Hi everybody,
 
I am faced with somewhat of a problem right now in vaccinating my ferrets.
I have never had a problem vaccinating them against rabies before, or so I
thought.
 
I just started working at an Animal Clinic 6 months ago.  I recently
purchased the newest member of my family, Echo, a deaf chocolate blaze.
When I brought her to my clinic expecting her to be fully vaccinated, the
vet only gave her a canine distemper shot.  I asked about IMRAB3 and was
told they dont carry it because they dont use it often enough.  Apparantly
they tell their ferret clients that their ferrets dont need the rabies
vaccine.  I asked about ordering it and mentioned that I've never had a
problem vaccinating any of my babies before.  I was told that they can only
get IMRAB3 in 50 dose bottles and would only order it if I can find 20
ferrets to get the vaccine immediately to make up for the cost of ordering
it!!!
 
I then called the clinic I normally take my ferrets to for vaccines and
asked if they had the rabies vaccine I normally get.  They said yes and
proceded to tell me it was Desensor a KILLED vaccine!!  Am I wrong in my
information to think that ferrets need a LIVE modified virus from chick
embryos and that IMRAB3 is the only vaccine approved for ferrets???  I am so
confused and upset with the clinics here because I have been paying a lot of
money for vaccines over the past 4 years.
 
I live in Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada and if any of you have any
information you can pass along either about Desensor or how I may get IMRAB3
in this silly, uneducated town, I would really appreciate it.
 
If you would like to respond and help me out please e-mail me direct as I am
VERY behind with the FML.
 
[log in to unmask]
 
Elizabeth Sures
(Tyler, Kendall, Fuji, Echo, and Baby)
[Posted in FML issue 1796]