Ed Fitler <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
>Now, for the decision do I or, don't I ????  I don't want this to
>turn into a flaming or slandering topic.  But, after what I have seen
>today.  I will definitely give second thoughts to distemper vaccination.
>I will let you all know the result in the next day or two.
 
First off -- I hope that little Deja Vu comes through all right.  I know
the horror of severe vaccine reactions first-hand, too.  At that time,
there was only one USDA-approved distemper vaccine for ferrets --
Fervac-D.  So it was a great dilemma: Do I or don't I?  The ferret who
reacted, Knuks, was one of our dearest babies.  A tiny dark-eyed white
who loved *everyone*.  She had Eric thoroughly wrapped around her little
paw.  But I still couldn't see not vaccinating her the following year --
she went to shows and education days (she was our *best* education
ferret -- 100% baby-safe), and there was too much of a risk for exposure
to CDV.  The following year, we pre-treated her and stayed at the vet's
for about an hour and a half.  There was no reaction.
 
HOWEVER -- now you have a choice!  Merial's Purevax CDV vaccine is
also approved for use in ferrets by the USDA.  So, before you withhold
vaccinations for this little baby, you owe it to her to use a different
vaccine (or, if you used the Merial vaccine this time, try the Fervac --
or even use Galaxy-D, not USDA-approved, but widely used in ferrets for
a good number of years now).  There are options other than simply not
vaccinating.
 
Watching a ferret endure a severe vaccine reaction is heart-wrenching.
Our Knuks's skin turned brick-red and she had bloody diarrhea -- the
whole nine yards.  When our vet finally pulled her out of it (she started
coming around about an hour and a half later), all she wanted to do was
be held.  She went home with the vet that night.  I've never seen a
ferret with distemper, though I know several FMLers have.  I can't
imagine watching a ferret suffering from that is any better than watching
a vaccine reaction.  I suspect it's worse because at least with a vaccine
reaction, the ferret has a chance to recover.  There's no surviving
distemper.
 
--Mary & the Fuzzies
 
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Mary R. Shefferman, Editor, Modern Ferret Magazine
Trixie, Koosh, & Gabby, The Modern Ferrets
Read my blog --
http://www.modernferretblog.com/mary
[Posted in FML issue 4115]