What would you do? - Paw Talk

Tweak · #1 03-21-2004, 01:22 AM

As some of you know I got Dude last month from a guy who found him abandoned in Montreal. I have no idea if he has been vaccinated. I know Bill didn't have him vaccinated but I don't know if the person who let Dude go in Montreal did. I took him to the vet when I first got him and I asked her if I should have him vaccinated to make sure. All she would say is that it is up to me to decide. I know the vaccine for distemper is hard on ferrets but it would be better to give him the vaccine and the rabbies shot as well because I feed them a semi raw diet. Not to mention I have to go to the U.S. once a month for a few days because of my historical preservation groupe. The last time I went he gave the sitter such a hard time she quit.

I'm thinking it would be easier to bring all my ferrets with me instead of replacing the sitter once a month. I was thinking of maybe one distemper shot and the rabbies shot. So what would you do?

*fstybrat* · #2 03-21-2004, 10:14 AM

gee Tweak while I am certainly no veteranarian I can certainly see where you are coming from. Of course I can't give medical advice (not that I would know what to give anyway

) but in my personal opinion it is a tough call... I think I would wait a few months then adminitister the vaccines. That was he is protected just in case, yet if the previous owner did give the shots at least they wouldn't be so close together. (hope that made sense.)

I realize the ultimate decision is up to you, but I would have thought yuor vet would have had a little better advice to offer since the distemper is hard on ferrets. Is it possable to call a different vet for a second opinion?

Tweak · #3 03-21-2004, 10:45 AM

I was going to call another vet on Monday before I decide. If I don't get him vaccinated I'm going to have to figure out how to keep him from biting people when I'm gone. I never knew ferrets could have seperation anxiety.

elfomatic · #4 03-22-2004, 08:14 AM

I haven't had any experience with distemper but I know that it should be okay to vaccinate with rabies again. It doesn't really make sense that it would be any different for distemper... although I understand your reluctance to do that one. Obviously, this cannot be done within the same general time frame to where the old vaccination would still be in the body but it sounds as though your little guy has been away from that previous owner for awhile.

I would talk to your vet about the risks of doing it within the same year to be sure you understand what they are beforehand. As I understand it though ... as long as it has been 6 weeks since the previous vaccination it should be okay for the vet to go ahead and do it again ... remember, it is not the vaccination that stays inside for an extended period of time ... just the antibodies it produces -- the coding of the white blood cell ... the memory of the disease. That memory wears away .... then it is time for revaccination. Your little guy has probably been away from the previous owner for the actual injection to be out of his system and only the memory to still be there ... so ...

Soccer_37 · #5 03-22-2004, 01:15 PM

Just a quick tip though... dont get rabies done at the same time as distemper. If your vet suggests this RUN!! Its a big no no, at least from what I have read. Good luck!

kristabelle1224 · #6 03-22-2004, 11:05 PM

Distemper shots need to be given yearly. They protect the ferret from a deadly neurological disaster. By accident I gave my ferrets a second rabies shot i meant to give the the distemper shot and they were fine. The guy i rescued my ferrets from told me that u can really give ferrets one rabies shot since it will last there lifetime but i do it yearly. As florida makes ferrets get rabies tags.

I would just ask a vet because when ferrets are kits they get like 3 distemper boosters. For me to get my ferrets there distemper shots it will cost me $58 a ferret and I have 6. I have 4 of them that need to get it this year.