Ferret Health

Keeping your pet ferret healthy and active

Tests and Vaccines:

HOFA Rescue recommends the use of a licensed vaccine against canine distemper in ferrets (currently only Merial's Purevax Distemper vaccine), when available.   HOFA Rescue believes it is extremely important to make every effort to protect our ferrets from distemper and if the only licensed vaccine is unavailable due to shortages or other problems, HOFA Rescue recommends considering the use of a limited antigen vaccine that has a track record of safe and effective use in protecting ferrets. At this time, that is limited to Nobivac DPv, also known as The Puppy Shot, which has been used extensively in Europe and contains the vaccine strain formerly available as GalaxyD.  This vaccine also vaccinates against canine parvovirus, which ferrets do not get.  

Nobivac DPv is still the most proven vaccine available, with the least amount of additives, at this time for use when the licensed product is not.  There is one other vaccine that has been used for ferrets, Neovac , but at this time there was only a very limited study on this vaccine.  HOFA recommends you discuss  of any vaccination protocol with your ferret's treating veterinarian. Currently, most veterinarians will not go off-label due to liability issues. When available, use of such tools as antibody titers are recommended.  But at this time, HOFA Rescue knows of no local veterinarians that offer that service.   Many small private ferret breeders have been using Nobivac for several years and have reported that while that have been vaccine-associated reactions, said vaccine reactions have been minimal.   Report any vaccine-associated adverse events to: United States Department of Agriculture Center for Veterinary Biologics at 1-800-752-6255 or www.aphis.usda.gov/vs/cvb/html/adverseeventreport.html FDA Center for Veterinary Medicine: 1-888-FDA-VETS or www.fda.gov/cvm/  Vaccine manufacturer; by law, the manufacturer must forward these reports to the appropriate government agency.

Heart of Ohio Ferret Association

& Rescue, Inc.

Canine Distemper Vaccination News Update!

At this time, Merial's Purevax Distemper is still not available with no word on when or if it will be available in the foreseeable future.

HOFA Rescue recommends the use of a licensed vaccine against canine distemper in ferrets (currently only Merial's Purevax Distemper vaccine), when available.

HOFA Rescue believes it is extremely important to make every effort to protect our ferrets from distemper and if the only licensed vaccine is unavailable due to shortages or other problems,

HOFA Rescue recommends considering the use of a limited antigen vaccine that has a track record of safe and effective use in protecting ferrets. At this time, that is limited to Nobivac DPv, also known as The Puppy Shot, which has been used extensively in Europe and contains the vaccine strain formerly available as GalaxyD.

This vaccine also vaccinates against canine parvovirus, which ferrets do not get. Nobivac DPv is still the most proven vaccine available, with the least amount of additives, at this time for use when the licensed product is not. There is one other vaccine that has been used for ferrets, Neovac, but at this time there was only a very limited study on this vaccine.