Hi, All!
 
I just wanted to add my couple of cents regarding vaccinations and
ferrets.
 
My wife (hi, Kim!) posted several issues ago about our oldest ferret,
Squirt, having an almost deadly reaction to rabies vaccinations two
years in a row.  From now on he will not be getting vaccinated
against rabies.  (I won't repeat the case history again here).
 
I am sad about this because Squirt as always been a fantastic ferret
amassador whenever we took him out and about and people met him.  He
has always been kind and gentle and eager to meet anyone and anything
new.  Everyone he's met has just loved him!  However, I am now afraid
that if any bite incident ever takes place he will no longer have
the legal benefit of a history of being vaccinated against
rabies -- often good for a stay of execution for ferrets in New
York.  I am torn between letting Squirt continue his good work as a
ferret poster child and protecting him from possible legal harm (no
matter how small the chance of an actual bite incident).
 
Squirt will continue to be vaccinated against canine distemper, and
our other fuzzie, Pippi, having shown no history of problems with
vaccinations, will continue to be vaccinated for both canine distemper
and rabies.
 
I would urge every ferret owner to protect their fuzzie's health
by vaccinating regularly!  And, if you're worried about possible
reactions, just stick around the vet's office for 1/2 an hour
after the vaccination to make sure everything is okay -- we did.
 
Happiness to all fuzzies and their big, clumsy humans!
 
Mike and Kim Burkard
Squirt - is that *cantalope* I smell?
Pippi  - still the Dash-and-Cache Champion!
 
Michael C. Burkard        |              _     Dancing Dookers
Xerox, Rochester, NY USA  |       _____C .._.  Delightfully Digging!
[log in to unmask]     |  ____/     \___/   Feisty Fuzzies in a
Everything is my opinion. | <____/\_---\_\     Frenzied Frollick!
[Posted in FML issue 1098]