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Post by Jackie on Jan 4, 2011 2:18:24 GMT -5
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Post by Heather on Jan 4, 2011 2:36:44 GMT -5
I will be interested in hearing what your homeopath has to say about this. ciao
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Post by Jackie on Jan 4, 2011 2:40:44 GMT -5
I'm probably going to get in touch with them tomorrow and see if they've had any success with it in dogs. If so, maybe I can collaborate with my ferret vet and figure out a dosing schedule and see how it goes.
With the ferret vaccine being discontinued, I need to figure out something for my girls. They've been vaccinated once, but I am a bit concerned with the high rate of distemper in FL.
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Post by Jackie on Jan 4, 2011 2:44:49 GMT -5
My only concern is that sucrose is an inactive ingredient in the stuff, so I'll have to contact the manufactures and see how much it actually contains.
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Post by Heather on Jan 4, 2011 2:48:26 GMT -5
contacting the mfg might be a really good idea as they could also let you know if they consider the product safe for ferrets. I did that with Ambertech. It took them a few days to do a bit of research but in the end they agreed that it would be ok and they also figured out a dosage for my guys. They also have a distemper product, but I don't remember exactly how it's applied. They were working on their heartworm product as well ciao
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Post by Jackie on Jan 4, 2011 2:51:03 GMT -5
Ohh, I definitely need to find a heartworm preventative for the FL weather. For now I have to use Revolution to make sure they are protected in the summer months (we get the mosquitoes indoors a lot, so I am really paranoid). That's next on my list.
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Post by 3kaw on Jan 4, 2011 5:00:37 GMT -5
My opinion on this... though others practice differently....
Homeopathics are not designed to work as prophylactics. They work much better as they were designed, based on the symptom picture of whatever illness you are treating.
This is a combination remedy, which can be hit or miss. What they do is take the top remedies that treat the illness (distemper in this case) and put them all together in low potency to hopefully cover all the bases. The down sides to this 1) if they got the right one it may not be strong enough dose to do what it needs to, and you would not know which of the 5 remedies to get in high potency 2) there are definitely other remedies that would work that would not be in the mix and it could be the one you need.
For example... the flu.... if you take 5 different people and list their symptoms.. there will be some over lap of common symptoms.. like chills and aches... but the things like either vomiting or diarrhea (or both) will be somewhat different for each... and each person could need a different remedy to restore health, based on the different symptoms.
You would not need to dose as often as the bottle says if you choose to use this product. Once is sufficient with a repeat if you felt they were exposed (again assuming you were to use it as a prophylactic)
Most homeopathic have milk sugar (when in a pill form) The pill itself is a milk sugar. It is then coated with the remedy in a powder around the pill (which is why it is not recommend to touch the remedies). To avoid the sugar, you can put the remedy in water, thus washing the remedy off the pill, and after a few seconds remove the pill instead of allowing it to dissolve. Liquid remedies are available as well, though most have alcohol bases. Usually this is not a concern because you use so little of the product (unless you follow the bottle instructions which are always over kill... don't follow them. lol)
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Post by Jackie on Jan 4, 2011 5:30:14 GMT -5
I am normally of the same opinion (which is why I do vaccinate for distemper). What makes me think this product might be an effective prophylactic is the use of distemperinum C30. Because it is a byproduct of the actual virus, it might be able to provide a similar immune response that a vaccine does, allowing for the proper antibodies to be created. The Bryonia C6 is really just in there to treat dogs who already have contracted and suppress the cough. The Echinacea purp seems to just help boost the natural immune system.
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Post by miamiferret2 on Jan 4, 2011 8:06:39 GMT -5
There is a high incidence of canine distemper where I live. I can't take any chances. A girl at work had to treat all 3 of her dogs and she has no idea how they were infected because they are house dogs and only go into the back yard supposedly.
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Post by Jackie on Jan 4, 2011 8:08:11 GMT -5
But what do we do when the ferret vaccine is no longer available? It's no longer being made, and I don't see an alternative vaccine being worked on.
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Post by Jackie on Jan 4, 2011 8:12:58 GMT -5
To quote Heather who quoted Dr. Ruth
"This was a statement made by Dr Ruth (who raises and breeds ferrets) **confirmed that Galaxy D is being discontinued. They will be producing it until Jan 1 but after that it's gone. Current expiry dates on the new product is Nov. 2011. They will be henceforth producing only the distemper/parvo combination product but it's a different strain of distemper vaccine and cannot be assumed to be protective for ferrets. They will not be producing a similar product to Galax D in the foreseeable future.**"
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Post by sunnyberra on Jan 4, 2011 8:25:25 GMT -5
wow, please let us know what your vet says, Jackie. This seems interesting!
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Post by Jackie on Jan 4, 2011 8:28:17 GMT -5
I've already emailed the two holistic vets in the area and I'll probably call a little later (they open around 10 AM or so). Once I hear what they have to say I'll start a discussion with my ferret vet and see what he thinks about it. I also have to email the company and find out their take on the situation. I'll definitely keep everyone updated. For reference, here are the two holistic vets websites (if case you're worried about credentials and stuff) www.holisticanimalcare.com/www.holisticvetsarasota.com/I really wish they did treat ferrets
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Post by Jackie on Jan 4, 2011 8:40:18 GMT -5
So I just sent an email to the company (the woman on the toll free number didnt have much info to give). They should answer in 24 hours. Hopefully they'll provide info about the sucrose additive as well as its off label use in ferrets. They also sent me a $5 off coupon on my order, so if anyone wants to place an order from the website www.nativeremedies.com/petalive/v....tml#ingredients, here's the coupon code: 0ask5d
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Post by Jackie on Jan 4, 2011 9:26:36 GMT -5
This is a really interesting study (2007) about vitamin A and CDV. They gave ferrets a vitamin A–control diet containing 30 mg vitamin A. The ferrets were on the diet for 12 weeks before infection with CDV. The ferrets developed only a transient illness with a mild rash and no fever. The ferrets did not display respiratory, ocular, or gastrointestinal symptoms. This might be another option for holistic protection for those who don't vaccinate. jn.nutrition.org/content/137/8/1916.full.pdf+htmlThis definitely makes sense to me. Liver makes up a very large portion of a ferrets diet (5%-10%). Also explains how feeding raw can definitely help protect your pet against things like CDV.
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