My sweet Ed had a bad reaction to his distemper shot last night. He actually was whimpering, a sound I hadn't heard since my Mijiling was dying in my arms. Ed is okay now, he even played with me a couple of hours after his ordeal. He was a little quite this morning, but ate, drank and otherwise was his happy little person. His reaction started with what I now realize was an expression of general discomfort and searching for a suitable place to hide. Then he started throwing up. I got the vet and she gave him a steroidal shot and a benedryle shot, and he was offered oxygen. His ears turned a bright red and the last emisis had blood in it. After that, although still in discomfort, he mostly rested with my hands cupped around him. I am wondering if there has ever been a study regarding the possibility of a connection to stress and vaccine reacations? Before his shot, the vet was trying to check out a growth/abcess near his anus. Ed did not like that at all, and it agitated him. In the past, I always brought the fuzzies in two at a time, so they had company. This time I only brought in Ed. Any thoughts? Is there a connection? Also, has anyone done a survey on life span of ferrets and diet? I know some people on this FML have fuzzies over 9 yo. What are your fuzzies eating/what are you doing that is different from the 'rest' of us? Well, thanks for listening. I think I am still in shock about Ed's reaction and will probably freak out and burst into tears sometime this evening or tomorrow. Trish & Crew One short of a six-pack [Posted in FML issue 2814]