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Post by Deleted on Nov 15, 2011 0:35:23 GMT -5
Just adding my voice to the others - it really is a personal choice, one that should be made with intensive research and introspection.
My Sian had a rough time with her kit boosters, with mild-moderate symptoms that prompted the vets to pretreat with benadryl shots, where they managed to hit the sciatic nerve - thankfully, the damage done was temporary. But watching even moderate reactions are scary, and I won't revax Sian (at least, though it's looking more and more likely that I won't revax ANYONE at all). My two youngest are going to be 6 months soon and about ready for their first (and more than likely last) shots, and I'm really NOT looking forward to revisiting the experience :\
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Post by Deleted on Nov 15, 2011 2:35:45 GMT -5
Wow I'm glad your little guy is ok! See this is why I asked. Small animals are just soo sensitive to things put in their body, and you never really know if they are going to have a reaction or not. thank you but it was very scary to see it
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Post by saffyful on Nov 15, 2011 10:46:37 GMT -5
If my province doesn't require any vaccines at all and I don't plan on taking Pixel anywhere further then the front yard and she will never be around any other animals.. would it be smart to vaccinate her or not?
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Post by Deleted on Nov 15, 2011 12:34:23 GMT -5
If my province doesn't require any vaccines at all and I don't plan on taking Pixel anywhere further then the front yard and she will never be around any other animals.. would it be smart to vaccinate her or not? It's completely up to you. Weigh the pros and cons... whatever you decide, do your research. Here's some very informative links: holisticferret60.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=health&action=display&thread=827As far as rabies goes, the chance that an indoor ferret that only gets supervised walks encounters and is bit by a rabid animal is very slim. If your ferret is going to be around strangers, you might want to think about getting it in that case. It depends on the laws in your area... whether or not rabies is required for domestic ferrets and what the law is on bite incidents. Some places are strict to the point that if your ferret isn't vaccinated for rabies, bites someone, and they report it, your ferret could be killed and their brain matter tested for rabies Some places are more lax about bite incidents, where instead of killing them, they quarantine them for a certain amount of time and "evaluate" their behavior. If they don't start foaming at the mouth or whatever they look for, then they are sent home. Example: In Texas, only dogs and cats are required to have rabies (whether it's the 1 year or 3 year vaccine), but they only "recommend" that domestic ferrets and live stock get it (but it's NOT required by law). As for bite incidents, whether they are vaccinated or not (this goes for cats, dogs, and ferrets), they are quarantined for 10 days and evaluated, then sent home. Now, none of this matters if you never let anyone (except trusted individuals) handle your ferrets. Even though the law here in Texas is lenient, I still only let people I know and trust handle my ferrets. Like said by others, distemper is 100% fatal, but vaccines can only slightly increase the odds of them surviving (if it works as intended, but there's always the chance that it has the opposite effect by weakening/confusing the immune system). Also the high incidence of vaccine reactions (especially to the distemper vaccine)... they shouldn't be taken lightly. Ferrets have varying degrees of reactions, but the worst is death. One of my four, Pan, had a severe reaction to it, and it was the scariest thing I've had to experience. It was only her third kit vaccine, and we even sat at the clinic for 30 minutes before deciding it was okay to leave. The minute we got home, she started vomiting and having severe diarrhea, and her skin (particularly on her mouth, ears, and paw pads) turned bright pink. Luckily, we lived only 5 minutes from the clinic, so we called ahead and rushed her back. The vet (my boss at the time) met us in the front of the clinic and had the benadryl shot ready as soon as we walked in the door... she administered it right on the spot, not missing a beat. After that day, I stopped vaccinating everyone, not just Pan. For about a year after that, she had the same reaction (but less severe) to eating chicken in ANY form (chicken embryos are commonly used as a host when making vaccines, so her body associated the two). I cut out chicken from their diet for two years before introducing it slowly again. I think not vaccinating her has allowed her to eat chicken again now with no issues whatsoever. Again, others have already said this, but if you do decide to vaccinate, vaccinating after their immune system is mature (6 months or older) then titering two weeks later will be a good indicator of the vaccine working or not. If there is a high titer level, definitely do not vaccinate anymore because the chance of them having a reaction the next time is high. The more you vaccinate, the higher chance of reactions. Low titer levels do not mean your ferret isn't protected though, because it doesn't measure the immune systems memory. Also, never vaccinate sick or elderly ferrets (it even says this on the vaccine labels). The one downside to not vaccinating is not getting to take your ferrets to shows and ferret get togethers (with ferret clubs/organizations), but the risks of vaccinating far outweigh the benefits to me. I care about my ferrets too much to sacrifice their health just for social events. That's my decision though. I do understand why people vaccinate (usually out of fear), but for the same reasons I have decided to not vaccinate, ironically. Although, I have done my research (on both sides of the spectrum), and feel my decision is in their best interest. I went from vaccinate yearly, to only distemper yearly, to distemper every three years, to no vaccines at all (all in the course of my first three ferrets kithood ;D) Our most recent and youngest ferret (he's a little over a year now) definitely has me convinced that vaccines are the cause of weaker immune systems in some ferrets. He has only been vaccinated once for distemper (not by us, but by the breeder as a kit) whereas my other three (all 3 years old) have had their kit series for distemper and one rabies vaccine (before I decided to stop vaccinating all together). Recently, Sari came down with a bad URI that seemed to last forever. About a week after she came down with it, Reks succumbed to it, then a few days later, Pan. It took a long time for all of them to get over it (Pan still has it ). Bantha is the only one out of the four who still hasn't caught it, and it's been three weeks or so since Sari came down with it. Possible... Something I would suggest is baby benadryl about 20 minutes before the vaccine. This is something my vet suggested (after Pan's reaction) to reduce the chance of reactions, but also leave the benadryl shot for when there is a reaction (it's more concentrated). I can't remember the dosing for it, but it's good to have around anyways. Remember, it's totally up to you. It's a personal decision. Just make sure you know what to expect either way. Also, everyone... excuse my long post. I didn't realize I wrote that much
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Post by Deleted on Nov 15, 2011 16:19:42 GMT -5
Where I live, we don't have that luxury sadly, there has to be documentation of reactions to both. I wish we could tho! If you refuse required vaccinations the Vet can refuse to see you since they would be an accomplice to your law-breaking and be held negligent. So, a lot of the decisions can be made for you ~Kelli There is a small piece of paper that your vet should be able to sign for you called a waiver. It absolves them of the responsibility of the lack of vaccines. A severe allergic response to a key vaccine would allow your wee one to have one of these waivers. It is negligent of a vet to threaten or coerce a client to take a vaccine that she or he has treated for a lifethreatening reaction. ciao I'm going to bring this up to our Vet Heather, Its contrary to what I've heard for our area but I hope its true! ~Kelli
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Post by Sherry on Nov 15, 2011 17:43:02 GMT -5
The vaccine laws are so stupid here! If a non vaccinated dog or cat bites someone, they are quarantined. If a non vaccinated ferret does- they are immediately destroyed
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Post by Deleted on Nov 15, 2011 18:20:17 GMT -5
Hay everyone, on the back cover of the ferret USA 2011 magazine there is an ad for PureVax ferret distemper. So specifically for them. I though you guys said they didn't make any? Just curious what anyone though.
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Post by Sherry on Nov 15, 2011 20:12:10 GMT -5
That's weird, because they stopped making the ferret specific vaccine a short while ago. They started using the dog one for ferrets instead.
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Post by Deleted on Nov 15, 2011 21:03:45 GMT -5
Here's a picture: Do you remember when they discontinued it?
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Post by Sherry on Nov 15, 2011 22:53:33 GMT -5
Earlier this year if I remember correctly. They were bought out and that company started touting the dog one for ferrets.
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Post by Deleted on Nov 15, 2011 22:54:09 GMT -5
All the PureVax stuff I've seen has been for cats... has it only been a year since the ferret version went away? (Just searched; Merial doesn't seem to have a recent press release about it being back on the market.)
I just had my two new adoptees vaccinated for both distemper and rabies, a couple weeks apart. They're under a year old and from what I was told about their history I felt safe in assuming they hadn't already been vaccinated. I got my older pair of ferts when they were about a year old, went with the booster series then (now I want to call my vet and ask what the brand was), and haven't done any more in the past few years.
I do take my ferrets to work, where they're exposed to the same areas as many dogs and cats who may or may not have their shots, so I feel a little safer with them having the one series of distemper vacc. I believe in my area rabies is still required yearly by law (even though it's down to every three years for dogs and cats), and I don't like that at all... so I don't let my ferrets near anybody that doesn't know and understand them.
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Post by Heather on Nov 16, 2011 0:05:14 GMT -5
I did some research. Here is an article that probably is worth reading. I don't agree with all of it but it's a good overview and it is written up by a vet. I have read other articles by this person and they're informative and cover a lot of the bases that are left out by others. Below the link is an exerpt regarding the vaccines. I was also under the understanding that Purevax had been discontinued and I'm not entirely sure that it wasn't though this article was written this year. Despite that I still stand.
p://www.2ndchance.info/fervacs.htm Which Vaccine Is Best?
My preference is to use Purevax Ferret Distemper Vaccine. It is manufactured by Merial. Inc. If you have specific questions about the vaccine, you can call them at (678) 638 3000. The vaccine maker suggests that it be given to your pet at 8, 11 and 14 weeks of age and yearly thereafter. I give the vaccination at 10 and 14 weeks and feel quite confident. Never vaccinate pregnant female ferrets.
There is a second vaccine we used to use. It is Galaxy-D marketed by Schering-Plough (800 521-5767). Many of us used this vaccine to vaccinate ferrets before the Merial product became available and during periods when it was unavailable. However, it is not approved by the FDA for use in ferrets. I do not suggest it because you never know when the ingredients in it might change. Another product, Fervac-M by United Vaccines is, mercifully, off the market. ciao
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