I want to thank everyone on the FML who has shared their stories of ferret
vacination reactions- they may have saved Pickles life!  On Monday, I hauled
all four ferrets in to the vet to get their rabies shots.  I stayed a half
hour after they were administered and thought I was in the clear.  I had
planned on going in to work, but I guess something told me that I shouldn't.
After, eating lunch, I went in to check on the ferrets.  Twinkie came
bounding towards me and Kat and Pretz seemed fine.  Pickle then came
sauntering towards me at a painfully slow pace.  He plopped down at my feet
in his usual "I want to be held pose." As I picked him up I noticed that he
did _not_ want to be held and was swallowing noisily and breathing rather
heavy.  I knew something was certainly wrong when he did not struggle when I
put him in the carrier- he just curled up and laid down.  The drive to the
vet was fortunently a short one and our vet saw him immediately.  She said
that he breathing was a little labored and gave him a shot of benedryl with a
steroid and told me to check on him the rest of the day.  Next year he will
get his shot with cortisone and if he still reacts, we will forgo the rabies
all together.  I thank God that I decided to stay home.  Pickle was doing
just fine this morning and eating like the little glutton he is.  From now on
I will make sure to schedule their shots when I know for certain I can have
the whole day off to monitor them.
 
Sometimes I feel as though I am becoming paranoid about all that can happen
to my little babies, but here is a great case where over caution paid off.
Thanks again.
 
Heather, Pickle, Kit Kat, Twinkie (with the still sad looking tail), and
Pretzel
[Posted in FML issue 1252]