>-ferrets need to have benadryl before their shots or they could go into > shock and die While it's true that some ferret's have had serious allergic reactions to vaccines, this is still a very small percentage of the population. Most ferrets can be vaccinated safely and of the handful I've seen that are allergic to the vaccines, pretreatment with benedry seemed to have little value. >-there is a ferret distemper shot, but canine distemper is better (this >I've heard, is it true?) There is only vaccine offically approved by the FDA for use in ferrets and it contains modified live CANINE distemper virus. Before the approval, I have used the other commercially available vaccines (which differ little in content from Fervac) with no problems. >-ferrets need to have heartorm pills Not being from a heartworm area, I can only relate what I've been told. WHile there is still controversy, more and more vets are recommending heartworm prevention for ferrets. I can only add that the current drugs available seem to have little ill effects on healthy animals, so I guess I would recommend them too if I were in an area where it was endemic. >-tartar buildup is a common problem (this i hadn't heard, but it's common >in cats and dogs so it doesn't surprise me) Tartar buildup is a common problem in almost anything that has teeth! (ask your dentist if you're still not convinced) I used the yearly vaccination as an excuse to check for this and other potential health problems in my patients. hope this helps -- Bruce S. Levine, DVM Bird & Exotic Animal Practice, Placentia and Newport Bch, CA "Lost in Cyberspace" [Posted in FML issue 1633]