>Subject: Attention Arkansas ferret owners!
>I have been told by one of my vets here that it is illegal to vaccinate
>ferrets for rabies; even with Imrab3.
 
I doubt it's out and out illegal to vaccinate ferrets against rabies in
*any* state!  But in quite a few states, and Arkansas may be one of them
(see the lists below), rabies vaccines may ONLY be administered by a
licensed vet.  In many states it is illegal for the vaccine to be shipped to
individuals for home (or shelter) vaccination.  If it is not illegal, it may
not be recognized if not done by a vet.  Some vet supply catalogs list the
states prohibiting shipment of rabies vaccine, but note that because laws
change the lists are not always up to date and folks should contact their
state/local health depts if interested in home vaccination.
 
FWIW, I believe this is more prevalent in areas where rabies is a serious
problem.  It makes sense, if the law says that pets MUST be vaccinated, to
control the ability to vaccinate so people don't say (after a bite
incident), "Oh, I vaccinated him myself."  IMO, states that have laws
mandating rabies vaccination of pets are not likely to let owners (or
shelters) do it themselves.  (And without even looking it wouldn't surprise
me at all if the same laws mandating vaccination also were the ones saying
it has to be done by a licensed vet.  Makes sense, right?)
 
Jeffers lists the following states as prohibited in their Fall 97 catalog.
AK, AL, CA, CT, GA, IL, IN, KS, MD, ME, MN, MS, MT, NC, ND, NV, NJ, NM, NY,
OR, PA, RI, SC, SD, TX, UT, WA, WV, WY.
 
KV Vet Supply 1997 master catalog lists the following states as prohibited.
AK, AL, AR, CA, CT, GA, HI, IL, IN, KS, MD, ME, MI, MN, MT, NE,NC, ND, NV,
NJ, NM, NY, OR, PA, RI, SC, TX, UT,VA, WA,WI, WV, WY.
 
Heads up for 1998!!
================
Now that the new Compendium is out it, look out everyone who lives in an
area where vaccination of dogs and/or cats for rabies was mandetory but
ferret vaccination was not.  States who are working the changes into their
protocols may make ferret rabies mandetory where it was not before.  (Note:
that's my opinion only, not anything I have heard.)  If you live in a state
where ferret vaccination was not mandetory before you might want to check
and see if that has changed.
 
-Ilena Ayala
[Posted in FML issue 2186]