To the poster that asked if there has ever been a case of canine
distemper virus in ferrets - I can tell you from personal experience
that yes, ferrets do indeed contract distemper.
 
I run a shelter and back in 1996, I had distemper brought into the
shelter by another ferret.  Over the course of a few weeks, that ferret
and 4 others died from this horrible, preventable disease.
 
In 2001, there was a serious outbreak of distemper in NJ that in one
household, they lost 18 of 31 ferrets to canine distemper.  Some of
these ferrets had no vaccination history; others were very young with no
strong history of vaccination.  My personal experience has shown that
those younger ferrets without a solid history of vaccination are most
vulnerable to contracting the virus.
 
Most animal control agencies in your area will be able to tell you if
distemper is prevalent in your area.
 
You are much more likely to hear of someone having a reaction to the CDV
shot than not having a problem.  Most won't post "I had all my ferrets
into the vet this year and did not have any reactions!"  I know that
since 1993, I have vaccinated over 1,000 ferrets (most with the series
of 2 shots) and I average about 2 reactions a year to the vaccine.  And
yes, I use Fervac-D.
 
Lisa Leidig, Head Ferret
Shelter Wench in good standing
The Ferret Haven "By-the-Sea"
www.ferrethaven.org
[Posted in FML issue 4618]