ferret shots

Question
hello i just got a ferret from a private owner that claimed to have allergies.she is and albino.the lady sad she is about 8 months old and is up to date on her shots but she doesn't have a tattoo one her ear so I'm not she she has had her shots.would it be harmful for her to get more shots if she has already had them?

Answer
Hi Christina:

Yes, there is a problem in duplicating vaccinations. The likelihood of your ferret having a reaction to the injection is much higher if it has already been vaccinated.

Your best bet would be to ask the lady who the previous vet is that she used and check with that vet regarding when the ferret had its vaccinations. That will also tell you when the ferret is due for her next round of shots.  If the lady fails to provide vet information, then you might get more suspicious that the ferret may not have had her vaccinations.

I was in this same situation some years ago and to be safe had the second set of vaccinations and my ferret had a nearly deadly reaction to her distemper shot (I had no previous history on her). They had to give her injections directly into her heart to save her life and scar tissue formed on those injection points and in later years, she developed heart problems due to the scar tissue. For that reason, if I were in your shoes, I would take the chance of going a year without vaccinations and keep the ferret in the home, as long as you don't have a lot of strange pets coming and going in your home, and wait at least six to nine months before getting a set of vaccinations.

Additionally, when you do get vaccination, never get the distemper and rabies shots at the same visit - get them at least a week apart AND be sure that each injection is preceded by an injection of benadryl, then wait 15 minutes before giving the actual injection just for safety sake. This is a good idea with ALL ferrets, but especially important with ferrets with questionable past history.

Thanks for the question - it's an important one!  Happy holidays to you and yours!

In memory of my sweet Gilbert, who just went to the Rainbow Bridge,
Jacquie Rodgers