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Post by Deleted on Aug 9, 2016 6:28:17 GMT -5
Hey,
Ive spoken to 3 vets locally who care for ferrets and they've each said different things about the vaccines available and the need for them.
They don't need a rabies jab unless you're travelling with them... we don'thave a ferret rabies jab in the uk... you do need a rabies jab...
As for the distemper, to my knowledge there isnt a legal vaccination for ferrets here and vets use a canine variant? Although one vet said they have a ferret jab?
I'd like to know what the general viewpoint is here in the UK on these vaccines before i make any decisions about choosing a vet and/or vaccinating please.
Many thanks
Anoushka
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Post by Heather on Aug 9, 2016 11:51:35 GMT -5
The only vaccine regularly used is the distemper vaccine. There is no ferret specific distemper shot, it's a canine distemper (puppy). The ferret specific distemper purefax has been either unavailable or in such short supply that it's unavailable. I don't believe it was ever used in the UK. A ferret jab? or a jill jab?.....that's a hormone to take a jill out of season.
ciao
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Post by Deleted on Aug 9, 2016 12:23:26 GMT -5
Im sure they said ferret jab, I'll ring them tomorrow and double check with them exactly what they meant by it.
Are the side effects/allergies to the distemper vaccine very common with ferrets? Ive read through a few pretty hair raising stories about them.
X
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Post by Heather on Aug 9, 2016 12:30:37 GMT -5
Unfortunately, they do occur and frequently enough that a vet who couldn't save her little boy, started a study that proved that vaccinating as often as we did (annually) as totally unnecessary. I've had a couple and have known more than a few. You can help combat this by getting a shot of antihistamine and always wait for half an hour to 45 minutes at the vet's before leaving. They can and do happen after a longer period but they're more rare
ciao
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Post by Deleted on Aug 9, 2016 12:42:09 GMT -5
We've been told first at 6-8 weeks, then 4 weeks later then annually from there by one vet and 3 years on from the second round by another lol you'd think with something as important as vaccinations everyone would be reading from the same book so to speak.?
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Post by crazylady on Aug 9, 2016 13:02:46 GMT -5
Hi I normally dont vaccinate for distemper until they are at least 6 months old then its one shot and one shot only ( they use a puppy distemper vaccination ) some vets agree with me some dont but my big question that no one has answered yet is you have put the vaccine in ( this gives them a little protection it wont stop them catching and possibly passing from distemper ) why do they need to repeat and repeat the vaccine ? the ferret has not used it ! could it be its a nice little earner for the vet and drug companies ! rabies is not needed in the uk unless you plan on traveling to another country then rabies and a passport and microchip is needed hope this helps take care bye for now
Bev
dieing from distemper )
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Post by Deleted on Aug 9, 2016 14:15:44 GMT -5
Thats a really good point! I'll put it to the vet in the morning and see what they say.
I dont want to not vaccinate enough but then i dont want to over vaccinate and cause more harm than is necessary.
We're gonna get ours microchipped too just incase they do manage to escape etc. And we're not planning on traveling with them so no need for a rabies jab.
Am i being overly worried about it?
X
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Post by Heather on Aug 9, 2016 15:57:50 GMT -5
No. They're a small creature, they don't need all that toxin in their bodies. If you're concerned about whether they will react or not, do a titre. This will tell you if there is any active antibodies. I certainly wouldn't do a "kit series" and then an annual (even every 3 yrs is too frequent).
The reason for a kit series is this....(simplified of course). The mother will carry antibodies which she will convey to her kits while they're nursing. As each kit is an individual and each has their own immunity reaction, the length of time the mother's immunity affects each kit is questionable. Some kits will only be covered for a few weeks after they stop nursing, others will be covered for longer, up to 16 weeks, hence the use of the kit series. It's supposed to cover the cracks. The problem is that with the first vaccine say at 8 weeks, if there was the mother's immunity still protecting that kit and you've vaccinated you've now nullified both the mother's immunity and the vaccine's, so that's why 2 weeks later they will give another, I believe at that point about 50% of the vaccines take. So they double down in another 4 weeks for the final gamble for it to take and do a "booster". The problem is you can't boost the immune system, it either knows or it doesn't. If after 3 vaccines it doesn't know, it's never going to know. What they should do is run a titre to see if the ferret is holding an immunity at that point, but they don't, they just give more serum. What they were finding with the annuals was that by the second and third years they were getting huge reactions and if titres were done there was no immunity.
ciao
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Post by Deleted on Aug 9, 2016 16:30:43 GMT -5
Ok, i will also ask about this titre check. It's a new one to me, ive never heard of it before!
So if they do a titre check and ferrets have a immunity to the distemper virus should we hold off on giving a booster or not at all?
Its not so much that I'm concerned about them having a reaction but I don't really believe in medicating for medicating sake. Don't get me wrong, i want them to be healthy and happy little fuzzies.
X
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Post by Heather on Aug 10, 2016 2:02:13 GMT -5
If you get a titre done and there is an immunity (it's measured) then you don't have to vaccinate. You then decide when you want to titre again. Some do this annually or don't bother again. There is an accepted norm and then there is an immune response and then of course there is a zero response. Just because the numbers are low doesn't mean that there isn't an immune response, it just means that the animal hasn't come into contact with the virus. Obviously, a zero response means that there is no immunity to that virus.
ciao
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Post by Deleted on Aug 10, 2016 2:14:17 GMT -5
Thanks for this Heather, i will definitely look into it. X
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Post by Deleted on Aug 11, 2016 9:08:19 GMT -5
Just spoken to my vet about these titre tests. She said she's happy to do one but it would require then being under a anesthetic for their bloods being taken... Apparently most uk vets seem to have trouble when it comes to taking bloods (?!?!?)
So now it comes down to do we risk the anesthetic or potentially over vaccinating?
Tough call
X
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Post by Heather on Aug 11, 2016 14:15:56 GMT -5
When were they last vaccinated or you don't know?
ciao
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Post by Deleted on Aug 11, 2016 14:45:36 GMT -5
I dont think they have been yet, they were born between 30th april and 17th may.
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Post by Heather on Aug 11, 2016 15:21:32 GMT -5
This year? I wouldn't vaccinate (if you're going to vaccinate at all) until they're 6 months to a year. As you don't know if they've been vaccinated or not, I wouldn't vaccinate until they were a year old. I personally would't do it again after that. There is no point in doing a titre at this age. You would want to do it about 2 or 3 yrs after you vaccinate.
ciao
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