Lookit what I found this morning

alpacamom · #21 02/03/07, 04:03 PM

Thanks everyone...I hang my head....Like I said, I'm new to this. Thankfully, the coon didn't touch anything other than their gloves and coats and only my gloves. They both scrubbed their hands anyway when we came in the house, even though their skin never touched the animal. I will put in a call to the doc just to see what he says. I do appreciate all your responses!

BaronsMom · #22 02/03/07, 04:14 PM

I don't want to scare you but there is a lot of information coming out about raccoon roundworm. These are found in raccoon "toilets" but good idea to be cautious. Anyone who handles raccoons or cleans up after them should be aware.

http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dpd/parasi...lisascaris.htm

sullen · #23 02/03/07, 04:36 PM

Can't have ANY more fun nowadays.

MELOC · #24 02/03/07, 04:52 PM

i would just try to get the animal tested for rabies asap before i worry too much about contacting the doctor. the doctor may or may not prescribe treatment which may or may not be required. the only way to know if rabies is a concern it to have the animal tested.

alpacamom · #25 02/03/07, 04:55 PM

MELOC, where would I get it tested? I can't find animal control for my county online. Let me check the phone book though.

Spinner · #26 02/03/07, 05:01 PM

Wouldn't the county ag agent have information and want to test it?

Trixie · #27 02/03/07, 05:06 PM

I wouldn't touch it and certainly wouldn't let my kids.

Yes, rabies can be contracted without a bite.

When I was a kid and a rabid animal was killed on someone's place, everyone had to take the shots as they said you were exposed if you ever touched where their slobber (saliva) touched.

chicamarun · #28 02/03/07, 05:07 PM

We had a possible rabies fox on our property and our county didn't want to test it - just told us to doble bag it and throw away - not to touch it (wear gloves) and wash off whatever we used to pick it up with.

I wouldn't be too worried to be honest with you. A lot of people take a raccoon they shot to a taxidermist and never get treated for rabies and I'm pretty sure they handle them before they take it to the place.

MELOC · #29 02/03/07, 05:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by chicamarun

We had a possible rabies fox on our property and our county didn't want to test it - just told us to doble bag it and throw away - not to touch it (wear gloves) and wash off whatever we used to pick it up with.

I wouldn't be too worried to be honest with you. A lot of people take a raccoon they shot to a taxidermist and never get treated for rabies and I'm pretty sure they handle them before they take it to the place.

i was told the same thing about a rabid dog that the cops encouraged us to shoot and dispose of. i honestly feel that many local governments don't want to deal with the truth about rabies being found. if it is never tested, there is no documantation of a rabid animal and no public outcry or panic.

in this case, i would not worry too aweful much if you are certain that there was no skin to skin contact. that includes potentially contaminated mittens wiping a drippy nose and possibly touching the mouth, etc. animal claws also have a way of scratching the skin without actually cutting it open. if you are certain that there was no contact, don't fret too much. if you are not certain, then call a vet if you cannot get the government agencies to help. my sister works for a vet and they send animal heads to labs to be checked frequently. they also get positive results on occassion.

ET1 SS · #30 02/03/07, 06:02 PM

cook it up!

Big pot full of water, let it boil that thing for a good couple hours, as soon as the meat falls off da'bone, then you can add the carrots and potatoes, YUM!

orangehen · #31 02/03/07, 06:15 PM

My daughter has found 3 dead raccoons so far around her barn this winter. They call the guy up the road who hunts and skins them to see if he wants them, or else they just fling them, I guess...

elkhound · #32 02/03/07, 06:15 PM

jsut so you know..you can catch rabies without a bite.you can catch it through the eyes.my friend was out milking his cow and shot a skunk in the head with a 38 revolver.it blasted blood into the air and on his face.it was to big a chance to take with it so he had rabies shots.the 38 didnt leave enoguh brain to get a good result of yes or no on the rabies.you can think of it like this....body fluid and the kids been batting it around and goofing of with the thing.i use to skin hundreds of coon bare handed when young.....not anymore.....i wear gloves at all times now.also i do it for deer and everything with all the stuff that semms to be around.get the thing checked for rabies lady....and teach the kids not to play around with dead animals.not be mean towards you just how serious it could be.also a animal dieing quietly is also a way rabid animals.animals with rabies die 2 ways.....one to get wild and slobber and all the classic stuff.....second....just to quietly lay down and lay there till it expires.just some information for you...hope it helps you.

alpacamom · #33 02/03/07, 06:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ET1 SS

cook it up!

Big pot full of water, let it boil that thing for a good couple hours, as soon as the meat falls off da'bone, then you can add the carrots and potatoes, YUM!

I don't think I have a pot big enough for it, but if I did and would consider eating it, would it be okay even if the critter ended up being sick? I mean, my family wouldn't get sick from cooking and eating a sick animal, would it? My FIL would probably eat it...he's eaten many different kinds of critters before.

BaronsMom · #34 02/03/07, 06:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Spinner

Wouldn't the county ag agent have information and want to test it?

Your local vet can send these off for testing - not the county ag agent.

Dianol · #35 02/03/07, 06:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by alpacamom

I don't think I have a pot big enough for it, but if I did and would consider eating it, would it be okay even if the critter ended up being sick? I mean, my family wouldn't get sick from cooking and eating a sick animal, would it? My FIL would probably eat it...he's eaten many different kinds of critters before.

I'm sure you are just kidding here. There is an absolute rule that you never never never eat wild game that you do not know how it died.

Having said that, my dh said to find a local trapper. He'll probably pay you for the fur.

Dianne

Kstornado11 · #36 02/03/07, 07:01 PM

I sure hope you are able to find out how it died, that IS kind of scary. Any chance there was rat poison around somewhere it got into or something of the sort? Antifreeze, maybe? Good luck!!

doohap · #37 02/03/07, 07:58 PM

Not to change the subject, but didn't you say that you'd seen dead birds in the area at times, also. Could there be something they're getting into that might be, say, poisoning these animals.

Just a thought.

doohap

alpacamom · #38 02/03/07, 08:04 PM

doohap, the only dead birds I've seen have been "gifts" from the barn cats. I guess I should have been more clear about that.

There is an old chevy truck parked near the loafing shed that the previous owners couldn't get started, so they left it here until they can get it once it warms up and I wonder if it could have leaked some antifreeze with the bitterly cold temps we've had this past week. Even if it ate antifreeze popcicles, it would still kill it. I'll have to look to see if there is any sign of antifreeze around the truck next time I'm out there.

#39 02/03/07, 08:08 PM

ahh in the picture your kids had gloves on. I use to take my gloves off with my mouth when I was young. You may want to get them new gloves??

COSunflower · #40 02/03/07, 08:12 PM

Any vet can send the head in for rabies examination. We had to do that when my son was bitten by a dog that had no rabies shots and lived in an area that was freqented by bats. A little 5 year old boy picked up a dead bat in a park about an hour from here and it turned out that the bat had rabies and he had to have shots also. They were talking about it on local news because they were trying to find the other little kids that had been touching it also

Don't know if they ever did. It is not good to play with ANY dead animal - even with gloves on!!!