Just my .02 on the subject of giving your own Fervac. As a shelter operator for the last 5 years my husband & I give our own distemper vacs. to our charges. It is the only way we can afford it, thank goodness I'm in a state where I don't have to go the vet every time I need one. It is the cheapest way to go for anyone. We have given over 900 vaccines in the last 5 years, so we are not novices. I as well give vaccines to my dog & cats. However, I have learned from experience with Fervac (I used to use Fromm-D until it changed to Galaxy-D) that I would NEVER EVER give a Fervac vaccine without being prepared for a reaction. We pre-treat all our ferrets with .5 ml children's benadryl a half hour before giving the vacs. No, it won't stop a reaction but could potentially lessen the severity of such per my veterinarian. We keep Epinephrine (sp?) on hand at ALL TIMES following giving any Fervacs, and in some instances that is still not enough, so we got another drug from the vet to use only in extreme circumstances (I don't have it in front of me, I can't remember what it's called). Believe me, if you ever experience a SEVERE reaction with one of your ferrets to Fervac, it will scare the living daylights out of you, as it did to us. I'm not talking just a little dry heeving, vomiting or passing of a stool, I'm talking total collapse, eyes set without responsiveness at all, vomiting out one end & passing large amounts of PURE BLOOD out the other (not just once, but 4 times in 45 mins). This was even after having been given the maximum dose of epinephrine allowed for her size. Her breathing went from extremely fast to next to nothing in a matter of about 4 mins. She went from physically running at the onset of the reaction to complete collapse in that same 4 mins. She lay there defecating blood uncontrollably & vomiting, then rolled on her side & lay there helpless, not responding to me in any way, even when I picked her up & wrapped her in a small towel, I saw no sign of life. It reminded me of when I held another ferret of mine during his last moments of life, the "light" in the eyes was gone. I thought my dearest friend was passing to the other side. I have never been so scared in all my life. She was one of my own ferrets, not a rescue, & had been given Fervac twice before in her life, with not even a hint of a reaction. And the same lot # of vaccine did not cause any other reactions in any of my other ferrets, & I had a total of 40 vaccines of the same lot. Yes, she did live through her ordeal, but what a horrible experience for all of us. I didn't write this to scare anyone, just to get the message across so you can be prepared if it happens to you. This was the worst reaction I've ever been a party to. None of the other reactions ever escalated to this type of severity. Out of the 900+ vaccines we've given, all reactions were to Fervac. I never had a reaction to even one Fromm-D. We have had a total of 10 reactions altogether since switching to Fervac in 1994, & we do report each & every one to the vaccine manufacturer & the FDA/USP statistical reporting program. Please remember to report any & all vac. reactions to the USP @ 1-(800) 487-7776. Improvements to the vaccines can't be made if the manufacturer is not aware that there is a problem. So it does matter. You or your vet can report a reaction. Just remember, the message here is simple, better safe than sorry. And if you think it can't happen to you, think again, I thought that once too. Even if you only give one Fervac a year, yours could be the one who has a reaction. I'm an advocate of self-vaccinating just like the next person, I'M NOT FLAMING ANYONE, but just don't buy a Fervac, needle & syringe & go give Muffin or Bandit their shot without being prepared. Yes, it is much cheaper than the vet, but may or may not be best for you & yours. And even if you get your shot at the vet office, it is a good idea to "hang out" there for about a half hour or so after your ferret has had it's vac., as all the reactions we have experienced have occured within the first 20 mins. following injection (I know it can happen after that too, but this is just my experience). If this message helps even one fuzzy & their owner, I didn't write in vain. Thanks for reading... Sincerely - Fran & the Fuzzies in PA [Posted in FML issue 1839]