Well.  What a harrowing experience we had this evening!  We took the entire
gang (four) in for their yearly shots.  We decided to switch from Fervac to
Galaxy-D after reports that there is a small chance Fervac can actually
*give* distemper, and because Galaxy-D is supposed to be *less* likely to
cause a reaction.  Hah.
 
Xena has gotten Fervac before.  This time she was given Galaxy-D.  She was
the second to get her check-up and shots, and then we put her back in the
carrier.  We went through another check-up and shots, and all was well.
Xena was *fine*.  Then midway through the fourth and last check-up/shot
combo, our vet suddenly said, "Xena's vomiting!" We yanked her out of the
carrier and she was a dark royal BLUE and barely breathing!  They rushed
her into the back room and gave her epinephrine, oxygen, steroids, an
antihistamine, and another drug for her stomach (she'd had the wonderful
vomiting/diahhrea combo so indicative of a vac. reaction).
 
She stayed on oxygen for a good while and slowly began to come out of it.
She had one more vomiting/diahhrea bout and would cycle between being alert
and being very "dopey." Gradually, she got better, until finally she was
pretty much back to her old self and the dopiness went away completely.
 
The vet had wanted to keep her in an oxygen cage overnight, but she was
concerned because there wasn't going to be anyone there to watch her should
things take a turn for the worse.  So she sent us home with a pre-filled
epi syringe and instructions to call right away if we had to use it.
 
Right now, the little weasel girl is sleeping peacefully, curled up in a
tight little ball in her hammie.  *I*, on the other hand, am a wreck.  I'm
going to keep a *close* watch on her tonight -- lucky it's Friday night and
I can sleep in tomorrow, huh?  :(
 
The vet said this is the very first severe ferret reaction they've ever had
to deal with.  Does anyone know much about Galaxy-D?  Why did this happen?
We are all so flabbergasted -- it just happened out of nowhere in the span
of less than a minute!
 
-Tasha
[Posted in FML issue 2457]