Distemper Vaccine Information
Pet owners should vaccinate their dogs, cats or ferrets against distemper, a viral disease that can cause seizures and even death. Each species requires a different vaccine.
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Canine Distemper Vaccines
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According to Animal Health Channel, the Rockborn strain of vaccine has a high effectiveness rate but can cause brain swelling, while the safer Onderstepoort and Lederle varieties work only 80 percent of the time.
Feline Distemper Vaccines
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Vaccines consisting of either killed virus or modified live virus can protect against feline distemper, according to PetEducation.com.
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Ferret Distemper Vaccines
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Two vaccines, Purevax-D and Galaxy-D, offer the only distemper protection for ferrets, according to the Ferret Universe website.
When to Vaccinate
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Animal Health Channel recommends that puppies get vaccinated at 12 weeks of age. PetEducation.com states that pregnant cats or 4-week-old kittens may receive killed virus vaccines, which take up to seven days to work, while only older cats should get the live vaccine. Ferrets should begin their series of injections when they are 8 weeks old.
Considerations
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The Department of Natural Resources notes that canine distemper in wild animals, while not harmful to humans, can resemble rabies.
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References
- Photo Credit Image by Flickr.com, courtesy of Beverly
