This question is directed at Dr. Williams....
 
There has been a discussion on pre treating ferrets before their distemper
shots and in that discussion a comment was made to the effect that if
a ferret is pretreated with an antihistamine, the effectiveness of the
distemper shot would be decreased, due to the body setting up its defenses
via the antihistamine.  The exact statement follows:
 
>In general, pre treating reduces immune response, thus reducing the
>effectiveness of the vaccine, or causing a harm.
 
This is a clarification of that statement:
 
>Certain drugs, such as corticosteroids, are known to adversely affect
>titers in study animals, sometimes leading to infection.
>
> MMWR Vol. 45 / No. RR-12, p. 18
>
>W/ other drugs, effects are suspected but unknown/unproven, and for this
>reason only healthy animals are used in studies, w/ no pre-treatment or
>other variables allowed.  Thus, animals pretreated in the field are not
>following vaccination protocol and the results of the efficacy study do
>not apply to them.
>
>My sources for the paragraph above are conversations w/ Charles Rupprecht,
>John Krebs and Michael Niesgoda at the CDC, and Jeannine Gilbert at then
>Rhone-Merieux.
 
What is your opinions or medical facts regarding this seemingly good
information?  Does it really apply to pre treating to prevent a possible
reaction?  And, I suppose this also leads into, What is your take on pre
treating ferrets in general before a distemper vaccination, even if they
have never shown any sign of reacting in past shots?
 
Dr. Williams, this is a real situation out here in the ferret world.  More
and more, our gentle readers are really starting to question whether or not
to vaccinate against distemper out of fear of reaction..even though they
know that if their ferret gets distemper, it is 99.9% fatal.  As a local
vet has stated, we ferret owners are damned if we do, and damned if we
don't.  Not a pleasant spot to be in.
 
For Our Ferrets
 
MC, The Rude One
(With Snorkle, Tuzigoot, and Bancho.  In spirit, Bubba, Billy-Bob, and
Garret)
[Posted in FML issue 3239]