I am trying to hard to not cry about Sampson and his four kisses that my
mandible is shaking and my lip bleeding.  So sorry, Ron.
 
Daisy and Charlie and Bugsy, too.  This is such a sad day.  Steve and I
are thinking of all of you.
 
We typically vaccinate except in a ferret which had had a reaction; then
we make a judgement call of whether to try a different vaccine or stop
vaccinating.
 
Something to discuss with your vet.  Last year or earlier this year
(guessing) there was a post that a large mid-west club was keeping track of
reaction rates and they found that the rate went WAY down when the vaccine
came directly from the manufacturer rather than through a distributor --
with the resulting question of whether some distributors may be mishandling
vaccines and somehow contributing to rates.
 
Reactions actually tend to be quite rare, but are certainly serious enough
that I think many will heave a sigh of relief when the Merial Recombitek
vaccine is studied enough to release.
 
Re: The "rights" release and earlier ones elsewhere: Yes, you raise fine
points.  Also, you said
 
>I also am concerned that some well meaning person or group will someday
>release a lab animal into the wild that is infected with a contagious
>disease
 
There is the problem also that we don't not know how some of the diseases
ferrets get might affect wild communities when ones are released or
contagious ones wander off.  What might ECE or ADV do to pine martins,
fishers, wild mink, or otters, for instance.  Not an NZ situation, but
here...
 
>Most of the general public considers this sort of act to be a form of
>terrorism, I consider it ABUSE.
 
Bravo for hitting the nail squarely on the head!
[Posted in FML issue 3127]