K. Fox wrote:
>>Other countries don't see the same high incidents of health related
>>problems in ferrets.  Gee, ya think something is wrong with this
>picture??
 
and Amy replied:
>Actually - they see a bit more than you think.  Australia, for instance,
>has seen adrenals and insulnimas.  I have seen several in my little =
>town.
>
>I have seen them and the owners and vets don't ANY idea what is wrong with
>them.  And some of them don't care.  Or they just crack them over the head
>and bury them in the back garden.  People overseas *do* desex at a later
>age and some vaccinate with canine 4-way shots.  How good is that?  That
>has FOUR other diseases in there that ferrets don't even get - one being
>parvo.  Harmless?  I think not.  Why not use just a distemper vaccine?
>Because most vets don't order them as dog people just do the 4-way.  Some
>vets won't special order them, either.  Other countries have their own
>problems.
 
Amy, I think the key words in Kim's post were "high incidents".  You lived
in Australia for only a very short time, chose to associate with a ferret
club and vets who are less than knowledgeable and, it appears met the
very dregs of ferret owners.  Of course Australia has seen adrenals and
insulinoms; but seldom, and rarely in young ferrets.  Like any country,
there are vets who chose not to learn about ferrets and then there are our
angel vets who keep right up there with the latest knowledge.  Didn't you
care to meet any of them?  There are ferret owners who barely understand
what a ferret is and don't want to learn, but most delight in learning
all they can about (and from) their ferrets.  Same as in any society.
 
Canine 3 and 4-way shots have been used by the West Australian Ferret &
Ferreting Society for our twice yearly group immunisation days over the
last 10 years involving over 2,000 ferrets.  Never once have we had an
adverse reaction or imminisation failure, so there is no way that we
consider the practice harmful in any way.  Because of this, we actively
work to prevent a "ferret" vaccine being brought in from overseas.  "If
it's not broken, don't fix it."  We don't need the adverse reactions to
immunisations which are seen in other countries.
 
Getting off my high horse now :-)
 
Love & Dooks
Shirley
[Posted in FML issue 3841]