her healthy ferrets (she is a VERY good owner, and knows her
animals well) to the vets for their distemper shots.  Within about
15 minutes, the little boy was slipping into shock, completely
limp.  Barely reacting to any stimulus at all.  They were able
to pull him out with a shot of dexa(something) (2nd hand story,
sorry I don't know the name).  And she thinks he may have gotten
a shot of something else.  The vet decided to keep him for a while,
and a while later he had a bout of bloody diarrhea.
 
Now, the vet is claiming that the little boy had some preexisting
intestinal problem, and doesn't think it's an allergic reaction.
Lorraine, as I said before, is a great owner, and knows her
animals well.  She also knows never to take an unhealthy animal
for vaccinations.  She keeps an eye on the litterboxes, and double
checked everywhere afterwards, there was no sign of any problems
prior to the vet visit.  My question, is this a reasonable reaction
symptom to a vaccine?  It seems to me that it would be, since his
body was under extreme stress.  But I wanted to get some other
opinions.
 
Another thing to consider, this little boy is sort of a "fragile"
ferret.  He's always very skinny and very finicky.  Maybe he just
has a weak digestive system, and this aggrivated it?  (although I
*STILL* think it was an allergic reaction, even if that is the
case)
 
BTW, he's doing much better.  She's having to entice him to drink, and
he hasn't eaten very much.  But he seems to be pulling through it.
 
While we're on the subject, all the information I've seen claims that
Fervac has the same rate of allergic reactions as Imrab.  But, it
seems like the only reactions I personally hear about were Fervac.
What are the opinions from our vets?  People who run shelters or have
a wide experience vaccinating a lot of animals are encouraged to
reply too.
 
I do know that I have a house rule.  I am NEVER going to give any furries
vaccinations during times when vets aren't open!!!
 
OK, one more question...  ;)  One of the more ferret-knowledgeable
vets that she has talked to recommends that in the future they bring
him in, give him allergy medication, then administer the shot and
observe him for an hour or so.  Does this sound like a good plan?
Or, do you think future vaccinations are more risky than the threat
of the virus, and they should just take their chances?  (this ferret
lives in a house with one other ferret, a (vaccinated) dog, and 2
children who could easily play with an infected animal and bring
the virus home.)
 
Another item of interest, the ferret showed no adverse reaction
a year ago.  However, that could have been his first vaccination,
as he was a shelter ferret.  Are vaccines something that the body
can get sensitized to?
 
Thanks!!
 
- Nancy
 
Nancy Hartman                             Internet - [log in to unmask]
President, Delaware Valley Ferret Club | CIS Grad Student, U. of Delaware
 ***  Caregiver to Percy, Bree, Popcorn, & Scuttlebutt the ferrets  ***
  "We can judge the heart of a man by his treatment of animals" - Kant
 
[Posted in FML issue 0777]