>... My point is that relatively few people think vaccines are bad, per
>se. It's a question of when too much of a good thing is bad! :-). BIG

GREAT summary, Bill!

Because it is not possible to generalize across vaccines, diseases, or
species it is very important to do the needed research so that we can
find if HEALTHY ferrets should have canine distemper vaccines every
year, every 18 months, every 2 years, every 3 years or what.

The first step for that is to get a wide sampling of canine distemper
vaccine titer numbers.

After that is done then a small set of challenge tests will determine
just what the titer numbers mean. At what point FOR FERRETS are the
titers too low to provide protection? After what length of time do
those titer numbers usually occur which cease reflecting enough
protection? That will give the safest USUAL vaccine timing for HEALTHY
ferrets.

At this point there is work under way to get the first set of data.

Go HERE:

http://www.ferret.org/news/07-april-titer_study.shtm

for the papers to give to your vets and to learn what work you can
have done to help increase the foundation of information or otherwise
help. So many worry about vaccines but have insufficient info to make
ferret-knowledgeable choices; this is the perfect time for them and
others to help ferrets.

That info applies to canine distemper vaccines.

Time for people to put their titers and their wallets where their
mouths are. Luckily, with ferret people that is usually what folks do.

Now, the chances of later finding out if we can go longer safely
between rabies vaccines will be harder. Titers were not considered
reliable for rabies vaccines in the things I read last year. Also,
rabies is a zoonotic disease. Yes, the work can be done later. It
would involve having laboratories with ferrets who have documented and
carefully controlled dates of vaccination kept in at least one of the
few specialized laboratories that are certified to work with rabies
for later disease challenges.

Luckily, the vast majority of ferrets who react to vaccines do so for
the canine distemper vaccines, a less complicated process.

Sukie (not a vet)

Recommended ferret health links:
http://pets.groups.yahoo.com/group/ferrethealth/
http://ferrethealth.org/archive/
http://www.afip.org/ferrets/index.html
http://www.miamiferret.org/fhc/
http://www.ferretcongress.org/
http://www.trifl.org/index.shtml
http://homepage.mac.com/sukie/sukiesferretlinks.html

[Posted in FML 5706]