Does this raccoon have distemper?

[Folly's place]

Your veterinarian may be able to get AC to get it tested, call them too.
Mary

 

[MysteryChicken]

My tenant sent me a video of a raccoon a few nights ago in the yard. I have a 4 year old who loves playing right where the raccoon was. Do you think its distemper, or rabies?

Looks like Rabies.
Distemper usually causes seizures, & death most of the time.

 

[Folly's place]

Rabies, canine distemper, and several other problems can ALL LOOK THE SAME!!!
Mary

 

[microchick]

I had a raccoon tree me on top of a car once when I was a city dweller. Every time I tried to get down it would charge me. When it was standing still it was just bizarre acting. I called 911 and a cop came out took one look at it and called animal control. Luckily they did handle stuff like that in my home town. The cop said he didn't want to get near it either. AC snared it and took it away.

We had a vet tell us once that the majority of raccoons that are hit by cars are rabid where we lived in western IL. He also told me that they are known to lure dogs into ponds and then climb on the dogs head and drown the poor animal.

I don't like raccoons at all and unfortunately we have a lot of them.

That one in the movie acts similar to the one that trapped me on the car in IL only the one in IL would stagger around like it was blind. I would definitely keep kiddo out of the area and maybe call the pediatrician to ask if there are any concerns.

 

[MysteryChicken]

If it's distemper the raccoon only has about 10 days, to 2 weeks until it dies.

 

[Folly's place]

It would be kindest to trap and shoot this poor critter, who's miserable.
Mary

 

[misshell]

It would be kindest to trap and shoot this poor critter, who's miserable.
Mary

We have traps but smaller ones for possums. Our neighbors are big time hoarders so there’s a bunch of things in their yard probably living for shelter and they all come over to our place at night because of all the fruits, veggies and now chickens. I guess I’ll have to get a bigger trap for this guy. I’d feel sorry for it if I didn’t have a small child. It’s gotta go.

 

[Fluffy Hens]

We had a rabid one in our field. It was rolling in circles, falling over and frothing. There was a rabid one up the street from us 2 weeks prior. The police came and shot it for us as I had no gun access at the time.

 

[cmom]

Ugh, this makes me so nervous. What can I do? I called animal control and they told me they don't deal with wildlife...

I agree with the others. I had an owl that had been killing some birds. It got caught in the netting I have over the pens. We managed to get it into a cage and called some wildlife people who came and got it. There may be some wildlife organizations in your area, otherwise I would trap it and eliminate it. I'm sure something is wrong with it. Good luck...

 

[Sarkchick]

Neurological raccoons can have rabies, canine distemper, or something else, and ONLY LAB TESTING can tell the difference!
Best to trap it and get it tested if there's any chance that a pet or human had any contact with it. If you shoot it, NOT in the head, which is needed for rabies testing. Then wrap it in plastic and chill, don't freeze the body.
Call your DNR, who may want to test it, and public health, and up the chain at your animal control folks. We've run into this in SE Michigan, where idiots at public health and AC don't know what should be done.
Mary

Our vet sent on off at no charge after my dogs killed it in the yard.