Just my .02 on the subject of giving your own Fervac.
As a shelter operator for the last 5 years my husband & I give our own
distemper vacs. to our charges. It is the only way we can afford it, thank
goodness I'm in a state where I don't have to go the vet every time I need
one. It is the cheapest way to go for anyone. We have given over 900
vaccines in the last 5 years, so we are not novices. I as well give
vaccines to my dog & cats.
However, I have learned from experience with Fervac (I used to use Fromm-D
until it changed to Galaxy-D) that I would NEVER EVER give a Fervac vaccine
without being prepared for a reaction. We pre-treat all our ferrets with
.5 ml children's benadryl a half hour before giving the vacs. No, it won't
stop a reaction but could potentially lessen the severity of such per my
veterinarian. We keep Epinephrine (sp?) on hand at ALL TIMES following
giving any Fervacs, and in some instances that is still not enough, so we
got another drug from the vet to use only in extreme circumstances (I don't
have it in front of me, I can't remember what it's called). Believe me, if
you ever experience a SEVERE reaction with one of your ferrets to Fervac, it
will scare the living daylights out of you, as it did to us. I'm not
talking just a little dry heeving, vomiting or passing of a stool, I'm
talking total collapse, eyes set without responsiveness at all, vomiting out
one end & passing large amounts of PURE BLOOD out the other (not just once,
but 4 times in 45 mins). This was even after having been given the maximum
dose of epinephrine allowed for her size. Her breathing went from extremely
fast to next to nothing in a matter of about 4 mins. She went from
physically running at the onset of the reaction to complete collapse in that
same 4 mins. She lay there defecating blood uncontrollably & vomiting, then
rolled on her side & lay there helpless, not responding to me in any way,
even when I picked her up & wrapped her in a small towel, I saw no sign of
life. It reminded me of when I held another ferret of mine during his last
moments of life, the "light" in the eyes was gone. I thought my dearest
friend was passing to the other side. I have never been so scared in all my
life. She was one of my own ferrets, not a rescue, & had been given Fervac
twice before in her life, with not even a hint of a reaction. And the same
lot # of vaccine did not cause any other reactions in any of my other
ferrets, & I had a total of 40 vaccines of the same lot. Yes, she did live
through her ordeal, but what a horrible experience for all of us.
I didn't write this to scare anyone, just to get the message across so you
can be prepared if it happens to you. This was the worst reaction I've ever
been a party to. None of the other reactions ever escalated to this type of
severity. Out of the 900+ vaccines we've given, all reactions were to
Fervac. I never had a reaction to even one Fromm-D. We have had a total of
10 reactions altogether since switching to Fervac in 1994, & we do report
each & every one to the vaccine manufacturer & the FDA/USP statistical
reporting program. Please remember to report any & all vac. reactions to
the USP @ 1-(800) 487-7776. Improvements to the vaccines can't be made if
the manufacturer is not aware that there is a problem. So it does matter.
You or your vet can report a reaction.
Just remember, the message here is simple, better safe than sorry. And if
you think it can't happen to you, think again, I thought that once too.
Even if you only give one Fervac a year, yours could be the one who has a
reaction. I'm an advocate of self-vaccinating just like the next person,
I'M NOT FLAMING ANYONE, but just don't buy a Fervac, needle & syringe & go
give Muffin or Bandit their shot without being prepared. Yes, it is much
cheaper than the vet, but may or may not be best for you & yours. And even
if you get your shot at the vet office, it is a good idea to "hang out"
there for about a half hour or so after your ferret has had it's vac., as
all the reactions we have experienced have occured within the first 20 mins.
following injection (I know it can happen after that too, but this is just
my experience).
If this message helps even one fuzzy & their owner, I didn't write in vain.
Thanks for reading...
Sincerely - Fran & the Fuzzies in PA
[Posted in FML issue 1839]
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