Hey Ferret Lovers! This newsletter is about vaccine reactions. Vaccine reactions are very scary (for both the people and the ferrets), so read on to learn more and be prepared. To contact me about anything, you can reach me at mary modernferret.com. Please note that this newsletter goes out to thousands of people and so we now get a lot of replies, comments, questions, and (very appreciated) praise. We do try to reply to everything we can, but the volume is starting to get overwhelming. We do read everything and even if we can't answer everybody we do try to take the best questions and incorporate their answers into the newsletter.
--Mary & The Fuzzies
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In this Newsletter- Ferret Vaccine Reaction Story
- Update on Modern Ferret Magazine
Gabrielle Had a Vaccine Reaction
By Mary R. Shefferman This week we've been busy taking care of little Gabby. She's all right, but she had a vaccine reaction last week. We'd brought in all the ferrets for their various shots (Trixie and Gabby needed distemper shots and Koosh needed his rabies booster). Everyone had been doing well, so there was no reason not to vaccinate any of them. So off we went. A couple of years ago, Gabby had a mild reaction (vomiting) to Fervac (the canine distemper vaccine by United). The year after that, we were able to give her Purevax (the canine distemper vaccine from Merial). Our vet had given her an antihistamine before he gave her the vaccination and she was fine. Pretreating a ferret with an antihistamine will help make a reaction less severe if the ferret has a reaction. This year, the same as last, Gabby was pretreated and then given her distemper vaccination (Purevax). Within a few minutes, her nose became bright red and she became very floppy (very un-Gabby-like!). Our vet quickly gave her a shot of epinephrine. That brought her around a little, but she was still not doing well. So off she went to get an IV in her little arm and one of the vet techs gave her IV fluids. This perked her up right away. We waited at the vet's for another half-hour to make sure Gabby was okay. She was very agitated (that's what epinephrine can do to a ferret), but I couldn't put her down because she might pull out the IV access. Before we left, our vet removed the IV access and checked Gabby's heartbeat and temperature to make sure it was okay for her to come home. We put her in the travel cage and she snorkeled through the litter box and tossed out litter all over the waiting room floor. Epinephrine can cause itching, so I felt very bad for Gabby, but I was glad she was going to be all right. When we got home, Gabby slept. And slept. And slept some more. When she did get up, her hind end was weak. She was sliding all over the floor and could barely get herself around (you've got to admire ferret determination!). For her own safety, we decided to keep Gabby in our travel cage. Our travel cage is wire and is 24 inches long, 14 inches wide, and 18 inches high and has only one floor. There's just enough room for a litter box, a hammock, a food bowl and water bottle. We use this as our recuperation cage if a ferret has had surgery. It's a good idea to get something like this or a cage with a plastic bottom and a wire top. There are many uses for a cage like this: a travel cage, an isolation cage (for sick ferrets), a recovery cage (for ferrets who've had surgery), a training cage for a baby ferret, a time-out cage for a ferret who's misbehaving. It's always a good idea to keep a ferret isolated for a day or so after a vaccine reaction to make sure she's eating, drinking, and pooping normally. In Gabby's case, we were also worried that she might fall and hurt herself on the ramps in the regular cage. Over the next few days, Gabby's rear legs became stronger and she had more control over them. But it was about five days before we were comfortable putting her back in the regular cage. She was only isolated at night; during the day all the ferrets were out together, so she wasn't lonely for Koosh and Trixie. Vaccine reactions are really scary. Several of our ferrets have had them. I can't stress enough how important it is to stay at the vet's for at least 20 to 30 minutes after your ferret is vaccinated. During that time, keep a close eye on your ferret for any unusual behavior. Sometimes vaccine reactions are mild -- vomiting and/or diarrhea. Sometimes the reactions are severe -- the ferret "crashes" and requires extensive supportive care to be brought out of the reaction. Sometimes ferrets die from vaccine reactions. Signs of a vaccine reaction can vary. You may see vomiting, diarrhea (or bloody diarrhea), pale nose, gums, and paw pads or bright red nose, gums, and paw pads, lethargy (sluggishness), or unconsciousness. If something doesn't seem right about your ferret (for example, you know that your ferret's behavior is totally out of the ordinary for that ferret), tell the vet. Although vaccine reactions are scary, vaccinations are important in protecting your ferret. Canine distemper is fatal in ferrets and it is airborne (for example, you can bring it in on your shoes). Some states require ferrets to be vaccinated against rabies. Even though the likelihood of an indoor ferret contracting rabies is extremely remote, if your ferret bites or scratches someone, a current rabies vaccination can reassure the person and keep your ferret from being killed and tested for rabies. If you're at the vet's and your ferret shows signs of a reaction, let someone (receptionist, vet tech, vet) know immediately that your pet is having a reaction. Interrupt. Time is very important when a ferret has a vaccine reaction. When you go home, be sure to check up on your ferret during the next 24 hours to make sure your ferret is not having a delayed reaction. It is common for ferrets to be tired after a vaccination, but make sure that you can wake them up. Watch for vomiting or other signs of reaction as mentioned above. Make sure you have the phone number of a ferret-friendly emergency vet just in case your ferret has a problem. Dress for summer! Celebrate the summer season with some great Tees and stuff from FerretDesigns.com! You name it, we've got ferrets on it! Great gifts for all the ferret lovers in your family! Shopping at the Ferret Designs store helps pay for the costs of producing and mailing the Ferret News newsletter. | |
Update on Modern Ferret Things
Thanks for reading the Ferret News Newsletter! Remember to let your friends know that they can join the newsletter at: http://www.ferretnews.com If you've missed any newsletters, check out our Archive section. If you're having difficulty receiving the newsletter, you can always read the current issue at our website. --Mary & Eric Shefferman and Trixie, Koosh and Gabby (the ferrets, of course!)
Stay tuned for more. You can always get updates by reading my blog (a blog is an online journal). I keep it sporadically and it usually runs to the more personal stuff. But you might like it. It's at http://www.modernferretblog.com/mary
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