Dear Ferret Friends:
 
I want to tell you about a recent experience I had at the vet.  On Thursday
night I took my two girls Taylor and Dallas to the vet for their annual
checkup and shots.  Before meeting with the vet one of her techs came in
and did the temperature and weight things for my two girls and proceeded to
take out the vaccines (rabies and distemper).  I told him I didn't want my
one ferret Taylor to receive the rabies vaccine because she had an allergic
reaction last time.
 
BRIEF HISTORY - (Taylor had an allergic reaction last year to her vaccines.
In all the years she has been receiving her shots it was the first time she
ever had a reaction.  It was fairly mild, about 10 minutes after the shots
she started to scratch excessively.  I told the vet that something was
wrong and she was immediately given a shot of Benydril (SP?) I stayed at
the vets office another 1/2 hour and Taylor was fine.)
 
BACK TO STORY - so this "KID" went into this whole scenario about the
vaccine being the law and contracting rabies and what happens if the ferret
bites someone and how they use the brain tissue and what has to happen to
get the brain tissue yadda yadda yadda.  I told him that my girls don't go
outside, don't come in contact with any other animal that goes outside and
they do not come in contact with anyone other than my husband, myself and
my brother.  And I didn't care about the Law in PA since I was from Jersey.
And I still didn't want Taylor to get the shots.  My request was ignored.
 
A few minutes later the vet came in and checked and vaccinated Dallas
first.  Then she examined Taylor.  I mentioned to her about not wanting
Taylor to receive her shots.  She said that this time they would separate
them.  She would get the rabies tonight and then I would have to come back
in a few weeks for the distemper.  I thought about it and reluctantly kept
my mouth shot.  Taylor received her rabies vaccine.
 
Now I know from reading the FML that ferrets may have reactions to vaccines
and sometime during my years as a member I remember someone posting and
saying that you should wait at the vets office at least 1/2 hour after your
ferrets receive their shots...just in case there is a reaction or problem.
 
Thank god I waited!!  Within 15 minutes Taylor started vomiting.  I called
for the vet and they took her in the back.  (I had to stay in the waiting
area) After 45 agonizing minutes and no answers the vet came out and told
me Taylor was stable.  What do you mean stable?  Taylor had a full blown
reaction to her rabies shot.  Her temperature dropped to 85 degrees and her
heart stopped.  I don't remember everything the vet told me because I was
in shock at that point.  But this is what I remember they had her on a
heating pad, gave her a shot of Eppy (sp?), oxygen, gave her a shot of
benydril and had her on an IV.  I was also told I would have to wait.  The
vet told me she has never had a ferret react that seriously to a rabies
vaccine, normally a shot of benydril and they are better in a few minutes.
 
After she was stable I had to take her to an emergency clinic where they
would monitor overnight.  She made it through the night and the next day I
had to bring her back to the vet for more monitoring.  Her vital signs were
good, temperature, heart, eyes, and color of her gums and tongue.  She did
go to the bathroom that night and there was no blood in her stool.  She
still had her IV in and really was not eating on her own.  They were
semi-force feeding her baby food and she was keeping it down.  She spent
all day Friday at the vet for further monitoring and observation.
 
I brought Taylor home Friday night.  He was about 65 percent better.  I
think she was exhausted, after all she had been through so much.  She
wouldn't eat the baby food, so much for her taking it "willingly" at the
vets.  And she wouldn't drink.  So I settled on 8 raisins and 2 slices of
banana.  It was much for a 1.5 pound ferret but it was a start.  (I know
when I'm sick I don't want to eat either) But my major concern, was she
would dehydrate if I didn't keep fluids in her.  So I got up through the
night and checked on her.
 
I really can't tell if she is eating on her own at night while in the cage
because she is with Dallas but she is about 75% better then she was Friday.
(I contribute some of her progress to just being home in her own bed with
Dallas.  Taylor has never been away from home.)  She is still sleeping
alot, which I don't think is a bad thing, she needs her rest.  I check on
her often.  I had her out for about an hour this morning and she did eat
some totally ferret and did take some water.  She eat more banana slices,
raisins and I mixed some pedyilite with whip cream and ferratone together
for her.  She only ate it because of the ferratone.  (What a god sent
that stuff is!!)  We took her bandage from her IV off yesterday.  She was
extremely black and blue.  It appears she is leaving it alone and today it
looked a little better.  I have also been monitoring her stool.  She is
going but the amount is small.  And it is not her normal color but with the
weird stuff I've been giving her I really didn't expect it to be.
 
The purpose of this post is not to create a revolt against rabies vaccines
nor scare anyone.  It is just a reminder of what to look for.  How things
can change from a ferret never having a problem, to having a mild reaction
to having a full blown reaction causing the heart to stop.  Wait at least
1/2 hour before leaving the office after your ferrets have been vaccinated.
While your there "watch them"!!
 
Gina
[Posted in FML issue 2945]