It occurred to me after the first post I sent, that I'd neglected to address what seemed to be your greater areas of concern, Jennifer, that alternatives were not presented and ultimatums using MUST: In the name of education, I will tell you that you MUST vaccinate for rabies in most states; it's the law. You MUST vaccinate for rabies and distemper before boarding at most kennels. You MUST vaccinate for rabies and distemper to obtain a medical certificate recognized as valid in other states when traveling with your pet. Use of the word MUST is not always an opinion. In order to vaccinate without risk of a serious reaction, you MUST pretreat. In life or death situations, I don't hesitate to say "MUST", especially when there are no reasonable alternatives. I don't present unreasonable alternatives. I don't suggest Purina Puppy Chow as a ferret food. To pretreat before vaccinating isn't an opinion, personal or professional. It's a procedure to prevent potential injury from the procedure that follows it. Pretreating with Benedryl before a vaccination is a protocol for which there is no equal alternative. Yes, there are other non-equal alternatives: 1. Administer steroid before vaccinating, but that's even more serious medication than the Benedryl and is generally reserved for those who've previously had a reaction 2. Administer one dosage of Benedryl within 30 minutes prior to vaccination, which will provide some reaction prevention, but not as effectively as the 3/5 day protocol, and can still allow a serious reaction to occur. The "available alternatives" are not "equal" to pretreating with Benedryl for 3 or 5 days. They are alternatives, yes, but they are not alternatives that address the need as efficiently or effectively. I hope that makes a little more sense. It is not possible to provide alternatives to vaccination. Nothing else prevents distemper that I know of. have I missed some new breakthrough in veterinary science? Unless the alternative can prevent distemper, it's not an alternative. It's a personal choice to place the animal at risk. At this point in your argument it sounds as though you are asking us to consider that an opinion or personal choice is of equal value to a proven medical treatment. Yet, you criticize others because you feel that is what they have done. I think perhaps, you don't have very good definitions in your mind between what has been a proven treatment (an alternative), and what is a practice that is common but does nothing to treat or prevent a condition (a choice). Chemo or surgery for cancer - alternatives. To refuse chemo or surgery for cancer - a choice. (And it sounds like you've had to deal with my group medical insurance company that paid doctors a kick back to prescribe the cheapest treatment and discourage, through higher co-pays, seeking a second opinion from a doctor outside of their network. you bet we were furious, I almost lost my leg because of it.) To address the "vaccinate or not vaccinate" debate to everyone (not directed solely to Jennifer because I know this issue is a very longstanding and widespread one)... watch your toes: It is my opinion that ferrets should be vaccinated for distemper regardless of the few reported occurrences of distemper in ferrets. It is my opinion that even ferrets that have previously had a reaction to a distemper vaccination should be vaccinated regardless of previous reactions... that is why the pretreatment protocol provides information to adequately protect them in that event. The motivation for my opinion has several sources: 0 1. Ferrets come and go here like some people change sheets. I get calls from public shelters where ferrets are housed in the same building with stray, unvaccinated dogs. 2. I take my ferrets to a vet on a regular basis... where dogs sick with distemper may have been in the waiting room only moments before I arrived. 3. I visit friends and family who don't have the commitment to preventative medical care for their pets that I have and could have a pet with distemper and not yet be aware of it. 4. I live in a neighborhood that doesn't always manage to keep their dogs, unvaccinated or not, in their own yard. If my ferrets are at risk by such ordinary and common events beyond my control, who am I to say that your ferrets are or might be safe? It's easy enough for us to say, "oh, the chances of it happening to me are sooo remote". It's easy to do nothing. It's easy to save the time and money. And by far the most common reason and the reason we all seem to think has some kind of moral justification: It's easy to say it's not worth the risk... Oh! Wait!...which risk? The risk of a reaction? Or the risk of getting distemper? This is how the debate always ends up re-playing in my mind no matter who is posting or how adamantly or eloquently their opinion is stated... Which is the worse risk? A reaction to the preferred vaccines is not common. The reaction is almost always preventable with pretreatment. If the reaction occurs in spite of pretreatment, that reaction is almost always not severe and is treatable with a prognosis for complete recovery. Distemper is not common. It is 99% fatal. The only available treatments are euthanasia or keeping the ferret as comfortable as possible until death. I personally just don't see much of a debate. But, that's my opinion. I've tried to see a way to make it reasonable to not vaccinate. But the few facts I have to work with just keep getting in the way. Debi Christy Ferrets First Foster Home www.ferrets1st.com=20 [Posted in FML issue 5124]