CARING FOR ORPHANED AND INJURED RACCOONS

Ron Hines DVM PhD 4/24/06

Well, How Old Is This Baby Raccoon Anyway?

Ages in order: 4 weeks, 5weeks, 6 weeks, 7 weeks, 8weeks, 28wks...

You can guestimate that: A 100-gram or less baby is a week or less old (very light hair fuzz) (4 ½ -6” nose-end of tail)
(Eyes closed, ears unopened)(Crawls spraddle-legged)

A 250 gram baby is about 2 ½ weeks old (about 8 ½ long)
A 350 gram baby is about 3 ½ weeks old (about 10 “ long) (eyes open 2 ½-3 wks))
A 550 gram baby is about 5 ½ weeks old (about 12-14” long) (ears open about 4wks)
(begin to walk)
A 950 gram baby is about 9 ½ weeks old (eating solid foods, very active and independent)
A 1500- 2000 gram baby ( time to have started giving it the skills it will need for release*)

*(Because I deal with urban raccoons, I might consider
giving them Emrab-3 killed rabies vaccine and a ferret distemper vaccine both by Merial and a killed cat Parvovirus (cat distemper) product. This is highly frowned upon by all Government officials for various plausible reasons and may be illegal in various localities).

Dehydration is very common in orphan raccoons when they are first found. A baby raccoon that is 5% dehydrated needs to get about 4-5% of its body weight of balanced fluids injected over an 8-hour period I give the fluids by injection to all but the smallest subcutaneously. With great care and sterility fluids can be given intraperitoneally (through the skin of the tummy) if you don’t think the baby will live much longer. Five percent dehydration is very common in orphan babies. The physical signs that you will see are easily overlooked. The skin is slightly doughy; the mouth may be dry and the baby a bit listless. A baby that is about 8% dehydrated will have definitely doughy (skin doesn’t spring back) skin, its eyes will be a bit sunken and its body cool to the touch. If dehydration has reached 10%, the raccoon will be in a stupor (semi-coma) and cold. They are rarely alive if they are more than 13% dehydrated and if they are, they really need a catheter placed in a vein – something for a Vet, O.R. nurse, vet-tech or the very very brave and reckless. Giving these infants a Pedialyte-like liquid by oral tube can be sufficient if the dehydration is not severe – but when severely dehydrated, the raccoon will not absorb fluids through its stomach and intestine.

Warming chilled (hypothermic) babies is very important. Particularly smaller babies tend to be brought to me with subnormal body temperatures. This is because they have little hair but more so because their surface area is greater per gram of body weight and they loose heat faster. This goes with any animal or human infant. After I have given dehydrated small babies warm, subcutaneous fluid, I like to place them on a hot water bottle or a 3M ColdHot Pack that hospitals use. Heat lamps and heating pads are very tricky – it is so easy to cook the babies; especially those so little or weak that they can’t move to a temperature that is comfortable. Once a raccoon is about 500-6000 grams, if it is chipper, it wild find its own comfort gradient. One can then take a 1-2 quart tin can and put a 40watt light bulb in it as a surrogate mother. Home Depot has an ivory-colored Bakelite fitting in which a bulb screws in one end and an extension cord plugs to the other. I have seen them at Wal-Mart as well. If you wrap the can in a soft material – be sure it is non-flammable and will not give off toxic fumes. Since I was never really sure what fake fur was made of and couldn’t clean it satisfactorily anyway, I personally don’t wrap the can in anything. Again, this gizmo only works for active, motile babies. I try to slowly bring their body temperatures up to 100F(37.8C) before I attempt to give them anything orally. The subcutaneous fluids will tide them over. A normal unstressed, adult raccoon’s body temperature is about 102.8 F (39.3C). I only use objects and cloth in raccoon cages that I can bag and dispose of. Putting stuff through the washer just increases the hazards of disease.

Parasites are common in and on raccoons. Fleas are common on urban raccoons, ticks on wild ones. At this age, they are best picked off with tweezers and dropped into a jar of rubbing alcohol (the tick that is). Don’t squish ticks – they carry nasty diseases. Rubbing a pledget of cotton moistened with puppy/kitten flea spray (pyrethrins w/ pipronyl butoxide) will kill or immobilize fleas but it won’t have much effect on ticks. When you grasp a tick to pluck it off with tweezers, grasp the bleb of skin just ahead of the tick and the whole thing will come out. That bit of tissue will die anyway, and grasping a tick by its abdomen simply injects all the toxins and infections the ticks carry into the baby. I worm the baby with pyrantel pamoate, orally at 11mg/kg (5mg/pound) and do this every 3 days for approximately 3 weeks and then monthly. Pyrantel pamoate is very low in toxicity because it is not absorbed from the intestine. It is sold under the trade names Nemex and Strongid and also for pinworms in children. I also give them repetitive oral doses of Oxyfedazole (Ft. Dodge’s Synanthic 18.5% paste at 4.5mg/1000grams of raccoon which works out to about 0.1ml per ten pounds). I also give them a good scrubbing with Johnson’s Baby Shampoo and blow-dry them every week. The accepted dose for 1% ivomectin solution orally is 200mcg/kg (which works out to about 0.1ml/10 lbs, some use half this dose).Others use fenbendazole (Panacur) @ 50mg/kg for three successive days. I AM NOT SUGGESTING YOU DO THIS! NONE OF THESE PRODUCTS ARE APPROVED FOR THIS USE! THERE ARE NO MEDICINES, OTHER THAN ORAL RABIES VACCINE, THAT HAVE BEEN TESTED OR APPROVED FOR USE IN RACCOONS!

The Baylisascaris Question:
For the record, raccoons are Procyon lotor and Baylisascaris procyonis is a macaroni-size roundworm, 5-8” long and pointed at both ends that lives in the intestinal tract of raccoons and sometimes invades the brains of other animals - including man. Public Health Officials are very opposed to any contact whatsoever between humans and raccoons. , Baylisascaris procyonis, which is harmless to raccoons but very dangerous to other mammals, including humans. Wood rats often succumb to these raccoon eggs. Transmission occurs when the nematode’s tiny eggs, which are found in soil and raccoon feces are accidentally eaten by people.So you should read and consider this link.

In North America, the disease in people is called visceral larva migrans. Visceral larva migrans also occurs when the eggs of dog intestinal parasites are accidentally eaten by humans. However, when a raccoon is the source of their particular nematode eggs, the infection often centers in the brain. We call this a verminous encephalitis. I personally know of no dedicated wildlife rehabilitator who has caught this disease but it could happen. One needs to be scrupulously clean when caring for these animals and not contaminate yourself. The transfer is by fecal contamination from the raccoon to one's mouth.

Raccoons are probably the most adaptable mammals in North America next to rats. Over the last hundred years or so, populations of raccoons have changed their life-styles to co-inhabit cities and urban areas with man. Raccoons are not creatures to ignore easy pickings. Much like seagulls inhabit landfills now; we now have fast-food raccoons, surfing-city raccoons, Washington DC sophisticated literate raccoons, and – most remarkable to me – daytime raccoons that sleep at night.

First, If you wish to be scared out of your wits, read CDC (U.S. Center For Disease Control) Emerging Infectious Diseases (EID) April 2002 issue, Vol.8, No.4 about Baylisascaris procyonis .Yes, everything it says is true – it could happen to you. The eggs are sticky, and like all ascarid eggs, they have a shell as tough as a brazil nut, which nothing short of nuclear bomb or sterilization temperatures will destroy. When a parasite gets into the wrong animal (us) we are called aberrant hosts, this accident can occur in any animal – even birds. When a parasite gets into the wrong animal, it gets confused and wanders aimlessly about in the body unsure where to go, sometimes it ends up in people’s brains or eye – with disastrous results. Children who are generally messy and put most everything in their mouths are particularly likely to accidentally eat dog, cat pig or raccoon parasite eggs clinging to leaves or outdoor objects and toys. That it “typically results in fatal disease” in humans is quite unlikely. Just like most of us have been exposed to Toxoplasma cysts in school sand boxes and never got sick, the incidence of asymptomatic (not sick) Baylisascaris infection in people is unknown but if it is anything like all other known nematode parasites, it is likely to be vastly greater than those in which disease occurs. I have not read that a mother raccoon can transfer this parasite to her babies before they are born. But I would not be surprised if this turned out to be the case because other ascarid worms are known to do so in dogs. The presence or absence of Baylisascaris eggs in raccoon stool , particularly young orphans, is not proof-positive that the parasites are not there. I use pyrantel pamoate and oxyfedazole against parasites in raccoons however, the CDC reports that albendazole and diethylcarbamezine destroy this parasite in mice. I know of no studies that have proven the effectiveness of oxyfedazole in raccoons. However, compounds of the same thiobendazole group, fenbendazole and levamasole, as well as piperazine and pyrantel pamoate are known to kill the parasite in the raccoons’ intestines. Just assume they all have it. If you care for orphaned or injured raccoons practice common sense hygiene – the eggs have to get to your mouth, be inhaled from dry raccoon fecal matter or get onto your skin. You can never wash your hands too often, scrub too much or take too many sanitary precautions working with any wildlife – raccoons in particular. If you make a career out of caring for wildlife, as I have, stay immunized against rabies as well. If you also hand-raise or contact opossums you should probably also read about Sarcocystis http://www.biosci.ohio-state.edu/~parasite/sarcocystis.html . I am not suggesting you handle raccoons, however, I have for 50 years and I am still alive and functional enough to write this article.
Life is not without risk.

Inducing The Baby To Defecate And Urinate:
Most mammals are induced to do this by their mother’s licking of their genital area. A moistened pledget of cotton, massaged on this area will do the same thing. Once they are eating from a dish, this should no longer be necessary.

Feeding

Tube feeding:
When you have a weak baby or lots and lots of babies to feed, I often feed them through a plastic tube attached to a syringe. I cannot explain to you in writing how this is done appropriately. You will have to watch an experienced person do it and learn that way. The diameter, length and flexibility of the tube are quite important. They are often rigged from IV tubing. If the end is placed in hot water, the PVC tube can be forced over a syringe tip. Be sure the formula is all the way to the end of the tube and that there are no air bubbles in the syringe or tube or you will inject air into the stomach. In small babies, it is easy to see the tube pass down alongside the trachea (windpipe) and know it is not going into the lungs – but you need to see it done and have someone guide you in your first attempts before you attempt it. Again, small amounts are best. You are always safer giving the formula in the mouth, drop by drop. Milk should never exit the nose. Massage and burp them after every feeding.

Baby raccoons can drink 1-5% of their body weight in milliliters (ml=cc) at a feeding – better you stop before the animal is overfilled and refusing. The heavier the baby, the larger percent of its body weight it will drink at a feeding. Nothing is written in stone. Northern raccoons tend to be larger than southern raccoons, large litters lighter than small litters. Also, dehydrated babies weigh considerably less than they should. They need to be rehydrated with warm Lactated Ringer’s Solution 4 hours and then their body temperatures brought to 101F(38.3C) before you attempt to give them anything orally. A normal unstressed, adult raccoon’s body temperature is about 102.8 F (39.3C). Try to hold the baby in a semi-horizontal position – much as its natural mother would. Don’t feed them upside down.

From the first few days of life to 31 days, raccoon kits can be fed warm, reconstituted infant kitten (some use dog) milk replacer through a plastic 1ml pipette whose end has been smoothed over a lighter. This way, they ingest no air and you maintain flow rate with your thumb and index finger. The first few days I mix one part KMR powder with two to three parts of warm water, some use Nurturall, which I also sell. Slowly, over a few days, I increase the concentration of the formula to two parts powder and three parts water. At 200 grams or so, most do well on a kitten-nursing bottle. Poking the optimal number of holes in the latex cap is an art – if you’re a novice, buy several. I have seen many more intestinal and lung problems on babies fed too much formula than too little. The secret of success is, frequent, moderate feedings – Just plump out their tummies a bit. I have never found it necessary to feed late at night – but some folks do a midnight feeding when the babies weigh less than 60 grams (two ounces). Mix the powdered formula, as you need it. If diarrhea occurs, dilute the strength of the formula and give them a few drops of infant colic relief remedy and feed them a bit less but a bit more frequently. Sour milk occurs amazingly rapidly. If you try to freeze the reconstituted formula or canned liquid formula it will thaw clumpy. It is probably unchanged nutritionally, but I don’t like the look of it. You can also spread problems from litter to litter if you reuse, formula and do not boil the bottles. I just put them submerged in a deep Pyrex bowel in the microwave for 4-5 minutes. If the bottle warps – you cooked it too long.

From 28 – 65 days – Waring-blend some Purina Puppy Chow into the milk formula 2/3 milk 1/3 formula and make the nipple hole larger. At a bit older than two months (some as early as a-month-and-a-half, I worm the baby with pyrantel pamoate, orally at 11mg/kg (5mg/pound) and do this every 3 days for approximately 3 weeks. Pyrantel pamoate is very low in toxicity because it is not absorbed from the intestine. It is sold under the trade names Nemex and Strongid and also for pinworms in children. At the same time, begin putting shallow, hard to tip or clip-on-the-cage bird dishes in its enclosure, filled with moistened puppy chow (I have always liked Purina Puppy Chow). Poke the baby’s face gently into the dish and smear some of the concoction on its palate (between it’s upper teeth) to give him the idea. You will need to use a moist terrycloth towel to clean their fur of caked-on food.

From 8-10 weeks of age, once they are eating the puppy chow well, I begin introducing the babies to tastes they will encounter in the wild and spend as little time with them as I can. Making pet’s of them is not a good idea at all if you have any intention of ever releasing them successfully. The foods you give them need to be the ones raccoons eat in your neck of the woods. Raccoons have the most adaptable opportunistic dietary habits of any North American animal I know of. Those living on my part of coastal Florida browse the beaches and salt flats for crabs, trapped or dead fish and anything else that washes in. Those in our local parks live of junk food scraps. In central Texas, mulberries, wild grape, lizards, snakes and wild raspberry, etc. form a large portion of their diet. Small rodents, immature or injured birds bird’s eggs, crayfish, earthworms, beetles, and small rodents are all appreciated when available. A live bait store is a good raccoon supermarket. Poking through the scat (fecal pellets) of wild raccoons in your area will give you an idea of what they are consuming – do it wearing gloves. Goldfish are fine, so are gambuzia minnows. To get them to try new foods, offer the novel diets in the evening and don’t add the dog kibble until the next morning. Two or more babies seem to adapt to dietary changes faster than a single infant. I personally try to part company with the babies at this stage and let others raise them out because I am a vegetarian and squeamish about killing living things (please do not lecture me about this). Most rehabilitators just feed them the hopeless cases that come in, baby bunnies with severe wounds, birds that will never fly again, etc. but nothing overtly diseased - it’s a cruel world. Be sure they consume all of the prey, because at this age they are very susceptible to metabolic bone disease (rickets). This occurs when they just eat meat or fish flesh (high in phosphorus and low in calcium). I do not suggest you feed supermarket meats. If for some reason you do, you will need to sprinkle the meat with a pediatric or animal vitamin mix and a Calcium supplement or the raccoons will not thrive. They are particularly susceptible to vitamin B-1 (Thiamine deficiencies if dead or frozen fish is fed). Meat is also much too rich in protein and low in fiber to keep an animal healthy.

Caring For Injured And Sick Adult Raccoons:
I have found that surgical methods and pharmaceutical doses applicable to cats work well in raccoons. When I suture them, I do it such a way (subcuticular) that no superficial sutures are present. Most adult raccoons brought to me have either been hit by cars or attacked by dogs. Those hit by cars with minor injuries or limb fractures usually limp off into the undergrowth. So I see a preponderance of head injuries that resulted in mental disturbances. Most of these animals are unaware of their surroundings. Often, if they are rehydrated, tube-fed, given some IV steroids (SoluDeltaCortef) and simple cage rest they will recover in a few days. None I have nursed that were still spacey after a week or two ever recovered sufficiently to be released. Three-legged urban raccoons missing a rear leg or have a single functional eye seem to do OK. I euthanize front limb injuries that I cannot repair or three-legged rural raccoons. Rabies can also present with these signs or no signs. The next most common reasons adults come in is due to infection with Canine Distemper. I have read that Feline Distemper will also affect raccoons but I have never seen a confirmed case of it. Early in canine distemper, the animals are weak, run fevers and have crusty eyes. Sometimes their nose is occluded as well. It progresses quite rapidly and there is no treatment for it. The animals develop fetid (odorous) diarrhea, cease eating and drinking and often tremble. Later they develop brain and spinal cord disease that is indistinguishable from rabies. It tends to occur in cycles when many animals are presented a few days apart. In central Texas, it was the primary reason raccoons were out in the daytime. The virus can only survive a few minutes or less when in a dry, sunny area but sneezes are very infectious to neighboring raccoons. Bleach, diluted 1 part to twenty parts of water kills the virus instantly unless there is a lot of organic material (dirt) present. I have used chicken embryo origin canine distemper vaccine successfully in raccoons. That is, it did not hurt them. I have not done experiments to see what level of immunity they developed.

Housing:
When the babies are 8-10 weeks old, I place them in groups in elevated stainless steel primate cages in a shaded area with sheet metal above to keep them dry. I was lucky to find and re-weld these. You can purchase all you need to build good cages out of 1x1’ black vinyl-coated 18-guage galvanized mesh from Memphis Net and Twine Co. www.memphisnet.net or call 800 238-6380 and have them send you their catalog. The all vinyl meshes will not keep in a raccoon. I like the sleeve-style stainless steel rings when constructing cages – the galvanized ones rust quickly and look unsightly. I do not mix raccoons with disparities in size (no big ones with little ones). I feed and hose off the cages twice a day, quickly, and stay away from them as much as I can. An occasional blast of water is a good humane way to teach them to fear man. My cages are on 4 foot steel posts so other animals and visiting raccoons cannot bother them. A large stainless steel dog-watering bowl with a brick in it works well for water. I wear no gloves and get bit frequently.

Release:
When I lived in a wooded, rural area, I did what I do with all wildlife. When I think the animals can fend for themselves (about four to five months old) I fatten them up as much as I can. Then I leave the cage door open and continue to place food in it until the animals no longer return. Unfortunately, raccoons enjoy a free lunch and many return forever at mealtime. I once raised a barn owl that returned at dusk, every night for a year for his super. Now I (and most of you) are faced with a dilemma greater than raising the offspring – where can we release them where they will thrive? The simple fact of the matter is that any area in the United States that can support a given number of raccoons already has that number of raccoons living there. If you take them far away, you risk the possibility of spreading distemper or rabies – so don’t do that. You will have to come to terms with this dilemma on your own because I do not know the answer. I suppose the youngster might replace one killed on the road or an old one in its twilight years.

Some General Facts
1) I have maintained non-releasable raccoons for many years on Purina Dog Chow. Zoos often add a good quality vitamin/mineral supplement but I find this unnecessary and probably deleterious. Puppy and kitten chows are too high in protein for long-term health. You can also feed Zupreem Brand or Mazuri Brand Omnivore Diet (5M11) http://www.mazuri.com/ although I personally feel both these diets are too high in protein (26%) and fat and too low in fiber. You can make a zoo-type diet yourself, but the animals tend to pick through it and their actual intake may be unhealthy. However, many zoos do this by combining dog chow, diced vegetables and greens, alfalfa meal, ferret or mink chow, diced rodents, diced chicks crickets, mealworms and a vitamin-mineral supplement. I feel that the final blend should have a protein content of 15-18%, fat content of 10-12.0%, and fiber content of 8-10% unless the animals are bred but their exact nutrient requirements remain unknown.
2) Females can breed as early as one year old.
3) Many adult males weigh in the mid 30 lb range – females are smaller.
4) I have seen litter size vary from three to eight
5) Their pregnancy lasts about 61 days
6) Wild raccoons wean their babies at about 76 days but the immature raccoons often stay with
the mother for up to a year.
7) Coat colors are quite variable
8) In the wild, more than half their diet is plant material.
9) Southern raccoons tend to be smaller than their northern counterparts.
10) Males play no part in raising the young.
11) Raccoons kept in captivity tend to get too fat and too little exercise.
12) Raccoons are the archetype omnivores – true opportunist, they will eat practically anything.
13) I have seen captive raccoons live 12 years. The record is said to be about 21 years
but this must have been a quite exceptional raccoon !
14 Raccoons live from Canada to South America. The Aztec/Nawatl word for raccoon is Tachon
(Tah hon with a guttural second h).
15) They tend to range about a mile to a mile-and-a-half unless food or water become scarce or the
population becomes too dense.

Vaccines that have been reported as used by various institutions in raccoons in the past with no
apparent ill-effects include:

Please see Thred of 8/6/06 below for a reader's vaccintion recommendations

Duramune 5 Way (Ft. Dodge) Fervac-V (United Vaccine Mfg) Recombiteck C-4 (Rhone-Merieux, Distemink
(United Vaccine) Fel-o-vax LVKIII (Ft. Dodge) or Felocell CVR (SmithKline Beecham) are said to be effective
in raccoons, or at least not to cause disease. Meriel’s Pur Vac ferret canine distemper vaccine has also
been used, but I know of no studies that measured antibody levels (if any) that were obtained from any of these
vaccines although such studies may exist.

If you would like to add information to this article or offer corrections please email me.

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Threads:

4/24/06 Hello again Dr. Hines,
In reference to my question last week about my mother coon taking her babies in and out of the den, I have determined the reason and thought I would pass it on. I placed an infrared night vision camera in the cage and connected it to a vcr. The sow coon is taking the babies out every night and grooming them on the floor until they empty their bladders and colons! This went on for several days before I thought about the camera deal. She keeps them out about 2 minutes each, then takes them back into the den tree. The little boy I took out of the cage is doing just fine. I am feeding him about 12ml of KMR 5 times a day. His bladder and stomach seem to be working fine, and I have had no problems with strangling. Although, I think I will increase the ratio of KMR to water just a bit to attempt to loosen his stool a little. He is able to pass it OK, but it seems a little dry and stiff. I have also been giving him a small drop of Cod Liver oil while feeding the past two days which has seemed to help. I use to give it quite a bit to my coon hound puppies for their legs.

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6/04/2006 Dear Dr. Hines

Thank you very much you have the most informative site that i was lucky enough to stumble across I have been remolding a house in the hill country and found a baby raccoon whose eyes were not open and brought him home my wife has been careing for him and he is now open eyed and seems to be doing good she feeds him puppy milk and has started him on all grain baby ceral in his milk his stools seem to be good but was wondering about when to start trying more solid food and more natural food your site was the only one found that stated anything of value thank you very much we only want to keep him healthy untill he is ready to go and want to introduce him to his natural feeding habits as much as possible thanks for your site and any other information you can provide or other links you know of . Again i say thank you for your open discusion of care for the baby and hope you continue your site for the help of others who find there selves with the question of wether to try to help or leave to die

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6/20/06 Dear Dr. Hines,

Thank you so much for your time tonight. Your patience and genuine interest in the health issue of my raccoons was amazing. It is so incredible to have such a knowledgeable resource to call upon. I have been so worried and would like to get to the root of my problem...to help the ones that are affected with the MBD and to prevent it from ever happening again. As I mentioned the changes outlined below have shown significant improvements in the physical and mental state of the affected animals. To summarize, 6 of the initial 15 were affected. The original formula used was Vet Solutions Pro Biolac for Kittens. I have successfully used it in the past with no ill effects. I know the company reformulated the product last year. They outsource the manufacturing and I have been unable to talk to anyone directly involved with the production. The changes we are currently doing: - Vet examination and x-ray - .2 cc injectable calcium given twice, 3 days apart, - Addition of 1/8 tablet per baby of PetCal to the formula per day (per my vet's recommendation). Based on our conversation, I will check to see if it includes any Vitamin D and will change to one of the Calcium supplements you suggested - Weather permitting, several hours per day in outside pens with access to sunlight. The babies with fractures or suspected MBD are placed in pairs in smaller cages to minimize climbing and rough play by healthy babies to prevent further injury - Gradual transition to Fox Valley Species Specific Raccoon Milk Replacer and an eventual formula that consists of 2 parts Milk Replacer, 2 parts pureed puppy chow, and 1 part blended fruit and vegetables mixture (primarily bananas, grapes, blueberries, cantaloupe, apples, pears, corn, green beans, butternut squash). I also add 1 tablespoon of Activa Mixed Berry yogurt). Currently, this formula is offered 3x per day by bottle and free choice by dish along with fresh water and dry puppy chow. Most of the babies in this group are approximately 8 weeks old. Kindest Regards, Karen

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8/6/06 Dear Dr. Hines,
I just wanted to pass some valuable info along to some of your readers regarding vaccines for their raccoons. First, it should be noted that the primary disease concerns for young raccoon babies are Distemper and Parvo viruses. Also, raccoons cannot develop clinical symptoms of the canine variety of Parvo. In other words, the canine variety does not make the animal sick. Raccoons are affected by the Feline Distemper virus, Panleukapenia (which is a type of Parvo virus) and Canine Distemper. Further, many folks assume that the mother's colostrum milk provides antibodies that protect the babies while nursing. This is only true if the mother has been vaccinated or has survived the disease herself. The animals are highly vulnerable to these diseases if allowed to roam around your yard, especially if the possibility exists for stray cats or dogs to frequent the areas. Parvo can live for months in the grass and organic matter in your yard. I recently raised 3 young coons to 12 weeks of age only to lose them all to Parvo the last week of their lives. They were never exposed to any live animals. I simply allowed them to wander around my back yard for short periods of time. They were obviously exposed to the disease during that time. They had not been vaccinated. Most animal rehab facilities agree that vaccinations will virtually eliminate the possibility of death by contracting the viruses. In the event that your animal suddenly becomes sick from Parvo exposure, it is imperitive to begin treatment immediately. This involves intensive antibiotic, antidiarrheal, and anti vomiting treatment as well as preventing dehydration. Most often, the animals die from secondary infections caused by the disease and not the disease itself. Parvo is not necessarily fatal if treated early.
The proper procedure to follow is to begin vaccinating the baby coons as soon as you take possession and assume they have no maternal antibody protection.Begin by giving the baby coons a Ft. Dodge. Duramune 5 way Canine Distemper shot without the Lepto. One week later, vaccinate with a Felovax IV Feline Distemper vaccination. Do not use the Felovax containing Feline Leukemia vaccine! Then every 3-4 weeks, give both of the above vaccines one in each shoulder subcutaneously until the animals are 16 weeks old. The second and remaining series of the Duramune 5 Way may then contain the Lepto vaccine if desired. This is for the owner's protection and not the animal's. Ft. Dodge recommends that you keep the animals quarantined until they have had at least two rounds of vaccines which should afford some antibody protection from the diseases. I recommend waiting until they have completed the vaccinations. This information is based on my personal experiences as well as consultations with the vaccine manufacturer and leading medical researchers in this area of wildlife medicine.
Good Luck! C

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9/12/06

Dr Hines,
Hello again. After losing all three of my kitten coons this spring to Panleukopenia at 12 weeks old, I sterilized my facilities with bleach and decided to try raising more next spring when my female got pregnant. However, she was bred again later this spring and I now have two more kittens (raccoons) that are now 7 weeks old. This time, I gave them a Felo-Vax 4 shot at 2 weeks, 4 weeks and again at 6 weeks. I have enough vaccine left to shoot them again at 8 and 10 weeks of age. As the mother is completely wild, I am fairly certain she has no antibodies to pass along. In your opinion, what sort of immunity would you guess the 7 week old babies would currently have after the 3 shots they have already received? I am vaccinating them every 2 weeks at the suggestion of a virologist with XXXXX Vet School. He advised not to give them the Duramune as some raccoons actually become sickened from the modified Canine Distemper. He further advised that if I decided to vaccinate later for the Canine Distemper, I should wait until they are around 4 months old, since they are not exposed to any dogs. I have kept these babies quarantined in my home rather than placing them in the outside enclosures. They are just about to be weaned off of KMR to puppy chow. Thanks for any suggestions.C