Raccoon with distemper

*I am a licensed wildlife rehabilitator* Video of a raccoon that has distemper. Although there is no treatment to cure the distemper, I am giving her antibiotics to thwart off any secondary infections, in addition to giving her Tamiflu for the flu-like symptoms she's having and pain management. Despite her looks, she's actually in fairly good spirits. She's not as happy as she normally is, but she's not in a lot of pain, either.

Category:

Pets & Animals

Tags:

• raccoon
• raccoons
• wildlfe
• wildlife rehabilitation
• wildlife rehabilitator

[anarchymoo]

humans cant get distemper can they?

[lizzie9208]

@anarchymoo No, they cannot get it!

[hinjac]

@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.

[lizzie9208]

@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!

[LoveMySpouse]

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?

[lizzie9208]

@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!

[hinjac]

@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?

[LoveMySpouse]

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]

@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.