Random Dead Raccoon

[Peaches Lee]

Ever find a dead raccoon while doing your chores? I put my horses out last evening, and during cleaning their stalls I noticed in my pasture beneath the fence a deceased animal. It was far away and I assumed it was this old Opossum that's makes its journey through my farm every so often. So I go to investigate, and start to panic because as I get closer I see it has a grey bushy tail and grey foot and I thought "OMG, one of my cats!" But then notice it's a small-ish raccoon, deceased.

I didn't notice any trauma like an open wound, broken limb or damage to the head. But, it had been there all day. In 90 degree weather. So I didn't look too close. Any thoughts on how it died? Have you ever found a random wild animal deceased on your property?

 

[Ursuline Chick]

Here in Louisiana, raccoons are the most likely animals to be rabid, so be careful. Especially if you can't tell what it died from. Hope you don't continue to have problems. Good luck!!!!

 

[Bear1978]

One less coon you’ll have to worry about messing with your animals and trying to get into your feed.

 

[bobbi-j]

It could have been sick or died from unseen injuries, maybe got into poison somewhere, or if it was an adult, it could have just died of natural causes.

 

[Folly's place]

Bury it deep, or wrap in the garbage, and be glad it's gone. Don't handle it bare handed!
And your horses, cats, and dogs are all up to date on their rabies vaccinations, right? Raccoons also die of canine distemper, so your dogs have that one too, I hope.
Mary
Mary

 

[LaFleche]

Here in Germany we have the second year in a row with lots of raccoons lying about dying from distemper.

Check the immunisation protection of your dogs, cats etc.

EDIT: Mary writes faster.

 

[Folly's place]

Nobody has ever said that I type fast! Or without lots of typos...
Mary

 

[LaFleche]

Nobody has ever said that I type fast! Or without lots of typos...
Mary

There's always a first time

 

[Peaches Lee]

I did think of Rabies, but Distemper would never have crossed my mind--thank you for the heads up! Luckily, everyone is up to date on vaccines. Not that I want to see any animal die or suffer, I did think, "well, one less predator for my chickens!".

 

[texsuze]

A few days ago I found a baby raccoon, dead, on the walkway outside our house. I CAREFULLY quadruple-bagged it, then into the trash. The mom and (then) 3 offspring had been hanging around--all looked unwell and emaciated. Now, several days later, I've only seen the mom.

Husband was not inclined to intervene (shoot) and I don't know how to use a gun, otherwise, IMHO, they all would've been better off euthanized. Sometimes we humans make mistakes, despite the best intentions.....