Ferret Distemper
Ferret distemper is an extremely deadly virus if contracted in ferrets. It can be carried in many different ways. You could be carrying it right now. The same could be true of a wide variety of plant and animal life that your ferret could come into contact with either directly or indirectly.
If your ferret gets ferret distemper, the progression will not be pretty, and the end result is almost always death. The first symptoms are generally anorexia, rash, and discharge from the nose and eyes. Sometimes the initial symptoms can be mistaken for those of human influenza, which ferrets are also susceptible to. During this time they are also more likely to get secondary infections. Gradually the nerves will degenerate causing the worst of the problems, including loss of muscle control leading to spasms and tremors, coma, and finally death, often within 12-30 days. Sadly, there is no treatment besides ending the ferret’s suffering.
You do have prevention options though. Considering how many unvaccinated ferrets fall to ferret distemper, most baby ferrets that you get from stores or breeders will already have their first shot. Generally it is a series of three to four shots a few weeks apart, started at about eight weeks old. From then on shots are given on a yearly basis.
There are risks of reactions to these shots, so in most cases it is recommended that you keep your ferret in the vet’s office for 30 minutes to an hour after it is administered. The most common reaction, if there is one, is anaphylaxis. This is not something you have the ability to deal with at home in most cases, so take the precaution.
Should there be a reaction to the shot, there are other versions of the shot that you could try and other possible injections to mitigate the risks. It all depends on how serious the reaction was. You may have to ask yourself which is going to be more dangerous to your ferret or what risks you’re willing to live with.
On the bright side, considering most ferrets will have at least the first shot when you get them, you should know if they’re allergic or not before you buy your ferret. Allergies can develop in time, but this is a positive indicator to help alleviate some of the worry.
