It is not unusual for a shot to leave a bump, and that's nothing to worry
about.  Reactions looking as if there is mild illness are also not bad, in
fact, they can be very good because they can mean that the immune system has
been forced to respond to the vaccine and immunity is being built well.  DO
expect things such as tiredness.
 
Always stay in the waiting room at least 30 minutes after a vaccination just
in case, and ask your vet what to look for as problem signs and what to
ignore as normal.  If your vet okays it give about 0.125 ml of Benadryl
elixir about thirty minutes before the shot, and be sure that your vet has
epinephrine, antihistamines, steroids, and an oxygen chamber chamber handy
in case.  Severe reactions are RARE, but your ferret might need everything
when they happen as Meltdown did.
 
Problems: collapse, trouble breathing, sudden and profuse diarhea, sometimes
vomiting (at other times this may not be a problem so speak with your vet if
it happens), mucus membrane swelling, and other signs of anaphalatic shock.
We're not talking tiredness, but passing out, semi-consciousness, failure to
waken when you try everything, and so on.  Anaphalaxia in people can take a
while to present sometimes though it still can kill very fast once it does,
or can happen so rapidly that treatment is impossible to get in time even if
the person is personally carrying an Epipen, Benedryl, and Pred.  I do NOT
know what the longest general time frame seen for this in ferret is but the
two of our's who almost died of this (Meltdown and Ruffle) reacted in
Meltdown's case within the first several minutes, and in Ruffle's case in
about 15 minutes.
 
Hope this helps clarify.  Speak with your vet (general advice for all in any
applicable situation).  Folks should NOT be worrying about responses which
are either good or benign; that could lead to not giving the shots and the
results then vary from some tiny, tiny (vague but can happen if a ferret is
lucky and also gets incredibly good and very long-term nursing care) chance
of survival IF there is still trace immunity from earlier shots, to the
usuals of dying a horrible death or having a mercy shot.  (BTW, there have
been some recent reports that some N.E.  ferrets were instead given a
homeopathic "vaccine" but that the vaccine does not work and deaths from
distemper have resulted.)
 
Sukie
[Posted in FML issue 2031]