In response to the following post: >>I just took my ferret to the vet yesterday for the first of his series of >>Ferrvac-D. I was driving home and not 10 minutes later he started puking >>and shaking... Michael Dutton subsequently wrote on Dec. 9: <...snip...> Ferrets do have a tendency to develop more allergic reactions to vopposed to dogs and cats. OK. Time out. I get really confused by discussions of allergy and allergic reacon the FML, but I hear physicians, nurses, and other health professionals misuse terminology, too. Maybe someone can clarify things for me here. I was always taught that a TRUE allergic reactions occur only when an animal is exposed to an antigen that it had been previously exposed to. My immunology book characterizes allergic reactions (type I hypersensitivity) as follows: "Hypersensitivity is characteristic of the individual and is manifested on second contact with the particular antigen evoking hypersensivity." [Immunology, Roitt IM, Brostoff J and Male DK, Eds. CV Mosby Company, St. Louis, 1989, p. 19.1.] By this definition, a ferret receiving its first exposure to Fervac-D or any other vaccine, could *not* experience a TRUE allergic reaction. If this is the case, then we are doing a disservice to ferret owners by erroneously describing such reactions as "allergic." This may lead ferret owners to believe that their pets are at risk of an anaphylactic reaction to a vaccine following an allergic reaction. Ferret owners will then stop vaccinating those pets. This may needlessly jeopardize the health of any animal who may *not* be allergic to the vaccine and may not be sufficiently immunized against distemper. But the question remains...what *are* these first exposure-reactions to vaccines? Is it serum sickness (type III hypersensitivity). Is this a mild reaction to the attenuated virus? Is this the result of individual lots of vaccine in which virus has mutated back to a slightly more infective form for ferrets? (Fervac-D is not a totally dead virus. It has been adapted for a non-mammalian host [chickens] and then freeze-dried. Some viruses, notably influenza, routinely jump species from birds to humans in a pathogenic form.) So what's the verdict. None of the above? All of the above? My apologies if this discussion is overly technical but I think we would be well served to have a clear and highly specific definition of these reactions rather than calling *any* response to a medication, vaccine or food an "allergic" reaction. That may prompt us to make the wrong decision to protect our fuzzbutts from infection. Another issue altogether...Citrus. My goofball ferret Stimpy *loves* to play with citrus fruit. I think he likes the aromatic oils released when he scratches a lemon, lime or orange. He seems to like lemons most. He'll climb on top of the fruit with his upper body mantling it, and with his nails extended he'll scratch/roll the thing around the floor, usually trying to maneuver it into a corner, under the sofa, etc. He has not yet tried to chew up the fruit or get through the rind to get at the pulp inside. I think most of this is a fascination with (1) rolling it (he'll do the same thing with potatoes but loses interest sooner) and (2) with the smell. My other ferret will play with a citrus fruit if he sees Stimpy doing it, but he never initiates the behavior on his own. It's quite funny to watch this and I wonder if anyone else has noticed this or if anyone can think of an objection to allowing him to do this. I vaguely remember that orange oil is mildly toxic (I used to read the Merch Index for fun...I definitely know too much about science to go through life in a care-free state of mind. *Sigh*). Any suggestions would be welcome. --Jeff ([log in to unmask]) (See, not one pun :) [Posted in FML issue 1409]