Raccoon with rabies????

[Western]

Got the below picture of a coon on the 23rd, thought it was "odd" being out in 100*+. Figured it was the water.

Yesterday I approach the small dry creek that I have to cross to check my "deer station ". and this wild arsed coon comes at me like a wild man growling and such, ran past me like it was blind!! I put a round in it and took it to the burn hole. I suspect rabies so I wore surgical gloves to tote it.

 

[Steve IA]

Canine distemper is much more common in raccoons than rabies. Either way it's nothing to mess with. Make sure your pets are vaccinated for both.


Steve
southiowa

 

[Western]

I think I will get the shots a little early, just to be on the safe side.

Found this article doing the Google thing, seems Ohio has a real good program against rabies. Old article, but interesting.

"Raccoons act as a reservoir for rabies in the United States. In fact, the majority of rabies cases in the U.S. are in wildlife, with raccoon cases predominating. In the U.S., 90% of all rabies cases occur in wildlife. During 2000, raccoon rabies made up 41% of wildlife cases diagnosed with skunks, bats and foxes making up the balance. To limit the exposure of humans and domestic animals to rabies, it is important for veterinarians to know the current geographic distribution of rabies, the procedure if a human or animal is bitten by a wild animal, and be familiar with rabies diagnostic testing.

Geographic distribution: Raccoon rabies was much less prevalent in the U.S. prior to 1950. From 1950-1970, the incidence of raccoon rabies began to rise, especially in Florida and Georgia. In 1977, a variant of raccoon rabies distinct from the southern variant was detected in Virginia and West Virginia. This variant has since spread north along the eastern seaboard to Ontario, Canada, and was reported in northwest Ohio in 1996. Eventually this rabies variant converged with the southern variant in North Carolina.

In most states with raccoon rabies, there has been an increased number of cases; however, Ohio has reported fewer cases. In 2000, 10 of 19 states which have reported raccoon variant rabies reported an increase in the number of cases. However, Ohio reported no cases in 2000. This was a decrease from the 6 cases reported in 1999. This may be because Ohio has used extensive wildlife rabies control programs, including rabies vaccine baiting."

 

[NativeSon]

We've been seeing a lot of raccoon road kill lately. Will keep an eye out for them on the place. Thanks.

Charlie

 

[RobertBrown]

You may want to call Texas Parks and Wildlife, explain what you saw and see if they want the remains or testing. Just so happens that it's Raccoon season right now so if you have a current hunting liscense, your 100%legal.
512-458-7295

 

[rswyan]

A couple, three weeks ago wife informs me she noticed a coon rolling around in the grass in our side yard. This was about 7 or so in the evening. We went and scoped it out - was acting very weird - walking around in circles, stumbling, running into things ..... and totally unresponsive to me yelling at it from 30' away, like it couldn't even hear me.

Was gonna dispatch it but by the time I got back out there with the gun, it was getting pretty dark and it had apparently wandered off and I couldn't find it.

Next morning I went out and there it was, lying in the driveway going down to the barn, dead. I left it for the buzzards ..... but as far as I know they never showed up .... the flies and their maggots made short work of it though ... was pretty much gone in 2 or 3 days, except for the fur and bones

 

[jinman]

Years ago before I built my house on my property, I stepped out of my cabin one morning and there was a raccoon stumbling around my truck and looking really sick. It was very skinny and starting to loose hair. It hissed a bit and moved off a few feet, but wandered around in circles and just looked lost. I assumed it was rabid and would soon die. I was running late for work, so I had to leave right away. That afternoon I came home and it was nowhere to be found. I went out looking, saw a group of buzzards circling, and found the remains in a gully, partially eaten by the buzzards.

I know buzzards are immune to lots of diseases and their digestive system allows them to eat diseased carrion. Just last week, I went out about sundown to move some water sprinklers on my yard and there was a buzzard standing near the sprinkler and drinking water on the grass. It didn't attempt to fly and just spread its wings and hissed at me. Even when I walked toward it, it just seemed to move away a few feet and continue hissing. I figured it would leave overnight, but the next morning it was still in our yard. My wife let our cats out before she knew it was still around. The cats approaced it, but when it hissed they backed off and just lay watching it. Since the kitties all have shots, we just hoped they would not attack the bird because it looked like it could do some pretty severe damage.

We were gone most of the day and returned to find the kitties had lost interest in the buzzard, but it was still around. My wife took the photos below. The first photo shows it spreading its wings and hissing at her. I really didn't want to shoot the bird in front of my granddaughter, so I waited until the next morning and it was gone. I've not seen it since, but my guess is it was sick and wandered off into the woods. I know buzzards are supposed to be immune to rabies, but this one acted very much like any other animal with rabies. Maybe it was just old, sick, and dying, but I didn't want to take any chances.

 

[rswyan]

I know buzzards are supposed to be immune to rabies,

Yup, they are.

 

[6thgpSF]

saw a thing on the news the other night that a lot of critters are showing up with rabies down in Texas because of the drought and heat.It stresses them out and because of the lack of water they come into contact with sick animals were there is water. saw a possum once with rabies,pretty scarey disease. russ

 

[verstore]

Years ago before I built my house on my property, I stepped out of my cabin one morning and there was a raccoon stumbling around my truck and looking really sick. It was very skinny and starting to loose hair. It hissed a bit and moved off a few feet, but wandered around in circles and just looked lost. I assumed it was rabid and would soon die. I was running late for work, so I had to leave right away. That afternoon I came home and it was nowhere to be found. I went out looking, saw a group of buzzards circling, and found the remains in a gully, partially eaten by the buzzards.

I know buzzards are immune to lots of diseases and their digestive system allows them to eat diseased carrion. Just last week, I went out about sundown to move some water sprinklers on my yard and there was a buzzard standing near the sprinkler and drinking water on the grass. It didn't attempt to fly and just spread its wings and hissed at me. Even when I walked toward it, it just seemed to move away a few feet and continue hissing. I figured it would leave overnight, but the next morning it was still in our yard. My wife let our cats out before she knew it was still around. The cats approaced it, but when it hissed they backed off and just lay watching it. Since the kitties all have shots, we just hoped they would not attack the bird because it looked like it could do some pretty severe damage.

We were gone most of the day and returned to find the kitties had lost interest in the buzzard, but it was still around. My wife took the photos below. The first photo shows it spreading its wings and hissing at her. I really didn't want to shoot the bird in front of my granddaughter, so I waited until the next morning and it was gone. I've not seen it since, but my guess is it was sick and wandered off into the woods. I know buzzards are supposed to be immune to rabies, but this one acted very much like any other animal with rabies. Maybe it was just old, sick, and dying, but I didn't want to take any chances.

Rabies is a disease of mammals only