>back. We're going to the vet on Thursday night for shots. I've never
>vaccinated for rabies before, but I'm thinking about doing this one. Can it
>be given at the same time as distemper?
 
I'm sure you'll get lots of responses on this, but in case not......
 
Although it is possible for your new one to get her rabies and distemper
shots at the same time, I personally wouldn't advise it. I'm no vet, but
from the vaccination experience we had with Squirt I don't believe we'll
ever have any of our animals vaccinated for more than one thing at a time.
We'll just make an appointment for each vaccination. Squirt, on his first
annual checkup/vaccination, got his distemper and rabies shots. He nearly
died from the reaction to one of them. We didn't positively know which vaccine
did it. The next year we had him premedicated and tried the rabies vaccine....
reaction #2. He was bad off (not as bad as the first time), but...he will
*never* get another rabies vaccine. This doesn't stop us from getting rabies
vaccines for the others, but Squirt just won't get any more. Separating the
vaccines allows you to know the first time what caused the reaction if there
happens to be one.
 
I don't mean to scare you...in fact, your ferret is only a few months old (if
I remember right!) so she probably won't have a problem. Our vet said that
reactions are rare, but they usually see any reactions on the first annual
(or subsequent) booster shoots.
 
Just opinion here....get them vaccinated for rabies as well as distemper.
The risks of NOT getting your animals vaccinated are much greater then the
risks of getting them vaccinated - especially if you have a bite incident.
 
Congrats on your new one. Good luck in her socialization
 
-kim, mike, Squirt (I *hate* shots!), Pippi (What are you whining about?),
Atlas (Uhhh...shots?!), and Hijinx (I'll give 'ya a shot!)
 
Kimberly Burkard        |             _      _      _      _    Furry frenzy -
Xerox, Rochester, NY    |      _____C .._._C .._._C .._._C .._. ferret frolic!
[log in to unmask] | ____/     \___/  \___/  \___/  \___/  (Squirt, Pippi,
[log in to unmask]<____/\_---\_\ _--\_\ _--\_\ _--\_\    Atlas, Hijinx)
[Posted in FML issue 1231]