Sukie wrote:
>at least one had been made afraid of vaccines from reading things
>without bearing on ferrets from rumors or from others' voiced concerns.
 
I just want to comment on this particular topic.  Most of us know by now
that no vaccine is 100% safe for 100% of those vaccinated (any vaccine,
any animal, including humans).  There will be vaccine reactions, both
mild and severe.  Some animals (humans, too) die from vaccinations.
 
However, ALL ferrets die from canine distemper.  ALL animals die from
rabies.
 
Benjamin Franklin was a critic of variolation (a method of inoculation
prior to development of an actual vaccine) for smallpox until his son
died of smallpox at the age of 8.  He then became among the strongest
proponents of vaccination.  For the rest of his life he regretted not
taking the chance of inoculating his son.  He said that it is far better
to chance a possible adverse reaction than to have to live with the
knowledge that you could have prevented the illness.  (Wish I could find
the direct quote, but Eric's asleep and he's the one who read the book.)
 
That's exactly what I think of ferret vaccinations.  Even under the
current circumstances, where we are vaccinating yearly because there
simply aren't data for vaccine protection lasting beyond a year; even
after having ferrets have severe vaccine reactions -- I will always
vaccinate my ferrets.
 
RABIES VAX IN NY STATE
 
On another note: I don't know if anyone here mentioned this (I wasn't
reading the FML at that time), but it bears repeating even if it was
mentioned.  It is now mandatory for ferrets (as well as dogs and cats) in
New York State to be vaccinated against rabies.  The age for vaccination
is in accordance with the vaccine protocol.
 
--Mary & the Fuzzies
 
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Mary R. Shefferman, Editor, Modern Ferret Magazine
Trixie, Koosh, & Gabby, The Modern Ferrets
Read my blog --
http://www.modernferretblog.com/mary
[Posted in FML issue 4110]