I pre-treat for a minimum of THREE DAYS before vaccination and one day
AFTER(regardless of brand or type of vaccination!) 0.5cc children's liquid
Benedryl (or generic) once a day for ferrets under 2 pounds and 1.0cc once
daily for ferrets over 2 pounds.(Your vet may recommend a more specific
dosage in regard to ferret weight.  A vet that doesn't think it's
necessary at all can be safely ignored in this one instance.)
 
For ferrets that have had a reaction before, I pre-treat (same dosage)
for FIVE DAYS and one day after, and the vet gives Dexamethasone (dosage
per label) AT THE SAME TIME as the vaccination AND has oxygen ready to
administer if needed.
 
This helps to 'build up' antihistamines in the system.  We have safely
continued to vaccinate ferrets that have had critical reactions
previously.
 
Severe reactions generally begin within 30 minutes following the
injection.  Watch first for nausea, sudden and perhaps bloody diarrhea,
or breathing difficulty.
 
Nausea is generally the forerunner of the more critical events.
 
Nausea symptoms: gagging, pawing at mouth, scrubbing mouth on floor or
in carrier litter box, digging frantically in litter box or at carrier
floor/bedding.
 
In trauma, ferrets often "shed" their intestinal lining, resulting in a
true "panic" poop.  In itself it is not a medically critical event, it
is simply a symptom of trauma severe enough to warrant an "anti-trauma"
injection (usually Dexamethasone).
 
Breathing difficulty: hacking sort of cough, noticeably ragged breathing,
listlessness.
 
At the first sign of nausea, I yell for a shot of Dexamethasone (actually
my vet has it sitting on the counter by the vaccine bottle so he doesn't
have to send someone for it in a rush).
 
The sooner the reaction is treated, the better the chances of preventing
more severe symptoms.  If mild symptoms recur within an hour, we give a
second injection of Dexamethasone.
 
By the time a reaction has progressed to breathing difficulty, the
ferret's life is often endangered.  Oxygen and other "heavy duty" medical
efforts may be required.
 
If a reaction, even a mild one, occurs, stay for an hour AFTER THE
REACTION.
 
Generally, reactions that occur later are mild.  Diarrhea and/or
suppressed appetite the next couple of days is not uncommon.  Feed them
treats & taste tempters & lace their drinking water with Ferretone to
encourage drinking.  Bloody diarrhea later in the day is sufficient cause
for an quick trip back to the vet just to be sure.
 
Always schedule vaccinations in the morning on a day you will be available
to check on him frequently for the first 4 hours, then occasionally the
rest of the day.
 
Early intervention is the key to safe vaccination reaction treatment.
 
As one has had a reaction before (even tho not to distemper) I'd be
strongly inclined to reschedule and pre-treat for five days, primarily
because I'm a coward.  I've seen it happen and don't want to see it again.
 
Debi Christy
Ferrets First Foster Home
 
Practical & easy training, care, & maintenance articles available at
http://www.geocities.com/ferretsfirst/
[Posted in FML issue 3690]