According to [log in to unmask] (Bruce Williams, DVM):
 
>       Canine hepatitis and leptospirosis are often given in the same vaccine
>as canine distemper (and canine influenza).  Generally it's a five- or six way
>shot.  While there really is no benefit from this vaccine, there is generally
>no harm, either.
>
>       As far as feline distemper goes, while ferrets can contract this virus,
>it doesn't cause clinical disease in the ferret, hence, vaccination is not
>necessary.
 
Thanks, Dr. Williams. I'll ask if he's doing the multiple vaccines in one
deal, and if so stick with it. And I'll ask him to discontinue the feline
distemper.
 
>       And as far as rabies goes, rabies is rabies, regardless of a label of
>"feline rabies" or "canine rabies", it's the same shot.
>
>[I think you may want to say is that "feline rabies" just means rabies in
>a cat, and "canine rabies" just means rabies in a dog.  What you probably
>*do* want to ensure is that the vaccine is the one *approved* for ferrets
>for possibly legal implications.  Most of the others will probably work just
>as well, but they've not been approved for ferrets.  And one or two of the
>other vaccines *may* have caused rabies in a ferret, according to a report
>or two that I've heard of.]
 
Actually Chris (I assume you added the part in brackets), the vaccines my
vet uses are killed rather than modified-live, and are not of ferret tissue
origin, and so they should be safe for ferrets. And while IMRAB is approved
for use in ferrets by the USDA, I'm not sure how much weight that carries
up here in Canada, or if we have a similar department (Agriculture Canada?)
which may or may not have approved this or some other vaccine for ferrets.
Maybe I'll give AgCan a call and see what they have to say. In fact, I think
I'll call them right now...
 
Well, the AgCan vet said there are *several* rabies vaccines registered for
use in ferrets here in Canada, including IMRAB. As long as my vet uses a
registered one it should carry as much weight legally as IMRAB. I'll ask
him about that tomorrow. Hmm... though I suppose *if* I ever take my ferrets
to the States, and *if* one of them bites someone, IMRAB may serve me better
there.
 
John, Buddy, and Cassidy
Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada
 
P.S. I added the second line to my sig since email addresses often give
     no clue as to the geographical location of a poster. I hope others
     will do the same, so we all get a better idea where we're all at :)
 
P.P.S. For those of you without a map handy, Regina's about 100 miles
       north of the Montana/North Dakota border.
 
[Posted in FML issue 0827]