Thank you all for my baby ferret's life.  I've read the FML for months and
have heard about other ferrets bad reactions to vaccines but I had never
experienced it until last night.
 
Snoopy went to the vet's for his 2nd distempter booster.  He was given the
Fort Dodge vaccine because I had heard about horrible reactions to Fervac.
After his shot he seemed fine and we went through the drivethrough at
McDonalds to get dinner.  As we were leaving I was telling him how good he'd
been when he started vomiting.  Luckily I had my cellular phone (never used,
only for emergencies) and I called the vet back.  She started telling me he
was probably nauseated from the car and to take him home but I remembered
the list and how vaccine reactions can quickly kill (THANK YOU BIG FOR
PROVIDING THIS WONDERFUL SERVICE AND THANK YOU TO ALL THE VETS, SHELTERS AND
LOVING OWNERS FOR SHARING YOUR EXPERIENCES) I told her I was worried and was
bringing him back.
 
In the car I believe he was unconscious for a few minutes and I was
panicking.  I ran back into the vet shouting "he's unconscious", plopped the
carrier on the table and looked down to his little face looking back up at
me "Well I think he was unconscious.  He was unresponsive to banging the
cage and me shaking his little leg".
 
To make a long story short he was given steroids, oxygen, fluids and
epinephrine.  He had bloody diarreah, he was sluggish, he just wasn't
himself.  They kept asking me was he himself.  I said if he's not destroying
the room then he doesn't feel good.  After an hour and a half she said I
should bring him home, page her with any questions or if anything changed
and limit food for a few hours.  He crawled into his hammock with Meeko and
Percy and they licked him while he slept.
 
This morning he is his jumping, foot attacking crazy self, playing with the
dog and all I can say is THANK YOU ALL!  Without the FML and the knowledge
I've received from you all I might have taken him home as she first
suggested and he most likely would be at the rainbow bridge right now.
 
Thank you.
 
Meeko, Percy and Snoopy's Mom
Melissa
 
›Moderator's note: It's nice to see a happy ending.  Given that nasty
vaccine reactions are are always a (slim) possibility and are by no means
limited only to ferrets I'm surprised at your vet's initial casual reaction.
 Or was that a receptionist attempting to give you medical advice?  (Hint)
BIG|
[Posted in FML issue 1690]