Distemper.....A word of warning

[zachrussell 1]

kay do you think ferret shows should be stopped for this year cheers

 

Sorry i hadn't seen this ... i dont think its exclusive to shows .. its anywhere theres likely to be a gathering .. all people can do is just be mindfull in places where there has been confirmed cases

 

Ive just read up on distemper surely theres a chance they will get if you take them out rabbiting? Ive read theres a vaccine is the vaccine worth it? Because ive also read it can cause anaphylactic shock.

 

The only way to confirm causes of death in cases like this is to pm the ferret... i have no idea how many ferrets could have got distemper from being out doing there job & its not been confimed by a pm

 

I think unless you recognise the clinical signs your self your unlikely to know what killed the ferrets without a pm & i dont think many people will have had every ferret they have lost looked at by a vet ..

 

the jab is the dog vaccine basically & i have no idea how many ferret have & do go in to anaphalactic shock .... best person to ask is your vet ...

Thanks mate

[longnetter 32]

i ws planning to go stilton ferret rescue centre to get my jills brought out of season. obvious not now thanks for the heads up mate

 

The outbreak wasn't at the Stilton ferret rescue. I know those people, they're a good lot.....likely they've suspended that service anyway as a precaution

 

ATB

[wullieh 53]

Looks like it is not distemper.read this got it sent to me today.

Dear All

 

 

 

Some of you may be aware that there have been quite a few ferret deaths reported in the Derbyshire and Yorkshire areas of which one suggestion has been canine distemper.

 

 

 

When at the end of March we heard about this, we started to investigate possible causes, ferret numbers involved, etc. We have not been able to access the post mortem results that mention canine distemper however, when another person's ferrets started to die they agreed to having full post mortem and pathology reports carried out, of which several have now been done.

 

 

 

Whilst we are still waiting for the actual reports to arrive which we will publish on our website http://nfws.250free.com, put forward to the moderators of the main ferret forums and include in May's newsletter, we have established the following:

 

 

 

a) These ferrets did not die of canine distemper. Nor have the subsequent ferrets that have unfortunately not survived this illness.

 

 

 

Whilst there is no specific pcr test (polymerase chain reaction which tests samples at a genetic level) for ferrets here in the UK, when the cow pcr test was used, all came back testing positive for coronavirus. These results are also compatible with a report that was done several years ago in the States on coronavirus in ferrets.

 

 

 

So what is coronavirus? Well to you and me, it's a very nasty form of viral enteritis spread by infected faeces and appears to kill the old and infirm; as we are now in the kit season, they too would probably not survive what is, a slow death.

 

 

 

Symptoms to look out for: lethargy, loss of appetite, runny/black faeces and not wanting to drink very much.

 

 

 

Unfortunately, of the remaining ill ferrets that were treated with a trial treatment (not licensed for ferrets - but both the owner and vet felt it was worth trying), only one has survived, a jill. Another owner who had several ferrets with identical symptoms has also only had one survive. Please note none of these ferrets died of canine distemper.

 

 

 

Precautions: The Society is at this stage, advising owners "to be extra vigilant, use antibacterial hand washes - making sure anyone handling ferrets use it before and after each ferret is touched, not to mix groups of different owners' ferrets, don't walk them around at shows, etc and that we're currently awaiting pathology reports". As always, if you have a ferret that is unwell then please seek veterinary advice.

 

 

 

Some ferret clubs/welfares have cancelled their ferret shows but the majority are continuing as are all the PR events that our members have been booked to do, up and down the country including the game/agricultural show circuit which for many welfares, is the only way they can raise enough money to keep going, BUT if any of them thought that they were endangering the lives of other ferrets they would immediately cancel. (Some ferret racing events have been temporarily suspended).

 

 

 

The NFWS committee is currently revising it's own Show/AGM rules which again will be posted on our web site and in the annual September and January newsletters where we advertise this event.

 

 

 

The loss of one ferret is at the best of times, horrible but too lose several or more must be devastating; all we can do is try and learn from these deaths so that other owners/veterinarians are in a better position to treat our loveable, mischievous hooligans.

 

 

 

Best wishes.

 

 

 

Bennie Lye

 

for and on behalf of

 

NFWS Committee

 

National Ferret Welfare Society

[Leeview 791]

Well that puts a whole new slant on it then people putting unfounded rumours out and panicking people about what could harm their ferrets

Y.I.S Leeview

[farmerkev09 105]

hopefully it will keep at bay

[beechris 0]

just done a google search in destemper and got this from wiki

 

 

[edit] Prevention

See also: DA2PPC Vaccine

There exist a number of vaccines against canine distemper for dogs (ATCvet code: QI07AD05 and combinations) and domestic ferrets (QI20DD01), which in many jurisdictions are mandatory for pets. The type of vaccine should be approved for the type of animal being inoculated, or else the animal could actually contract the disease from the vaccine. A dog who has eaten meat infected with Rinderpest can also sometimes receive temporary immunity.[16] Infected animals should be quarantined from other dogs for several months due to the length of time the animal may shed the virus.[1] The virus is destroyed in the environment by routine cleaning with disinfectants, detergents, or drying. It does not survive in the environment for more than a few hours at room temperature (20–25 °C), but can survive for a few weeks in shady environments at temperatures slightly above freezing.[17] It, along with other labile viruses, can also persist longer in serum and tissue debris.[12]

 

[edit] Treatment

 

 

 

Can we get this vaccine??

[longnetter 32]

 

Theres been quite a few people get there ferrets jabbed after the show at shugborough where it was also confirmed several dogs were treated for distemper in stafford

 

Especially for your benefit Leeview or should I say Lee didn't view

[Leeview 791]

just done a google search in destemper and got this from wiki

 

 

[edit] Prevention

See also: DA2PPC Vaccine

There exist a number of vaccines against canine distemper for dogs (ATCvet code: QI07AD05 and combinations) and domestic ferrets (QI20DD01), which in many jurisdictions are mandatory for pets. The type of vaccine should be approved for the type of animal being inoculated, or else the animal could actually contract the disease from the vaccine.

(quote)

I was lead to believe that there are no distemper vacines licensed for ferrets in the UK?

Lorelei or wullie is this so?

As for Wikipaedia anyone can post/dispute what is put on there because thats all it is peoples opinions

Y.I.S Leeview

[Guest AngelicAcid]

So what does this all mean to dog and ferret owners?

 

Should they be kept seperate?

 

How far North Has this spread?

 

If it is been spread to dogs, will the puppy jabs still protect at a later stage, say dogs that are 3 years old now?

[wullieh 53]

just done a google search in destemper and got this from wiki

 

 

[edit] Prevention

See also: DA2PPC Vaccine

There exist a number of vaccines against canine distemper for dogs (ATCvet code: QI07AD05 and combinations) and domestic ferrets (QI20DD01), which in many jurisdictions are mandatory for pets. The type of vaccine should be approved for the type of animal being inoculated, or else the animal could actually contract the disease from the vaccine.

(quote)

I was lead to believe that there are no distemper vacines licensed for ferrets in the UK?

Lorelei or wullie is this so?

As for Wikipaedia anyone can post/dispute what is put on there because thats all it is peoples opinions

Y.I.S Leeview

since ferrets are reletivly new to the vets there is not many vacines for ferrets let alone the distemper one they tend to base them on cats, and have forgot the amount of times i have had to sign to say i am allowing the vet to use somthing on the ferret that is not registered for them.

asking friend on on=ther forum there is no vaccine for distemper for ferrets like i thought.

Edited May 1, 2010 by wullieh

[Leeview 791]

Cheers wullie so I was nt wrong about no recognised licensed vacines for ferrets in the UK and interesting about the remark about injecting can actually give them the virus

Y.I.S Leeview

[Tiggypud 0]

Well that puts a whole new slant on it then people putting unfounded rumours out and panicking people about what could harm their ferrets

Y.I.S Leeview

 

 

Well George are you saying that the vet and owners in Chesterfield are not telling the truth then.

 

Tiggypud

[Guest rocky4]

how many have died in chesterfield that you know of tiggeypud cheers

[Guest rocky4]

how many have died in chesterfield that you know of tiggypud cheers

[Kay 3,709]

just done a google search in destemper and got this from wiki

 

 

[edit] Prevention

See also: DA2PPC Vaccine

There exist a number of vaccines against canine distemper for dogs (ATCvet code: QI07AD05 and combinations) and domestic ferrets (QI20DD01), which in many jurisdictions are mandatory for pets. The type of vaccine should be approved for the type of animal being inoculated, or else the animal could actually contract the disease from the vaccine.

(quote)

I was lead to believe that there are no distemper vacines licensed for ferrets in the UK?

Lorelei or wullie is this so?

As for Wikipaedia anyone can post/dispute what is put on there because thats all it is peoples opinions

Y.I.S Leeview

since ferrets are reletivly new to the vets there is not many vacines for ferrets let alone the distemper one they tend to base them on cats, and have forgot the amount of times i have had to sign to say i am allowing the vet to use somthing on the ferret that is not registered for them.

asking friend on on=ther forum there is no vaccine for distemper for ferrets like i thought.

 

as far as i know canine vaccines are used in ferrets not cat vaccines .. the only licenced drug to use in ferrets is the jill jab (Delvosteron) as far as i am aware