Learn More About Ferrets
Vaccinations

In addition to regular veterinary checkups, ferrets require annual vaccinations against canine distemper and rabies. Do not let New York City's ferret ban interfere with properly taking care of your pet ferrets. New York City ferret vets are on OUR side. Not one NYC ferret vet has spoken at any public hearing in favor of the ban. NYC's ferret vets will not "turn you in." If a former ferret vet is no longer seeing clients with ferrets they'll simply tell you that when you call. If you need help finding a ferret vet in the NYC area let us know. Regular yearly checkups and vaccinations are crucial to your ferret's health.

Distemper Vaccinations:

The USDA approved distemper vaccine for ferrets is Fervac-D. Another USDA approved distemper vaccine for ferrets, PureVax by Meriel, has recently come onto the market as well.

Ferrets that have never been vaccinated or that have an unknown vaccination history will need 2-3 distemper booster shots within the first year and then one shot every year after that. A ferret knowledgeable vet will know the protocol for how many weeks apart the booster shots should be given. Ferrets from pet stores have almost always had the first of their 3 distemper booster shots.

Canine distemper is highly contagious and fatal to ferrets. Even if your ferret never goes outside, distemper is so contagious that your ferret could catch it by your unknowingly picking it up on your clothes or shoes while walking outside and bringing it into your home. There has been no indication that ferrets are susceptible to feline distemper.

Unless your ferret has a medical condition that makes vaccinating it unwise (ill pets should not be vaccinated), keep it up to date on its distemper vaccinations. Distemper is a horrible preventable fatal disease.

Related Links:

Rabies Vaccinations:

The USDA approved rabies vaccination for ferrets is Imrab-3. Ferrets should be vaccinated against rabies once a year.

Rabies in ferrets is extremely rare. It's practically impossible for a ferret to catch rabies. Even ferrets precisely injected with rabies in laboratories show a high immunity to the disease. There has never been a case of a ferret transmitting rabies to a human being.

So why vaccinate your ferret against rabies? Because it could save your ferret's life. If your ferret is accused of biting someone (whether or not it actually did), proof that your ferret is up to date on its rabies vaccinations could keep the entire incident from being reported (because if it is reported and you live in NYC your ferret will be confiscated) and, in many cases, proof of current rabies vaccination might result in your ferret being quarantined for 10 days instead of immediately killed and decapitated to test for rabies.

Related links:


RABIES VACCINATIONS FOR FERRETS ARE THE LAW IN NY STATE

* But apparently NOT for NYC.

A law went into effect on November 20th 2002 mandating that all dogs, cats, and domesticated ferrets in New York State be vaccinated for rabies. The law does NOT appear to apply to New York City.

The law also grants an exemption if:

"...vaccination against rabies would adversely affect the animal's health, as determined by a licensed veterinarian... [If an exemption is granted for health reasons, the]...veterinarian shall provide the owner of the dog, cat or domesticated ferret with a certified statement verifying that the animal is exempt from immunization because the immunization would adversely affect the health of the animal, and verifying the nature and duration of such exemption. The certified statement shall be in a form prescribed by the commissioner and shall be consistent with the requirements of section one hundred nine of the agriculture and markets law. Medical exemptions are to be renewed on an annual basis."

Also of interest, for NY State residents with tight budgets, is the following:

"A clinic for rabies vaccination for dogs, cats and domesticated ferrets of persons with local residence shall be conducted at least every four months within the county under the direction of the county government, by the health officials of the county and the several local health districts within a county. Donations may be requested but not required at the clinics. Any listing of costs in clinic announcements or advertisements must indicate that VACCINATIONS ARE AVAILABLE FREE OF CHARGE (emphasis ours), and that donations are optional. Counties may at their option provide vaccination clinic services to persons without county residence, and may require a fee based on cost from these persons."

NYC RESIDENTS:

Although rabies vaccinations do not appear to be required for ferrets in NYC at this time, we strongly urge you to keep your ferrets' rabies vaccinations up to date.

Remember: If your ferret is accused of biting someone (whether or not it actually did), proof that your ferret is up to date on its rabies vaccinations could save your ferret's life. It could keep the entire incident from being reported (because if it is reported and you live in NYC your ferret will be confiscated) and, in many cases, proof of current rabies vaccination might result in your ferret being quarantined for 10 days instead of immediately killed to test for rabies.

 

A note about allergic reactions to vaccines:

Fear of allergic reactions should not prevent you from keeping your ferret up to date on its shots. If a ferret has had a mild allergic reaction to a vaccine in the past, some vets will pre-treat the ferret with Benadryl the following year before giving vaccinations. If a ferret has had a severe allergic reaction or if the ferret has a chronic illness, many vets will advise against future vaccinations for that ferret due to the increase in health risks.

Take the following precautions when having your ferret vaccinated:

  • Always have your ferret vaccinated as early in the day as possible.
  • Have your ferret vaccinated on a day when your vet will be available all day in the event of an emergency:
    -And ideally the next day as well. i.e. If your vet doesn't work weekends, then late in the day on Friday would not be a good time to have your ferret vaccinated!
  • Stay at your vet's office for an hour after the vaccine is given:
    Most vaccine reactions happen within 30 minutes after receiving shots, but stay an hour just to be safe. (Bring a book to read.)
  • Keep an eye on your pet for any delayed reactions that might occur within the next 48 hours:
    Most, but not all, allergic reactions happen within 30 minutes of receiving the vaccine, but it's a good idea to keep an eye on your pet for the next 48 hours in case of a delayed reaction to the vaccine.
  • Separate rabies and distemper vaccinations by at least 2 weeks:
    Many vets like to give both rabies and distemper vaccinations during the same visit. Whenever possible, have rabies vaccines and distemper vaccines administered separately at least 2 weeks apart to reduce the chances of an allergic reaction to either or both vaccines.

    If you ask, most vets will not charge you for the second visit if you arrange come back two weeks later ONLY for the second shot. They'll simply charge you for the injection. In other words, the cost will be the same as if you'd had both shots done on the same day.

In the event of a vaccine reaction, immediate veterinary help will be needed to save your pet's life. Your pet may never have a vaccine reaction, but because vaccine reactions can be fatal, it's worth it to take the precautions listed above.

 

<< More Information On Ferrets