IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT FERRET VACCINATIONS

Canine distemper is airborne and highly contagious in certain animals such as dogs, raccoons and other wildlife. The virus is 100% fatal if ferrets contract it. There is wide controversy surrounding the vaccinations of ferrets in general, not to mention the vaccine itself so I will give you the FACTS, and my opinions, and you will know which is which.

DISCLAIMER, I do not keep current on new vaccines or changes to existing so this is a generalization and it’s up to you to be sure you have the latest and greatest for your ferret.

When I was an active rescue, United Vaccines produced Fervac-D which was the only FDA approved distemper vaccine for ferrets. (PLEASE NOTE as you read along, the difference between FDA approved and off label use-this occurs in animals just as it does in humans). Unfortunately Fervac-D had a high rate of life threatening allergic reactions.

Purvax by Merial came along which seemed to be a better choice with a lower allergic incident rate. However, ferret vaccines are not profitable so Merial never seemed to manufacture enough to keep in stock and there were always complaints about backorders.

Galaxy-D is a USDA approved canine distemper vaccine (for dogs) but not labeled for use in ferrets.  It has even lower incidence of allergic reactions in ferrets and is the one I use and have always used for as long as I've owned ferrets - well over 20 years.

REGARDLESS, and even though I am quite capable and proficient at giving injections, I still to this day, refuse to buy the vaccine and administer it myself. I spend the extra time and money taking my ferrets to the vet so that if a reaction does occur, they won’t die. There is but a few short minutes to intervene when they go into anaphylactic shock before it’s too late. Given the time critical severity, I choose not to take the chance.

Before the vaccination: VERY IMPORTANT AND SHOULD NOT BE MINIMIZED I administer 1(one) cc(ml) of Childrens Benedryl orally to the ferret about ½ hour before the appointment. This lowers the chance of a reaction and also helps if a reaction does occur. I then wait another ½ in the waiting room to be sure the critical period has passed. The vet has everything they need to treat a ferret that has gone into shock. Usually, the longer it takes to develop an allergic reaction, the less severe and life threatening it is. BEFORE YOU ADMINISTER ANY MEDICATION TO YOUR FERRET, BE SURE TO CHECK WITH YOUR VET FIRST

Of course, once a ferret has had an allergic reaction, he should never again be vaccinated. And this is another part of vaccine controversy – it has been stated that animals will build up immunity over the years and annual vaccines may not be necessary. Personally, I am convinced that there is some truth to this study so I have chosen to vaccinate every 3 years instead of annually and I believe this should apply to dogs and cats as well.

These combination vaccines should never be used: DHLPP which is given to dogs, the killed Canine Distemper vaccine, feline distemper vaccine, or any Canine Distemper vaccine cultivated from ferret tissue.

Lastly, I wait 2 weeks between distemper and rabies to reduce the chance of reactions to loading the body, and so that I know which vaccine my ferret is reacting to.   The rabies manufacturer does not think it is necessary if using the Imrab rabies vaccine with Galaxy-D but I always like to err on the side of caution.

This is my opinion BUT – PLEASE take your ferret to a ferret experienced vet. There IS a difference in the care your ferret will receive. You will find several exotic vets in the Puget Sound area on the Ferret Resource page.