My sweet Ed had a bad reaction to his distemper shot last night.  He
actually was whimpering, a sound I hadn't heard since my Mijiling was dying
in my arms.  Ed is okay now, he even played with me a couple of hours after
his ordeal.  He was a little quite this morning, but ate, drank and
otherwise was his happy little person.  His reaction started with what I
now realize was an expression of general discomfort and searching for a
suitable place to hide.  Then he started throwing up.  I got the vet and
she gave him a steroidal shot and a benedryle shot, and he was offered
oxygen.  His ears turned a bright red and the last emisis had blood in it.
After that, although still in discomfort, he mostly rested with my hands
cupped around him.
 
I am wondering if there has ever been a study regarding the possibility of
a connection to stress and vaccine reacations?  Before his shot, the vet
was trying to check out a growth/abcess near his anus.  Ed did not like
that at all, and it agitated him.  In the past, I always brought the
fuzzies in two at a time, so they had company.  This time I only brought
in Ed.
 
Any thoughts?  Is there a connection?
 
Also, has anyone done a survey on life span of ferrets and diet?  I know
some people on this FML have fuzzies over 9 yo.  What are your fuzzies
eating/what are you doing that is different from the 'rest' of us?
 
Well, thanks for listening.  I think I am still in shock about Ed's
reaction and will probably freak out and burst into tears sometime this
evening or tomorrow.
 
Trish & Crew
One short of a six-pack
[Posted in FML issue 2814]