Traveling With Ferrets Part 3

If you are a long term reader you know that the boys and I are getting ready for a road trip to Utah to attend the Blog Paws conference.

For those just now finding this blog check a few of the earlier posts.

What many people don’t realize is that you need to have a health
certificate for any pet traveling across state lines or around the world. These are obtained from you vet.

Many of us pet owners have a tendency to spell out going to the vet because Fido or Puss have learned that isn’t a fun place to go. I tell the boys where we are going and why. I am sure many will say that they are just animals and don’t understand. I disagree. I have found that by telling my two boys what is going on reduces the amount of stress they have.

So on Wednesday Manny and Marcuz had their vet visit with their vet Dr. DoverSpike. We had to make the appointment in May as Dr. DoverSpike is very popular and is well versed in ferret care.

Both the boys had a physical that Marcuz wasn’t overly happy with and decided he wanted to let doc know it. Marcuz took a nip at him but Dr. DoverSpike was ready for Marcuz and all that happened was a small pinch.

Manny and Marcuz also got vaccinated for rabies and distemper. Unlike dogs and cats who can get a three year rabies shot. Ferrets should be vaccinated every year.

Ferrets can also contract distemper from canines. Depending on how many ferrets a veterinarian clinic treats they might have ferret distemper vaccine but because the Franklin Animal Clinic only sees a few ferrets they don’t keep  the ferret distemper vaccine on hand because it goes bad more often than it is given. Thankfully ferrets can be vaccinated with canine distemper vaccine.

Both boys got vaccinated by the tech. Unfortunately it was given in the hind end. When Manny got certified as a therapy ferret he was given his vaccinations in the scruff of his neck. I am not sure if there is a reason for what location is used or if it was just easier for the tech to given the shots in the butt.

Some ferrets react badly to vaccinations so it is always a good idea to stick around the clinic for 30 minutes encase they do have a reaction. This is also true for ferrets that have never had a reaction before. The old adage “Better safe than sorry.” applies here.

I also discussed heartworm preventative with Dr. DoverSpike which surprised him that I even knew that ferrets could get heartworms and I found out that in our area there is almost no heartworm issue and the two dogs a year he treats often have relocated from down south to the area. But he did look up what is recommended as a heartworm preventive for ferrets. I was surprised to learn that one of them is a topical application of revolution.

Dr. DoverSpike gave my boys the best compliment which was that they were the most well behaved, calm ferrets he has ever seen.

So now the boys are truly ready for the road trip to Utah. Blog Paws here we come! Salt Lake City you ain’t seen nothing yet.

Have a chittering good day,

Jo

Ferret Vaccinations

 

     Vaccines are an important part of caring for our beloved animals. Some of our pets need more than others and in rare occasions are not required to have any vaccines because their physiology isn’t know well enough to know how things will work with them.

     We all should be aware of the fact that cats and dogs are required to have the rabies vaccine but what many new ferret owners don’t realize is that they should have their little buddy vaccinated against rabies as the disease is always fatal to the ferret.

     Most states do not put a ferret  into quarantine after it has bitten someone. The ferret is destroyed and studied. The rabies vaccine of choice for most veterinarians is Imrab-3. This is also the same as the rabies vaccine given to both dogs and cats.

     Another vaccine ferrets should have is for distemper. There are two distinct types of distemper, canine and feline. While ferrets are susceptible to canine distemper they don’t seem to catch the feline version.

     Distemper is an RNA virus (1) and is not stable enough to live in the environment very long. This virus is spread from sick animals by sneezing or coughing in the vicinity of a healthy one. The incubation period of distemper is between six to nine days. During the incubation time a ferret may not show any signs of contracting this disease.

     Distemper is often mistaken as the human cold in a ferret because many of the symptoms are very similar. A ferret showing signs of being depressed, develops a skin rash, nasal and eye discharge should be immediately by a ferret knowledgeable vet before the disease’s nerve degeneration begins.

     Distemper is almost always fatal in ferrets because owners may believe their ferret is suffering from just a cold and do not seek medical treatment. There have been a few cases where the ferret was saved from distemper but because of the high fever that accompanies this disease usually around 104 degrees their personality was never the same due to brain damage.

     Distemper is 100% preventable with vaccination. The recommended vaccination schedule is that a ferret be vaccinated with his/her first shot at 6-8 weeks, which is given when baby ferrets are shipped from breeders to the pet stores. The booster shot should be given at 10-12 weeks and then is given yearly. The vaccine that is approved for ferrets is Purevax manufactured by Merial, Inc.

     While there have been reports of ferrets having a severe reaction to the vaccine many ferret knowledgeable vets will be able to talk to you about the chances of your little one having a reaction.

     The best procedure is to stay at the vet’s office for a minimum of thirty minutes after the vaccine is given so that if the need for emergency care is needed you are in the right place.

     Yearly vaccination is recommended but if you are worried that your ferret will have a reaction or are just concerned that he/she really doesn’t need the vaccine there is a test called a serum titer.

     A sample of blood is drawn from the ferret and tested for the antibodies known as titer against the distemper virus. This could be a costly option as it takes a lot of skill to draw blood from a ferret, as their blood vessels are so tiny.

     The dosage of each vaccine is 1 milliliter or approximately 15-20 drops (2). Some vets will give both vaccines at the same time and others rather give one then wait a week before giving the other.

     Depending on where you live the cost can be almost nothing or up to a hundred dollars. For my boys the cost is around $70 but that includes the office visit and wellness certificate that I need to have for them to travel on an airplane.

(1) RNA is one of the 3 major macromolecules that are essential for all known forms of life. http://www.en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RNA

(2) Dosage information and other research from Dr. Hines http://www.2ndchance.info/fervacs.html 

     We would also like to thank Dr. Shawn Finch DVM for clarifying information and answering our many questions. Dr. Finch writes for Omaha.net .

 

Have a Chittering good day,

Jo