Ferrets are required by law to be vaccinated annually against rabies in Georgia and it is strongly recommended that they be vaccinated against Canine Distemper Virus.
Canine Distemper Virus (CDV) is an airborne disease, meaning that your ferret doesn't need to come in contact with an infected dog in order to get it. CDV can be brought into your house on your clothing or shoes. Unfortunately, ferrets are highly susceptible to the disease and it is virtually 100% fatal for unvaccinated ferrets that contract Canine Distemper Virus. Luckily, Merial (an animal health company) has created PUREVAX® FERRET DISTEMPER, a USDA approved vaccine meant to combat CDV with relatively low reaction rates. Most ferrets obtained from a pet store or breeder have already been given one CDV vaccine, but it is important to check the documentation for specific information. They will then need 2 more booster vaccines and are vaccinated yearly thereafter.
One of the most important reasons to have your ferret vaccinated against rabies is it is a fatal neurologic disease that is transmissible to humans and other animals. Rabies in ferrets has a relatively low number of documented cases in the United States (less than 20 since the 1950s), and infection worldwide is fairly rare. Still, a rabies vaccine will prevent against infection, which though slim, can happen. Furthermore, it is essential to have proper rabies vaccination certification information necessary should your ferret ever bite someone. If an unvaccinated ferret were to bite someone, the veterinarian has to report this information to the state and the ferret could be seized by the state, quarantined, or worse, euthanized. The rabies vaccine also needs to be given yearly.
Ferrets are very small in size and are prone to vaccine reactions, so the rabies and Canine Distemper vaccines can't be given at the same time. It is recommended to give these vaccines two weeks a part. Also, to lower the risk of vaccine reaction, exotic veterinarians should pre-medicate the ferret with an anti-histamine injection approximately 15 minutes before giving a vaccine. Once the vaccine is given, it is also required to have the patient stay for a monitoring period of 20 to 30 minutes to monitor for a reaction. We understand that this is a long time to spend at the vet office so these appointments can be scheduled as drop-offs, so the patient can be monitored by hospital staff. Otherwise, we recommend that you schedule your first vaccine appointments on a day when you can be home with your ferret for the rest of the day to continue monitoring at home.