To Bryon Carmoney:
 
 
>What are the legalities for vaccinateing my own ferret?  I live in Kansas
>City Mo.  I have only given Shots to my horse, after being shown by a vet
>that is.  Or should I just leave this one for the vets?
 
        Well, no matter who gives the shots, all ferrets MUST be vaccinated
for distemper.  If you are going on the show circuit, I would hope that the
sponsors would require a vet's helath certificate and proof of vaccination.
As distemper is a subcutaneous vaccination, it's not too difficult to give.
 
    Concerning rabies - in the case of a bite incident, anything less than a
vet's certificate and tag is as good as nothing at all.  Not that the vet's
certificate is protective in many locales, but without it, you're sunk.
Also this is an intramuscular shot.  Now giving a shot to a horse is easy,
but a ferret is a little different.  If you go in the wrong place in the
leg, you stand an excellent chance of hitting the sciatic nerve, and then
you have permanent nerve damage.  Let a vet give this one, and while you're
there, have him/her give the distemper too.
 
Bruce Williams, DVM, DACVP                                   Dept. of
Veterinary Pathology
AccuPath
Armed Forces Institute of Pathology
[log in to unmask]  OR                                 Washington, D.C.
20306-6000
[log in to unmask]
(202) 782-2600
[Posted in FML issue 1263]