LIVE canine distemper culture?  Get your ferrets to a ferret-knowledgable
vet IMMEDIATELY!!!!!  Drive any distance you have to.  Contact Pam Troutman
at [log in to unmask] if you don't know of any AND TELL HER WHERE YOU LIVE
and that this is an EMERGENCY so that she can get you in touch with a known
ferret-treating vet in your area or a club or shelter where people will know
of some.  If you are WAY out in the sticks and absolutely can't travel have
your VET call (removed here -- but in direct post which will hopefully reach
Laurel fast) to reach Hanan Caine who managed to save some ferrets which had
partial immunity from expired shots when they got canine distemper after a
holistic vet in another practise mistreated them.  The other vets there can
look up the file for the supportive care information for when/if that is
needed.  If you heard your vet right and live culture was used with the
result that your ferrets have CD, and your ferrets do not have a lot of
resistence left from last year's shots you have a MAJOR nursing job in front
of you, and you must update the shots of any other animal in your house
which can get canine distemper, and NEVER expose ANY other ferrets to your
ferrets, and take further precautions for an extended time even if they
don't make it.
 
I seriously hope that the symptoms you are seeing are not distemper, but one
week post-injection with live culture you are seeing sudden massive hair
loss of half the trunk fur and that's a huge change even though it's not in
the list of common CD symptoms which I have.  Fortunately, you are seeing
dark hairs underneath and the animals are still going strong so I HOPE THAT
YOU MISUNDERSTOOD OR THAT THE VET JUST MISPOKE, OR THAT ENOUGH RESISTANCE IS
STILL PRESENT FROM LAST YEAR'S SHOTS.
 
Are you seeing anything else strange: crusty eyes, chin or anus, pad sores
or crusty pads, neurological changes, behavior changes, refusal to eat,
coughing are all things seen with CD.  Shedding of the virus (becoming
contagious to other animals) begins at about 7 days after exposure so your
ferrets may be a danger to other animals.
 
This is something you MUST jump fast if it is CD for if your animals are to
have a chance, though most die with it.
 
First things are to call your vet and find out from the files written down
WHAT TYPE OF VACCINE was given and what amount, and to get some vet leads
from Pam Troutman.
 
Sukie
[Posted in FML issue 2213]