Ferret vaccinations: what to protect against, when to start, which boosters

Canine distemper

A viral disease that often starts with a cough, sneezing and discharge from the eyes and nose. In ferrets, the death rate is close to 100%. The virus spreads through respiratory droplets and the secretions of a sick animal.

Rabies

Only needed if you plan to take your ferret abroad (see below).

There is no flu vaccine for ferrets, yet they can catch flu from people and pass it back: if you have flu, keep contact to a minimum and wash your hands before handling your ferret.

Like a puppy, a young ferret needs several injections to be properly protected against distemper. The MSD Veterinary Manual gives this benchmark:

• Around 8 weeksFirst distemper injection.
• Around 11 weeksSecond injection.
• Around 14 weeksThird injection.
• From 12 weeksRabies vaccination possible if your ferret needs it for travel, on a different day from the distemper vaccine.

An adult ferret whose vaccination history is unknown also gets a course of injections. According to the MSD manual, no distemper vaccine is licensed specifically for ferrets: your vet chooses a vaccine that is suitable and safe for them.

Canine distemper

Every one to three years depending on the vaccine used, according to the MSD manual; the PDSA advises a yearly booster for all ferrets in the UK, often given at the annual check-up.

Rabies

By the expiry date on your ferret’s vaccination record: if there is no break in cover, GOV.UK says no new waiting period is needed after a booster before travelling.

To travel from Great Britain to an EU country, GOV.UK says your ferret must be microchipped before, or at the same time as, its rabies vaccination. Your vet needs proof that your ferret is at least 12 weeks old before vaccinating, and you must wait at least 21 full days after the first vaccination before travelling. You then need an animal health certificate, signed by an official vet within 10 days of travel; a pet passport issued to a resident of England, Scotland or Wales can’t be used to enter the EU.

According to the MSD manual, vaccine reactions are common in ferrets: vomiting, diarrhoea and, in rare cases, a severe reaction that can be fatal. They can appear several hours after the injection. Mild tiredness for a few days is common.

Enter the date of each vaccine and the interval your vet recommends: MyArk alerts everyone in the household before the next booster, and keeps the history in your ferret’s health record.

• One reminder per vaccine: distemper at your vet’s interval, rabies before it expires
• The young ferret’s injections tracked one by one
• Dates, vaccines and any reactions kept in the health record
• An up-to-date pet sitter sheet, vaccines included, for when someone looks after your ferret