Hi everyone!
 
Just a couple of responses for the last couple of days' worth of FMLs:
 
Michaelangelo and the reaction ferrets: Thank goodness you stayed at the
vet!  You may want to consider not giving the rabies and distemper
vaccinations at the same time.  It has been suggested that by doing so, you
may increase the chances for a reaction.  I highly recommend that next year,
you go to the vet, let them know ahead of time that Jedi had a problem last
year and to premedicate the ferret with either epiniphrine or benadryl, or
both.  Granted, I am not a vet, but this should do the trick....
 
Bob C: I am so sorry to hear about Razz.  The nicest thing that you could
have done, IMO, is exactly what you did -- let her go while surrounded by
familiar and loving surroundings.  How lucky she was!  My deepest
sympathies......
 
Rabies stats -- You can go to the CDC's website (I hope I remembered this
right!) at: www.cdc.org and you can request the rabies statistics for
yourself.  As far as I know, its free.  (They haven't charged me yet) I just
received the 1995 rabies stats for the US and it is broken down by area and
type of rabies, as well as giving the yearly stats for positive results for
rabies.  If anyone is interested, the VB dept of Health has released a new
video about Rabies for children.  It stars my two adorable boys, Yod He
Vawhe and Bruiser, as the ferrets.  It is put together well, and it refers
to ferrets as exotic pets -- not wild!  It lists quite a few species that
get rabies and instructs the children what to do -- leave wild animals
alone, don't pet strange animals, how to protect your neck from a dog
attack, etc.  Its a neat video for educating elementary school children.  If
interested, email me privately -- it costs $18.00 which includes S&H.
 
Aleutian Disease -- Shelly, I am sorry to hear that you may have been
exposed.  Yours is not a position I would want to find myself in.  I have
already sent you what I had on the disease, and I can only recommend trying
to find a lab that can perform the titre test to confirm aleutian.  Let me
know if I can be of any further help to you.  Good luck to you and your
ferrets!
 
Happy Ferreting!
 
Lisa
[Posted in FML issue 2073]