Ferret vaccinations?

Question

if i dont plan on taking my ferret outisde or around any animlas should i still get a rabies and canine distemper vaccine

Answer 1

yeah because it could some how get it.

its only liek $50 dollers for the 2nd part of shots

Answer 2

More ferrets seem to have reactions to the rabies shots than the distemper shots.  I's get a distemper, but as mentioned stay at the vet's office for at least 30 minutes AFTER they give the shot, in case there is a reaction the vet can do something.  Rabies I wouldn't worry about so much, neither of mine have gotten rabies shots.  But the distemper can be brought in by you simply petting a dog.

Answer 3

The problem with that is that even though you may not take them outside and into contact with other animals - you are.

Some diseases can be carried by you from other animals to yours at home

Answer 4

You really should be very careful with vaccinating your ferret.  Your best bet is to bring them into your veterinarians office and ask them.  

I brought both my ferrets in for their vaccinations and both had sever allergic reations  minutes after receiving their shots and had to be hospitalized for 4 days.  One almost died twice during his stay.  My vet told me vaccinating them was not worth the risk.  She informed me that I need to keep them inside and limit their exposure to unfamilar people and the outdoors.  

From that expierence I would recomend you have your vet advise you best on this answer.  

Best of Luck.

Answer 5

As one person experienced above, ferrets can have very serious reactions to vaccinations. There's also a lot of articles floating around the net about how our pets are being over-vaccinated (which I'm a big believer in). I suggest discussing this with your vet and he/she should help you come to a good decision. Unfortunately, a lot of vets push the shots no matter what, but luckily for me, my vet it isn't like that. Hopefully you'll find one that will discuss this with you, help you come to a good decision, and not just say "Your ferret HAS to be vaccinated!" Anyway, my vet always suggests that a ferret get one round of each vaccination and that's it. So, when a ferret first comes to me, if I don't know its vaccination history, I schedule an appointment and they get one round of each vaccination. My vet also recommends doing each shot separately, not both at the same visit. This way, if your ferret does have a reaction, you know which one it is reacting to. You should also remain at the vets for at least 30 minutes after your ferret receives the shots (so if something does happen, you're still there). Some vets suggest doing a hydrocortisone shot before the vaccination to prevent an allergice reaction, especially if your ferret has had reactions to the shots in the past. In your case, if you're absolutely sure your ferret can't and won't get out and there's no possibilty of your ferret coming in contact with a rabid animal, then the rabies shot might not be necessary. Keep in mind though, some states require animals be up to date on rabies vaccinations and, if your ferret bites someone and it gets reported, your ferret will most likely be put down. As for the distemper, it doesn't matter if your ferret goes out or not, distemper is something that can float in the air and be carried in by another animal or any person that comes in your house and your ferret could then become infected. You should have your ferret vaccinated for distemper at least once. Again, according to my vet, that one round should be enough for the lifetime of the ferret.