>From: Sharon Allen <> >Subject: Purevax reaction >I have not heard of any ferret having a reaction to this vaccine. My vet >now says that Tally cannot be vaccinated again. She is six years old and >I expect will live many more years because she is quite healthy. There have been a few. She likely is allergic to one of the compounds in the matrix that is common among vaccines Sometimes such compounds also are in rabies vaccine (depending on which compound is causing the allergic reaction). Yes, for this particular ferret you will have to stop vaccinating if the vet felt that it was clearly a reaction and it sounds like that is what happened. We have had one in the past who was allergic to rabies vaccine and to all the CD vaccines that then existed. Right now we have two of our seven who are allergic to every CD vaccine tried on them and it is being considered that perhaps those individuals won't have rabies vaccines either due to their apparent problem with a common component of vaccine matrices. Skip outdoor walks with her, and don't let strangers who might freak at a claw cut, kiss to a cut, etc. handle her. Be careful to not expose her to unvaccinated animals or to carriers of Canine Distemper. I also have several PV ferrets. With the exception of one of them they're all very agressive! I'm not sure why. At one point PV was trying for shortened faces, and I still personally consider their faces to be shorter than from many sources, though others may disagree, so use your own judgement. Shortened faces can cause teething to be more difficult if the dental arcade is too crowded. This can lead to chewing to try to deal with it, and that in turn can include gnawing on fingers which are just the right size. There are several ways to handle this. If a ferret (form any source) has palatine tooth eruptions then those teeth must be removed. If the room is very diminished then teeth also must be removed. If the tight arcade has resulted in a baby tooth become entrapped between adult teeth then the possible results include mis-aligned teeth, pain (biting), infection, gum abscess, and even bone abscess. If an animal is biting or gnawing due to pain or discomfort then punishment will backfire big-time. Punishment is best avoided, anyway. Have the teeth checked during the 3 appointments you wil have made for CD vaccines and for rabies vaccine, and use times-out. Also, give Cheweasels, and Foamy Fries which are safe chewing items that help them, and which also keep teeth cleaner. Every once in a while I ask this question -- especially since some of the fancies have been so widely bred into much of the much of the nation's ferret breeding stock. Do have long-lived or normal lived fancies? To date I have heard of one marked white line that appeared to be longer-lived than normal, with the breeder still following those and us wanting one of them in a few years if it continues to hold true. Have heard of a number of normal-lived DEWs. The problem is that I am still to hear of any pandas or blazes that have lived beyond a too-short 6 and 3/4 years. Anyone have any? I think that a lot of the complaints about sources may actually be complaints about in-built problems in some fancies. Also am interested in hearing of the health and longevity of those with pronounced bilateral asymmetry since that sometimes is related to aortic arch defects. In albinos have encountered more eye problems (NOT a big deal for them at all) and sometimes more apparent susceptibility to infection, but typically have encountered normal lifespans as have done with the standards. [Posted in FML issue 3617]