Sick raccoon?

[Debbie292d]

The dogs wouldn't shut up, so we finally got up to see what was wrong. They're in the house now.

The DNR isn't open yet, and they'd not deal with this I imagine, but do I put it out of its misery?

I walked right up to it. It looked at me, then put its head back down under, and it is breathing hard. It happens to be a only a few feet from the woods where it came from. Our growout pen is just a few feet away as well, not like he could do anything. He's been in the same spot for at least 1/2 hour that I know of. Is he playing 'dead' maybe? I just couldn't believe he wouldn't run into the woods when I came up to him.

 

[Debbie292d]

Still there, so an hour or more, and hasn't moved. He's literally just a few feet from the forest. I did see something hanging from his mouth that looked akin to a porcupine quill but I wouldn't think that would make him do this.

 

[Sally PB]

I think I would put it down. It might have rabies...?

 

[Debbie292d]

I think I would put it down. It might have rabies...?

It's light out now, and still there. It's definitely got something wrong with it. Thank you. Doing so.

 

[Debbie292d]

It's now deceased. Thanks, @Sally PB. I think I knew that was what had to happen but needed someone to tell me that.

 

[Sally PB]

Could you get a better idea of what was wrong with it?

 

[RubelliteRose]

We recently had a raccoon around our coop that had no fear of humans and was acting a little drunk. We put it down and called animal control to pick up the body in case it had rabies. They don't test unless there is an actual attack, but said since the raccoon wasn't aggressive, just fearless, it may have had distemper.

 

[lagrange chicks]

Distemper is what I thought to, distemper is what happens when the population gets out of control. With the fur prices low the hunters and trappers aren't after them and that = Disease.

 

[Debbie292d]

Could you get a better idea of what was wrong with it?

No. I looked it over and didn't see anything although he was rather scrappy looking in his face area. Hubby used a grain scoop to haul him away and had looked him over too, and he thinks he came up here to die of old age as he thinks he thought he looked very old.

I'm not so sure an animal would come up a wooded cliff to where humans and dogs are to die. I think he just got lost because he was sick. We see them on the cams down the hill by the creek often, but never up here.

 

[Debbie292d]

Distemper is what I thought to, distemper is what happens when the population gets out of control. With the fur prices low the hunters and trappers aren't after them and that = Disease.

Hubby took our Odoban and made a bucket of that to wash the blood away. That kills about everything but shouldn't kill the grass.