Rabies and Ferrets

We are very fortunately not to have a rabies problem in Australia. However the downside of that is that, due to the stringent quarantine laws, we can't import any ferrets from other countries to increase and strengthen our gene pool!

Rabies is a viral disease which infects the central nervous system of all mammals, humans included.

Symptoms include:

Lethargy

Anxiety

Nervousness

Aggressiveness

Hyper-alertness

Lack of fear

Disorientation

Excessive salivation

Difficulty in standing or walking normally

Paralysis or partial paralysis (especially in the hindquarters)

Imrab-3 is the only rabies vaccination approved for use in ferrets in America. Kits should receive their first vaccination at 3 months old, and boosters are required yearly after that.

However that still doesn’t seem to safeguard a ferret from being euthanized and tested for rabies if it should happen to break someone’s skin with its teeth in certain parts of the States, even though from what I've read on the Internet, only about 30 ferrets have ever been recorded with rabies there, compared with huge number of dogs and cats!

It seems that the safest thing is to keep one's ferrets inside and not to allow strangers to pet it.

When you take your ferret for its vaccination, please be aware that it might have an allergic reaction so it's a good idea to wait for at least 30 minutes in the vet's office just in case.

Rabies in Ferrets by Judith A. Bell, DVM, PhD

Ferrets & Rabies (Ferret Association of Connecticut)

Rabies and the Domestic Ferret

Rabies in Ferret (Exotic and Bird Clinic of New Hampshire)

Rabies in Ferrets (PetMD)

And if, God forbid, your ferret does happen to nip a stranger, there are instructions on what to do on the American Ferret Association's website ...

How to Handle a Bite or Scratch Incident

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