Dear Georgia:
 
>There was a recent announcement about the Giardia vaccine now available
>for canine use.  Has anyone heard if there is a ferret version, or if
>what is being used for dogs is not species specific?
 
Yes, Fort Dodge has come out with a giardia vaccine for dogs.  However, it
is not marketing it as necessary for all dogs - but primarily for dogs who
have possible exposure to Giardia - outdoor dogs, water dogs, etc.
Miniature poodles need not apply.
 
I have not even heard of anyone using this for ferrets.  There are a couple
of reasons -
 
1) there really is no concrete proof that Giardia causes a problem in
ferrets.  Many healthy ferrets are found to have Giardia - however, we tend
to do a lot of fecals on ferrets with diarrhea rather than on the healthy
ones, so we tend to FIND it more often in diarrheic ferrets.
 
2) Ferrets don't tend to be around places where Giardia is a problem -
where it is shed by wildlife or food animals.  Except for an owner I
consulted with several years ago whose ferrets loved to drink out of the
fish tank (fish also can carry this parasite.)
 
Finally 3) We know that ferrets tend to react badly to certain vaccines -
especially Fervac.  I don't think that I would recommend giving this one
a try for the low risk of developing clinical giardiasis in most ferrets.
If you have a case, better to treat for it - it is readily treated with
Flagyl, and then your ferret is probably at a low risk for contracting it
again.
 
With kindest regards,
Bruce Williams, DVM
 
P.S. If anyone has tried it, (and probably some have) - let us know...
(but I'm not even considering it for my ferrets.)
[Posted in FML issue 3279]