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Post by Deleted on Nov 27, 2015 12:31:44 GMT -5
Hi Everyone! My significant other and I recently adopted an eleven month old ferret, his name is Jack! When we adopted him, the previous owners were very up front and honest with us about how they HAD NOT gotten him vaccinated, and that he had never been to a vet before. (They didn't "believe in" vaccinations since he was strictly an indoor animal.)
He has an appointment for next week to get his shots and be given a good look-over. He seems to be in good health, and has plenty of energy, and other than the lack of veterinary care Jack was clearly a well-loved ferret.
But I'm slightly confused at what kind of shots he needs to be given? Does he need to go through the initial vaccinations that kits receive at eight and twelve weeks? Or can he receive the regular yearly vaccination schedule? Please, any advice would be helpful!
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Post by Corvidophile on Nov 27, 2015 13:26:05 GMT -5
He's already ready for adult vaccination scheduling, so don't worry about boosters. If you're gonna vaccinate a youngster without known history, wait until they're around 14-16 weeks old, and go straight to adult yearly-and-up scheduling. The frequent boosters given to young animals are pulsed in like that because they're not very effective with the mother's antibodies still in them, the already present antibodies fight off the vaccine so hard that it sometimes literally has no effect. What the booster dose schedule is hoping to do is leave no "coverage gap" in between when those initial antibodies wear off the young and when a vaccine is able to take hold.
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Post by raynebc on Nov 27, 2015 13:28:44 GMT -5
Rabies vaccine is legally mandatory in many places, but the canine distemper vaccine is the other big one. It's not recommended to get multiple shots in the same vet visit though.
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Post by Heather on Nov 27, 2015 14:01:11 GMT -5
If you're going to vaccinate there are 2 vaccines; distemper and rabies. If you're going to do the distemper, you only need to do the one vaccine. The rabies is often a mandated vaccine but it can be optional in some areas. Do not schedule both vaccines on the same day or let the vet convince you this is ok....it's not. You should wait at least a month between vaccinations. ciao
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Post by Deleted on Nov 27, 2015 16:54:04 GMT -5
Check which vaccines your vet plans to use. There are two canine ones that I have seen being used in my area. You do not want the one with bacteria in it. That one is much more likely to cause a reaction.
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Post by unclejoe on Nov 27, 2015 17:22:52 GMT -5
IF you are going to go out in public, or for walks around the neighborhood, the distemper is much more valuable than the rabies. Unfortunately, the distemper vaccine is harder to get. Rabies may be required by many municipalities, but it is almost unheard of for a domestic ferret to get rabies, due to the means of transmission. We will only do the rabies if confronted by animal control, and that's never happened. The last time we had it done, Prissy almost died. But, if your ferret ever bites someone and doesn't have a rabies tag, anything is possible, up to and including losing both your ferret and your friend that got bit.
We know our ferrets, and we know which ones may bite, and we don't let anyone handle them. Heck, most times when we expect company they are caged just so they can't ghost out a door.
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Post by Deleted on Nov 27, 2015 18:11:42 GMT -5
Gosh, thanks everyone! I'll be sure to take your advice. Does anyone know why it's harmful to get the shots done together?
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Post by raynebc on Nov 27, 2015 18:58:24 GMT -5
It increases the risk of a negative reaction.
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Post by unclejoe on Nov 27, 2015 21:33:54 GMT -5
It increases the risk of a negative reaction. Also, if there is a reaction, you wouldn't know which vaccine caused it. Vaccinations can be tough on pets. A lot of times they will be sluggish for 12-24 hrs after.
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Post by Heather on Nov 27, 2015 22:39:20 GMT -5
You do not double up on vaccines so that you don't overload their immune system. If you do this you increase the chance of a negative reaction and worse, negate one or both of the vaccines. ciao
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Post by Deleted on Nov 29, 2015 20:50:20 GMT -5
You do not double up on vaccines so that you don't overload their immune system. If you do this you increase the chance of a negative reaction and worse, negate one or both of the vaccines. ciao I didn't even know it was possible to negate the vaccine! I'll have to read up on that. Thanks everyone! A ton of good advice.
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