@lizzie9208 True, but she may have transferred other zoonotics, and you may have also became a vector for the distemper virus. It is great to show the public visible signs of canine distemper, but please do not demonstrate poor nosocomial and zoonotic disease prevention as well as encourage human imprinting on wildlife.
@hinjac I was careful to always visit her cage last, after I had cared for all the other animals. I immediately took a shower and changed clothes after her. As for encouraging human imprinting, this girl was already imprinted when I got her - she had been kept as a pet for a short period of time. Since I knew there was a small chance that she'd live, I felt it was okay to break the "rules" in order to give her some small comforts in the last stage of her life. Thanks for your concern, though!
@lizzie9208 Thank you responding and clarifying some of your husbandry protocols. I am a little protective of how licensed rehabbing is presented to the general public. Are you also a member of the IWRC?
I have heard that with high doses of Vitamin D that distemper can be reversed, not sure if this is true or not but wanted to pass that along... poor little dears :((( we've had a couple in the neighbourhood that look like they are having seizures, is this a symptom as well?
@LoveMySpouse I've never heard of that, but it's something I'll try next time I get in a raccoon with distemper! Thanks for the suggestion. :-) I'm sorry you're having issues with some raccoons in your neighborhood. Yes, seizures is a symptom of distemper, since it's a neurological disorder. I hope that's not what's ailing your raccoons, though!
@lizzie9208 if you wish to look it up, i saw it mentioned on some vitamin d websites where they had given large doses to cats with feline distemper etc.. i think it is a bit of a tricky amount to be dealing with, something like 5,000 every two days or something (don't quote me on that until you look it up :) and it took several doses spread out over a few weeks maybe but it completely reversed it.
yes :( we have one now that is having seizures, started breaking vit d gels on their pb&j sandwiches and put some cod liver oil in his water yesterday, he didn't seem to be having any this morning that I saw...going to pick up some sardines etc for him, i doubt it will save him but maybe maybe if we catch it early, his eyes are not seepy etc like yours above, he looks great otherwise and is eating really well...breaks my heart they would shoot him if we call anyone
I have heard that with high doses of Vitamin D that distemper can be reversed, not sure if this is true or not but wanted to pass that along... poor little dears :(((
@ButThatBelt She moved on to a better place, unfortunately. I made the decision to euthanize her not too long after this video was made. I tried my hardest to improve her health, but distemper has such a high mortality rate that the odds were stacked against me from the beginning!
Maybe. It'd be better if you could get someone to take a look at him to make sure something more serious isn't going on. Wildlife rehabbers know what signs to look for, what vital signs should be, etc. that would be helpful for diagnosis.
Weve got a pond out back and tons of water bowls always filled laying around he hasnt aten any cotton or had an episode since so mabye its stress due to a new enviornment?
But he just recently had two seziures in 24 hours but he also got ahold of some cottton from a toy in the yard and seized when he ate it and seized when he passed it 24 hours later...
@littlecortcort That's not good! Though I'm surprised the cotton would cause him to seize - maybe the cotton caused him so much stress when he was eating it and again when passing it that it freaked out his brain? Usually animals don't seize from things they eat, unless it's poisonous (which I don't imagine the cotton was). Has he had any more episodes since then? Make sure he's hydrated, too - dehydration can cause seizures.
I know. We never intended on keeping him hes been running around our property n he hangs out n plays with us on the porch n follows us inside sometimes lol but we leave the door open so he can go outside at anytime
Texas. If at all possible do you have a refrence i can go to for a license ive helped hurt animals alot but cant seem to find out how to actuallu get a licenae :/ this coon i have was domesticated by some kids untill i offered to take him n introduce him to the outdoors and let him roam our property but now hes sick and im a little nervous how do i go about getting a license.... shuld i just take him to a licensed rehabilitator.. one lady said she would put him down but he doesnt seem ready..
@littlecortcort Call Mona Miller - 713-668-1764. She is extremely knowledgeable about raccoons - I've talked to her several times when I've needed advice for my own raccoons. She's in Texas and can talk you through the licensing process, if that's the route you need to go. I highly recommend taking him to a licensed wildlife rehabilitator who can manage his pain (if he's in any) and care for him appropriately. If you don't have the training or meds, you're doing him a disservice to keep him.
I have a coon who is showing no other sighns other than sezures and a runny nose. How long did it take her to start getting really sick looking... my little guy is still very happy and playfull... no crusts around his eyes or nose still eats and drinks alot looks healthy but has had two seziures in under 30 hours
@littlecortcort It took her awhile to really start going downhill. If it's possible, take your raccoon to a licensed veterinarian to get him checked out - it may be something minor, but given the seizures, there may be something else going on.
@littlecortcort Also, what state are you in? I might be able to refer you to some wildlife rehabilitators in your area who may know more about diseases that affect raccoons.
my coon may have this problem altho its noes and hands are still black its eyes are gunked up and its mobility is slow and confused often clumsy and he shakes his head, im not sure what to do and i feel bad
@TheLaz3411 What a tough situation! If you have access to a vet who's willing to take a look at your raccoon, definitely go that route. Sadly, there's no "test" for distemper, but they may be able to diagnose what's wrong and give you options on what the next steps are. Clumsiness is a sign of brain damage - could be due to seizures or a virus that's taken hold of the brain (like distemper or rabies). I'm sorry you're going through this. :-(
Hi there..you're the wildlife expert and I'm certainly not but I'm just genuinely curious about why an obviously severely ill raccoon stricken with a fatal disease that can only get worse would not be sent to "a better place" sooner rather than later..please don't take offence at my question, because I am neither judging nor accusing you of anything in any way..it's quite evident that you care about the poor little thing and I've just become really curious about 'coons of late..cheers..Matt.
@mattforrester1973 No offense taken! Thanks for asking! :-) There are a couple reasons why I kept her alive as long as I did:
1) I had never encountered distemper in raccoons before so I wasn't sure what to expect. While I'd care to never repeat it again, I learned a couple of valuable things about the disease. Distemper has about an 85% mortality rate, and I was (perhaps naively) hoping that if I provided the raccoons with enough palliative care, they might be able to make it through.
@lizzie9208 Hey Lizzie..thanks so much for your expedient, rational and thoughtful response..I felt as though I already "knew" you to some degree from your manner on the video and I'm so glad that I was correct!! Having had no contact whatsoever with raccoons all of my life, I became fascinated with them recently, after my parents returned from a holiday in the States and showed me a bunch of photos of them in the wild..after reading plenty about them on the 'net, I progressed to youtube and
@lizzie9208 here I am now! I wasn't even aware that there are a fortunate 15% who survive this awful affliction, actually..I guess that I too would perhaps "naively" hope for the best in that case..what touched me most about your relationship with your "baby" was the way that she so passionately sucked upon your finger..it was gorgeous! And finally, I too am not only a mad animal lover but am also one of those "weirdos" who believe that a much-loved pet can "tell" you when their time is up..
@lizzie9208 I've been there with two dogs and both times it tore me from the inside out for quite some time before, during and after..so thanks again for your time, patience, explanation and for not taking offence at my questions..I think even more highly of you now..have you owned/would you own another pet raccoon or did this affair hurt you too much to do so again? All of the best, Lizzie..much love and best wishes..Matt..xo
2) Her mannerisms and movements hadn't changed drastically, which led me to believe that she wasn't in much (if any) pain. She looked AWFUL, but she still happily sucked on my finger, would play in her water, eat normally, and walk around her cage. Because she didn't seem to be in a lot of pain, I was willing to drag it out a bit longer to see what would happen.
@mattforrester1973 All that being said, there were several days where I had decided that it was time to euthanize her and then I'd go out there and find her happily playing in her water. It was hard for me to make that judgment call when she hadn't told me it was time, yet. (Yes, I'm one of those weirdos who believes the animals tell you when they're ready to leave this world.) ;-)
About two days after this video was taken, I made the final decision to euthanize her. We were both ready, then.
Comment removed
hinjac 1 week ago
humans cant get distemper can they?
anarchymoo 2 months ago
@anarchymoo No, they cannot get it!
lizzie9208 2 months ago
@lizzie9208 True, but she may have transferred other zoonotics, and you may have also became a vector for the distemper virus. It is great to show the public visible signs of canine distemper, but please do not demonstrate poor nosocomial and zoonotic disease prevention as well as encourage human imprinting on wildlife.
hinjac 1 week ago
@hinjac I was careful to always visit her cage last, after I had cared for all the other animals. I immediately took a shower and changed clothes after her. As for encouraging human imprinting, this girl was already imprinted when I got her - she had been kept as a pet for a short period of time. Since I knew there was a small chance that she'd live, I felt it was okay to break the "rules" in order to give her some small comforts in the last stage of her life. Thanks for your concern, though!
lizzie9208 1 week ago
@lizzie9208 Thank you responding and clarifying some of your husbandry protocols. I am a little protective of how licensed rehabbing is presented to the general public. Are you also a member of the IWRC?
hinjac 1 week ago
Comment removed
hinjac 1 week ago
I have heard that with high doses of Vitamin D that distemper can be reversed, not sure if this is true or not but wanted to pass that along... poor little dears :((( we've had a couple in the neighbourhood that look like they are having seizures, is this a symptom as well?
LoveMySpouse 3 months ago
@LoveMySpouse I've never heard of that, but it's something I'll try next time I get in a raccoon with distemper! Thanks for the suggestion. :-) I'm sorry you're having issues with some raccoons in your neighborhood. Yes, seizures is a symptom of distemper, since it's a neurological disorder. I hope that's not what's ailing your raccoons, though!
lizzie9208 3 months ago
@lizzie9208 if you wish to look it up, i saw it mentioned on some vitamin d websites where they had given large doses to cats with feline distemper etc.. i think it is a bit of a tricky amount to be dealing with, something like 5,000 every two days or something (don't quote me on that until you look it up :) and it took several doses spread out over a few weeks maybe but it completely reversed it.
LoveMySpouse 3 months ago
yes :( we have one now that is having seizures, started breaking vit d gels on their pb&j sandwiches and put some cod liver oil in his water yesterday, he didn't seem to be having any this morning that I saw...going to pick up some sardines etc for him, i doubt it will save him but maybe maybe if we catch it early, his eyes are not seepy etc like yours above, he looks great otherwise and is eating really well...breaks my heart they would shoot him if we call anyone
LoveMySpouse 3 months ago
I have heard that with high doses of Vitamin D that distemper can be reversed, not sure if this is true or not but wanted to pass that along... poor little dears :(((
LoveMySpouse 3 months ago
What a sweetie. I'm terribly sorry to ask, but did she make it or did move on to a better place?
ButThatBelt 6 months ago
@ButThatBelt She moved on to a better place, unfortunately. I made the decision to euthanize her not too long after this video was made. I tried my hardest to improve her health, but distemper has such a high mortality rate that the odds were stacked against me from the beginning!
lizzie9208 6 months ago
@lizzie9208 Aw. I'm sorry to hear that. She seemed like she was a huge sweetheart. Poor baby.
ButThatBelt 5 months ago
Alrighty. Thank you
littlecortcort 6 months ago
Maybe. It'd be better if you could get someone to take a look at him to make sure something more serious isn't going on. Wildlife rehabbers know what signs to look for, what vital signs should be, etc. that would be helpful for diagnosis.
lizzie9208 6 months ago
Weve got a pond out back and tons of water bowls always filled laying around he hasnt aten any cotton or had an episode since so mabye its stress due to a new enviornment?
littlecortcort 6 months ago
But he just recently had two seziures in 24 hours but he also got ahold of some cottton from a toy in the yard and seized when he ate it and seized when he passed it 24 hours later...
littlecortcort 6 months ago
@littlecortcort That's not good! Though I'm surprised the cotton would cause him to seize - maybe the cotton caused him so much stress when he was eating it and again when passing it that it freaked out his brain? Usually animals don't seize from things they eat, unless it's poisonous (which I don't imagine the cotton was). Has he had any more episodes since then? Make sure he's hydrated, too - dehydration can cause seizures.
TailsFromTheHart 6 months ago
I know. We never intended on keeping him hes been running around our property n he hangs out n plays with us on the porch n follows us inside sometimes lol but we leave the door open so he can go outside at anytime
littlecortcort 6 months ago
Texas. If at all possible do you have a refrence i can go to for a license ive helped hurt animals alot but cant seem to find out how to actuallu get a licenae :/ this coon i have was domesticated by some kids untill i offered to take him n introduce him to the outdoors and let him roam our property but now hes sick and im a little nervous how do i go about getting a license.... shuld i just take him to a licensed rehabilitator.. one lady said she would put him down but he doesnt seem ready..
littlecortcort 6 months ago
@littlecortcort Call Mona Miller - 713-668-1764. She is extremely knowledgeable about raccoons - I've talked to her several times when I've needed advice for my own raccoons. She's in Texas and can talk you through the licensing process, if that's the route you need to go. I highly recommend taking him to a licensed wildlife rehabilitator who can manage his pain (if he's in any) and care for him appropriately. If you don't have the training or meds, you're doing him a disservice to keep him.
TailsFromTheHart 6 months ago
I have a coon who is showing no other sighns other than sezures and a runny nose. How long did it take her to start getting really sick looking... my little guy is still very happy and playfull... no crusts around his eyes or nose still eats and drinks alot looks healthy but has had two seziures in under 30 hours
littlecortcort 6 months ago
@littlecortcort It took her awhile to really start going downhill. If it's possible, take your raccoon to a licensed veterinarian to get him checked out - it may be something minor, but given the seizures, there may be something else going on.
TailsFromTheHart 6 months ago
@littlecortcort Also, what state are you in? I might be able to refer you to some wildlife rehabilitators in your area who may know more about diseases that affect raccoons.
TailsFromTheHart 6 months ago
my coon may have this problem altho its noes and hands are still black its eyes are gunked up and its mobility is slow and confused often clumsy and he shakes his head, im not sure what to do and i feel bad
TheLaz3411 7 months ago
@TheLaz3411 What a tough situation! If you have access to a vet who's willing to take a look at your raccoon, definitely go that route. Sadly, there's no "test" for distemper, but they may be able to diagnose what's wrong and give you options on what the next steps are. Clumsiness is a sign of brain damage - could be due to seizures or a virus that's taken hold of the brain (like distemper or rabies). I'm sorry you're going through this. :-(
TailsFromTheHart 7 months ago
PS. I'm from Australia and as you are probably already aware, we don't have them down here..thanks again..Matt.
mattforrester1973 1 year ago
Hi there..you're the wildlife expert and I'm certainly not but I'm just genuinely curious about why an obviously severely ill raccoon stricken with a fatal disease that can only get worse would not be sent to "a better place" sooner rather than later..please don't take offence at my question, because I am neither judging nor accusing you of anything in any way..it's quite evident that you care about the poor little thing and I've just become really curious about 'coons of late..cheers..Matt.
mattforrester1973 1 year ago
@mattforrester1973 No offense taken! Thanks for asking! :-) There are a couple reasons why I kept her alive as long as I did:
1) I had never encountered distemper in raccoons before so I wasn't sure what to expect. While I'd care to never repeat it again, I learned a couple of valuable things about the disease. Distemper has about an 85% mortality rate, and I was (perhaps naively) hoping that if I provided the raccoons with enough palliative care, they might be able to make it through.
lizzie9208 1 year ago
@lizzie9208 Hey Lizzie..thanks so much for your expedient, rational and thoughtful response..I felt as though I already "knew" you to some degree from your manner on the video and I'm so glad that I was correct!! Having had no contact whatsoever with raccoons all of my life, I became fascinated with them recently, after my parents returned from a holiday in the States and showed me a bunch of photos of them in the wild..after reading plenty about them on the 'net, I progressed to youtube and
mattforrester1973 1 year ago
@lizzie9208 here I am now! I wasn't even aware that there are a fortunate 15% who survive this awful affliction, actually..I guess that I too would perhaps "naively" hope for the best in that case..what touched me most about your relationship with your "baby" was the way that she so passionately sucked upon your finger..it was gorgeous! And finally, I too am not only a mad animal lover but am also one of those "weirdos" who believe that a much-loved pet can "tell" you when their time is up..
mattforrester1973 1 year ago
@lizzie9208 I've been there with two dogs and both times it tore me from the inside out for quite some time before, during and after..so thanks again for your time, patience, explanation and for not taking offence at my questions..I think even more highly of you now..have you owned/would you own another pet raccoon or did this affair hurt you too much to do so again? All of the best, Lizzie..much love and best wishes..Matt..xo
mattforrester1973 1 year ago
@mattforrester1973
2) Her mannerisms and movements hadn't changed drastically, which led me to believe that she wasn't in much (if any) pain. She looked AWFUL, but she still happily sucked on my finger, would play in her water, eat normally, and walk around her cage. Because she didn't seem to be in a lot of pain, I was willing to drag it out a bit longer to see what would happen.
lizzie9208 1 year ago
@mattforrester1973 All that being said, there were several days where I had decided that it was time to euthanize her and then I'd go out there and find her happily playing in her water. It was hard for me to make that judgment call when she hadn't told me it was time, yet. (Yes, I'm one of those weirdos who believes the animals tell you when they're ready to leave this world.) ;-)
About two days after this video was taken, I made the final decision to euthanize her. We were both ready, then.
lizzie9208 1 year ago
@mattforrester1973 Feel free to ask if you have any other questions! It takes a lot to offend me, so don't worry about that!
lizzie9208 1 year ago
ewww! what happened to that raccoon?
it looks like it has a red nose, and a rustic red snout, what do you think?
was it a he, or she?
poopybooyah 1 year ago
@poopybooyah If you read the description and listen to the audio, you'll hear that SHE has distemper.
lizzie9208 1 year ago