Attack Aftermath Advice

[poisonalchemist]

A raccoon has just moved into our area and injured two of my three ducks. One was steadily bleeding out her neck and somewhat unresponsive so we decided to immediately butcher her. The other we have slathered in antibiotics and hope she heals; she's currently waddling around, complaining, and being a duck. In both cases only the neck and head was attacked.

I've read on this forum most people won't eat raccoon-attacked poultry. Given we got to her immediately and removed the potentially infected area it seems a waste, I don't want her to have died for nothing. More importantly, what about the live girl's eggs? Are they compromised too? I'm more concerned about them than the meat as any infection she has will only take hold over time. If she's a hotbead of disease, won't produce viable meat, and won't produce viable eggs, what should I do with her? How do you dispose of a whole living duck?

 

[The Yakima Kid]

Ask your extension service. I know people who actually eat the raccoons although I never would. They say the secret is to double glove, like for jackrabbits and cottontails, and the cook it very thoroughly.

Your state agricultural college should have an extension service or you can look up and call the poultry or animal science department.

 

[The Yakima Kid]

From Wikipedia:

~~Any warm-blooded animal, including humans, may become infected with the rabies virus and develop symptoms, although birds have only been known to be infected in experiments.[16] The virus has even been adapted to grow in cells of poikilothermic ("cold-blooded") vertebrates.[17][18] Most animals can be infected by the virus and can transmit the disease to humans. Infected bats,[19][20] monkeys, raccoons, foxes, skunks, cattle, wolves, coyotes, dogs, mongooses (normally yellow mongoose)[21] or cats present the greatest risk to humans.


Personally, I'd be more concerned about exposure to rabid raccoon saliva while cleaning out the wounds. Of course, raccoons carry other nasties.

 

[poisonalchemist]

I appreciate your quick response, and have sent off an e-mail.

I'd rather not think about the rabies. My husband and I are already infected if we were going to be infected, and we'll know 10 days from now if we're dead or not. I try to live my life with only one crisis at a time.

 

[Folly's place]

Ducks won't get rabies; mammals do. Humans can be infected and break with the disease OVER A YEAR later. I trap and shoot racoons at my coop, and don't handle them bare handed. Gloves! Wash up! You can check with your local wildlife office, your DNR, or the CDC to see what risks are in your area. Also your state or county public health office. I wear gloves when cleaning animal bite wounds, myself. Mary

 

[idreamofsilkies]

If you are fearful that you have rabies now you should go get the vaccine. Once it hits your brain you can not cure it and you will die a very painful death. Go get the shots now!

Realistically though unless you were bitten by the raccoon, or had a wide open cut and got saliva into it you don't have rabies, but its better to err on the side of caution.

I got the vaccine once because I woke up to a very deranged bat in my bedroom. Luckily my mom was a very smart lady and took me right in.

 

[The Yakima Kid]

I've had the rabies series twice; both times because of bats.

The first time I saw the neighbor cat doing something strange in my yard, went out to take a look, and the cat released the bat which promptly climbed my leg and flew away. (I haven't worn shorts since.)

The second time I was standing on the front porch, felt something on my hand, looked down, and there was a bat sitting in my palm. On my way to the emergency room, wondering if I'd have to have the immunoglobulin all around the wound and the whole rabies series over, I considered wearing gloves for the rest of my life. Fortunately, I only needed a two or three injection booster series.

I have been told that one reason bats climb and sit on me, and squirrels have been known to run up my legs, and deer walk right up to me is that I don't tend to move much. I guess I need to learn to fidget. B^(