DISTEMPER:
Do not blame the Chicago show for the distemper problem.  THe ferrets in
question 'were' vaccinated by a vet AND appear to have been appropriately
vaccinated.  The timing is right for the infection to have occured in
Chicago but that is not a certainty.  Regardless vaccines are NOT 100%
successful.  They typically are (I believe) only around 85% effective.  If a
ferret gets a heavy exposure to Canine Distemper Virus there is a chance it
will get infected.  This applies to Fervac wwhich HAS been tested in
ferrets.  The effectiveness of the others such as Fromm-D and Galaxy-D is
certain to be no higher and possibly but not certainly lower.  The 85%
effective rate is for tested vaccines (I'm pretty sure I heard Imrab was 86%
effective in ferrets and 85% in dogs and have been told that other vaccines
fit in the same range, if some one KNOWS the correct figures I'm sure we'd
like to know for Fervac-D).  The judges at the ferret show who examined all
the shown ferrets did not see an animal that appeared sick.  The vet who did
the vet check did not see a sick ferret.  But a ferret could shed the virus
without showing any symptoms.  The virus in this case could also have come
from a sick dog at a interstate rest stop.  It is unknown.  No other
distemper cases have been reported ferrets that were at the Chicago show.
 
MINK & POLECATS:
Bob seems much more authoritative on the issue so I'm revising my
understanding of the domesticity and Mink issue.  The ones I've come
across are down right mean though.  But Polecats...  The closest wild
relative of the domestic ferret is the European polecat.  There are those
who cross breed ferrets and polecats - I'm staying out of this since I do
not want wild animal strains in my ferrets but this has gone on for many
years in England.  I understand that there are some of the differences
between ferrets and polecats that Bob discussed between ferrets and
polecats.  The polecats I've personally seen do appear differently around
the head and ears.
 
TEMPERATURE FOR FERRETS:
Ferrets actually thrive better at temperatures BELOW what is the normal room
temperature.  It is probably better to keep ferrets in rooms with lower
temperatures than people are comfortable in.  Ferrets can survive in the
warmer temperatures but are not as comfortable just as people can survive in
hundred degree farenheit (fifty something celcius?).  We keep our ferrets
cooler and have little problem with disease - fortunate maybe or possibly
we're taking a good approach.
 
bill and diane killian
zen and the art of ferrets
[Posted in FML issue 1382]