To Pat Martin:
 
>I am confused regarding what are safe distemper vacs and what are unsafe
>vacs.  I know FERVAC is safe, and I believe that FROMM-D is safe, however it
>seems that with the later there has been controvery over side effects (?).
 
       Yes, Pat - there are occasional side effects with FerVac, but there are
also side effects with the other vaccines, and any vaccine in any species can
result in side effects.  Best bet - block out a full half hour at the vets so
you can get the shot and wait around to see if there are any ill effects.
 Remember - probably 1-10,000 animals are vaccinated for every ill effect.
 I've still never seen one face to face.....
 
 >What I want to know is if modified live canine distemper vacs are safe in
>ferrets??
 
       No.  Only killed products should be used in ferrets.  There is a small
chance that modified live vaccines can revert to pathogenic strains of
distemper in the ferret, and for this reason, they are not (and should not) be
used.
 
 >Further, what are vacs that are dangerous?
Any vaccine that was grown in ferret cell cultures - it will say in the
package insert - may be hazardous to ferrets.  It is fairly rare to find one
of these nowadays in the U.S., but you can still find them overseas, and maybe
some of the cheaper supply houses in the U.S.  may still carry some.
 
--
Bruce Williams, DVM, DACVP              Department of Veterinary Pathology
[log in to unmask]               Armed Forces Institute of Pathology
[log in to unmask]             Washington, D.C.  20306-6000
(202) 782-2600/2602
[Posted in FML issue 1161]