If people who have encountered unusual levels of reactions don't share the batch numbers and serial numbers then there is too little data to help people, and worse it could even lead to under-vaccinating which might result in a ferret's destruction. So far NO ONE who has mentioned seeing an unusual number of reactions to rabies vaccines has given that essential information; only one has said that she would ask the vet for it. Also, we don't know if these are within the normal bounds for reaction rates for this vaccine since millions of ferrets are vaccinated each year. Nor do we have any idea if there may be a distributor or transporter in common (but that is something we usually won't know, though the manufacturer and federal people tend to check on that score). Like others we've been waiting for those ID numbers. The veterinary records WILL have them since most states require that the identification numbers for vaccines be present in vet records. I know of no deadline for veterinarians reporting reactions. While rabies vaccines MIGHT last longer than known there is currently NO sufficient titer info to make any judgements on that score for rabies vaccines and no current ferret vaccines of any type have been tested to see if they suffice for longer than 1 year in ferrets. (It is only recently that there has been rabies vaccine titer info for humans, BTW, and i know a vet who took advantage of that.) There are currently two CDV studies ongoing to see if and when canine distemper vaccines can last beyond a year. One is open for participation and these will need to be followed by a challenge study. To participate and to learn more: http://www.ferret.org/news/07-april-titer_study.html http://ferrethealth.org/archive/FHL9127 latter parts of: http://ferrethealth.org/archive/FHL9108 Those are Canine Distemper Vaccine titer studies, not rabies ones. The other study is looking at a large number of ferrets in one location so each of these looks at the data from a different perspective, meaning that they can be especially important when taken together. Rabies vaccines require very special facilities that are permitted to work with that virus. Most are not. As far as I have heard, no one has been seeking funding at this time to see if IMRAB3 may last longer than a year, so if an incident occurs (or is FAKED -- as happened too often with people's ex-SOs before there was the documentation and before ferrets were treated just like cats and dogs in the "Compendium of Animal Rabies Prevention and Control") then the ferrets can die (in some states death is more likely than in others). Information: http://www.nasphv.org/Documents/RabiesCompendium.pdf http://www.cdc.gov/rabies/ Reporting vaccine reactions: Report to the manufacturer. For IMRAB 3 that is Merial. 1-888-MERIAL-1 may still be the right phone number (or not) Also, report federally. If the gov't gets too many reports it does make sure manufacturers follow-up. http://www.ferret-universe.com/health/resources/pharmacobrochure.pdf http://www.ferret-universe.com/health/resources/vetadversedrug.pdf http://www.ferret-universe.com/health/resources/animaladverseevent.pdf Center for Veterinary Medicine 1-888-FDA-VETS Center for Veterinary Biologics APHIS/USDA 1-800-752-6255 http://www.aphis.usda.gov/animal_health/vet_biologics/ http://www.fda.gov/BiologicsBloodVaccines/default.htm <http://www.fda.gov/BiologicsBloodVaccines/SafetyAvailability/ReportaProblem/default.htm> If people don't report the ID numbers with just a small handful of people mentioning multiple ferrets involved in reacting to the rabies vaccine recently I personally would have to conclude that is possibly within normal bounds, or involved mishandling by someone along the line. Seriously, without those numbers it's pretty useless... Without those ID numbers given the reports really are not helpful at all for anyone. Sorry, but that is just so. Please, get them. Just a phone call and callback, or a quick look in in the affected ferrets' charts will get them; some will have the info right on a rabies vaccination certificate sheet depending on the state's design for those where they exist. There should be the question asked also if the reactions were reported and the reporting info can be shared to make that easier so look for it above. Reporting saves lives. If too many are affected by a given batch it is investigated and can be recalled. We all already know that pet med and other pet product recalls do happen from following the FDA and USDA recall sites: http://www.fsis.usda.gov/News_&_Events/2008_news_releases/index.asp and http://www.fda.gov/Safety/Recalls/default.htm and on rare occasion other pet product recalls can be found in http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/prerel/prerel.html I still need to search to see if they also appears at all in http://www.aphis.usda.gov/animal_welfare/ Sukie (not a vet) Recommended ferret health links: http://pets.groups.yahoo.com/group/ferrethealth/ http://ferrethealth.org/archive/ http://www.afip.org/ferrets/index.html http://www.miamiferret.org/ http://www.ferrethealth.msu.edu/ http://www.ferretcongress.org/ http://www.trifl.org/index.shtml http://homepage.mac.com/sukie/sukiesferretlinks.html [Posted in FML 6359]