Sad happening in the pond

[Big Lou]

Each day is wonder filled. Dozens of birds, many regulars, along with our one mature red fox squirrel.

 

[morewater]

I consider racoons as a bane. They crap everywhere (their excrement contains toxins harmful to humans). I'd be happy to never see a racoon in my backyard ever.
This is in no way an admission of guilt on my part for the untimely demise of Rocky. I was at home that day and can prove it.

 

[Catfishnut]

Should I be concerned about the pond water because of the deceased raccoon?

Big Lou,

Nawh, they cannot transmit this specific disease this way, especially not to fish. So you don't have to worry about the pond.

Your dog or cat could be susceptible to the disease if it comes into contact with any blood, saliva, urine or feces.
Fleas, tics and flies may possibly transmit the disease between the animals.

The raccoons can suffer from both canine and feline distemper and both forms are completely different than rabies.
Humans are not susceptible to it (if it is indeed distemper).

Here is a link if anyone would like to read the specifics:

http://www.raccoonworld.com/raccoondistemper.html

EDIT: If you read the article I linked to above, I'd like to ask you this... When they are listing the symptoms of feline distemper, they list "depression" . How the heck did they determine that one?
Did they put rocky on a couch and ask him if he hated his parents and had suicidal thoughts?
And they also listed "anorexia", hmmm? I didn't realize that raccoons would be so self concious about their figure.


Gordy

 

[morewater]

Raccoons droppings truly are hazardous waste and should be treated as such. A large proportion of the raccoon population is infected with the Baylisascaris roundworm parasite. If you see a raccoon, there's a better than 70% chance that it is infected. This roundworm, unlike most that make the intestinal tract their abode of choice, is particularly fond of brain tissue, similar to CJD (Creuzfeldt-Jacobs Disease, although CJD is caused by prions, not parasitic worms). The parasite makes no distinction between Rocky's grey matter and your own. Brain tissue is brain tissue. CJD (commonly called Mad Cow Disease) occurs in humans, and so too can Baylisascaris roundworm infections.

An infected raccoon (which pretty well includes all of them) releases the Baylisascaris roundworm eggs in its droppings each and every time that it leaves a land-mine for you to discover. The eggs are what are considered to be the infectious stage of the roundworm life cycle. The eggs are tough, and can withstand sunlight, as well as most chemicals/soaps. Bleach is really the only effective disinfectant for areas that have been contaminated by raccoon droppings. Undiluted bleach in a spray bottle (like a Windex bottle), can be used to neutralize the site.

Raccoon droppings are hazardous waste, make no mistake. Use gloves, double bag it and toss it in the garbage. Disinfect the shovel/trowel or whatever you've use to get rid of the droppings with straight, undiluted bleach.

Little kids are the most likely to be infected with the parasite, given their tendency to put their hands in their mouths. In severe, untreated cases, Baylisascaris roundworm has been known to cause mild to severe mental retardation in young children.

Rocky might be cute, but he's toxic as hell.

Again, the above is in no way, shape or form an admission of guilt on my part for the untimely demise of the destructive, disease-carrying, land mine-laying, fish-eating, bandit-faced animal eulogized in the original post. I remain innocent and pure as the driven snow.

 

[BlueOrca]

I was going to say possible distemper as well. In my area in the last 2 years there have been many cases of it in raccoons and skunks......I had to call animal control for my parents when a skunk in the middle of the afternoon was walking in circles next to their house (almost drunk in appearance), same thing years before with a raccoon but it was bleeding from the nose area as well. Distemper in both cases, so your pond may not have been the culprit.

http://www.wcsv.org/education/diseases/distemper/

 

[morewater]

Haro and Blue Orca are Ontarians, and from my neck 'o the woods. Where in Southern Ontario, Orca?

 

[Tula]

This info on raccoons is scary stuff

 

[BlueOrca]

Haro and Blue Orca are Ontarians, and from my neck 'o the woods. Where in Southern Ontario, Orca?

Windsor, Essex county (across from Detroit Michigan for everyone else).

 

[j.w]

I've heard if you leave pet dishes of water outside racoons might pee or wash in them and transmit diseases. Haven't seen any around here lately and when they were around they never bothered my pond but did use the water dish I had outside for the feral cat we used to feed. Always found sand in it so knew they had been there. One night two came to our back slider looking in at us w/ glow in the dark eyeballs

 

[brandonsdad02]

Throughout the summer I will find baby birds in the pond that have fallen out of the large maple tree that is above my pond. I feel bad for them, but its the circle of life. When we first moved into our home, there was a family of squirrels that thought our attic was a wonderful home. The house had sat empty for 2 years so they decided to move in. We would lay in bed at night and we could hear them running around up there. I tried my hardest to get them out. Pepper spray, bug bombs, even got some Bear spray from Bass Pro. Nothing would work. We had to call a Wildlife officer who set traps up there in our attic. He told us that there was no way to safely remove then with out them coming back. Because of their curious nature, squirrels can destroy a house and cause fires from chewing on the electrical wires so we wanted them out ASAP. We heard the trap go off one night So I checked and yep it was a very large and not happy. I quickly put it down and called the officer the next day to come pick it up. We found the hole they had chewed in the screen on the roof vent and made a cage round the vent. No issues since then.

 

[callingcolleen1]

Raccoons can be very bad, bad for health, bad for the house, bad for the pond.... one down hopefully your pond got them all!!!

 

[morewater]

Raccoons are evil. Groundhogs lie.

 

[Catfishnut]

Morewater,

Raccoons can be rather "pissy" too. My brother used to stop by his cabin on the way home from work around midnight or so and sit by the river in the dark to enjoy the ambience. Sometimes fish and sometimes spend the night. For a time one summer, he was hearing some critter rumaging about along the bank in the tall grass. One night he took a flashlight along and shone it at the critter because he was curious to see what it was... A raccoon, opposum, skunk, weasel, mink, beaver, badger, cougar???

It turned out to be a raccoon and he was not happy to be "in the lime-light" of my brother's mag-light flashlight and he hisssed and snarled and growled and came running right towards him.

My brother flipped over end in his metal lawn chair and scrambled to upright himself and run fast to the back door of the cabin and shut out the pissed off varmint! The raccon scratched at the screen door and rummaged about the porch far a while, but he went away eventually.

I always enjoyed that story. It is a good one.

Gordy

 

[morewater]

Yup, they're ornery alright, and can get aggressive (although I didn't know that they were also vindictive).

Late last Spring, I saw a baby 'coon come out from under the fence, wobbling around. Out came Mama 'Coon, gave me attitude, picked up the youngster and back under the fence she went.

Not ten seconds later, she emerges from under the fence (no baby 'coon in mouth), hisses at me, craps on the deck.....back under the fence.

I hates raccoons. Varmints.

 

[Catfishnut]

Yup, they're ornery alright, and can get aggressive (although I didn't know that they were also vindictive).

Late last Spring, I saw a baby 'coon come out from under the fence, wobbling around. Out came Mama 'Coon, gave me attitude, picked up the youngster and back under the fence she went.

Not ten seconds later, she emerges from under the fence (no baby 'coon in mouth), hisses at me, craps on the deck.....back under the fence.

I hates raccoons. Varmints.

LOL! I love that "craps on the deck" part. That is like they know they are getting back at you. Dang rascals!

Gordy