Rabid Raccoon

statestres

The DOH just announced that the first raccoon to test positive for rabies in Brooklyn was found in our area. Please keep your pets' vaccinations up to date and do not approach any animals acting strangely.

http://www.nyc.gov/html/doh/html/cd/cdrab-borough.shtml

voodoonyc

Subject: Re: Rabid Raccoon

StateStRes wrote: The DOH just announced that the first raccoon to test positive for rabies in Brooklyn was found in our area. Please keep your pets' vaccinations up to date and do not approach any animals acting strangely.

http://www.nyc.gov/html/doh/html/cd/cdrab-borough.shtml

Kind of interesting that there has been not one reported case of a rabid dog in NYC in the past 5 years and many more cats, although I guess it makes sense in that there are more feral cats than dogs.

Also interesting that Staten Island had a rabid groundhog in 2007. :shock:

Not to make light of this though StateSt. There are lots of people in the area who let their pets roam freely in backyards.

voodoonyc

Also: 35+ rabid raccoons in Central Park so far this year? WTF?

tybur6

Umm... isn't it Rocky Raccoon?

pitu

VoodooNYC wrote: [quote=StateStRes]The DOH just announced that the first raccoon to test positive for rabies in Brooklyn was found in our area. Please keep your pets' vaccinations up to date and do not approach any animals acting strangely.

http://www.nyc.gov/html/doh/html/cd/cdrab-borough.shtml

Kind of interesting that there has been not one reported case of a rabid dog in NYC in the past 5 years...

I think that's why this is a big deal - rabies hasn't been a problem recently, but it could get that way if the city doesn't jump on this quick.

FIDO sent this notice out:

FIDOBrooklyn wrote:
Rabid Raccoon found in Downtown Brooklyn

Just in via the Prospect Park Alliance:

"We were recently informed by the Department of Health that a raccoon tested positive for rabies in Brooklyn. This is the first raccoon ever to have rabies in Brooklyn. It was found near Atlantic Center."

FIDO note: This means near Fort Greene Park but know that Raccoons travel back yards as if they were freeways...

What Do We Do?

Fidobrooklyn.org "health" section has a rundown on your options when it comes to rabies. See: http://www.fidobrooklyn.org/health/health.html#rabies

The Bottom Line

Avoid any aggressive/or seemingly friendly raccoon who approaches you or your dog, especially during daylight hours. Keep you dog on a leash whenever in wooded areas. DO Vaccinate your dog against rabies.

If you suspect a rabid raccoon, call 311 immediately.

opossumqueen

Lock your doors!!

I've had multiple encounters with rabid raccoons so I tend to follow these things. I am also now excessively fearful of raccoons. You can laugh at me with my bf about this.

Some rabid animals become very aggressive and will attack anything near them which could lead to some nasty injuries if not worse, so I rabies itself isn't the only concern from an infected animal. My folks' country dogs have had there share of torn ears and cut faces from raccoons and it's not pretty.

The explosion of cases in Manhattan is definitely cause for concern. From what I've read, at least one person and one dog have been bitten so far. There is no cure for rabies, but there is a [painful] treatment that works if used early after exposure.

I think when they say "friendly" raccoon, they mean one that is out during daytime and not fearful, and probably moving a little like it's drunk. All the infected ones I've met did not seem healthy in their movements.

For the record, there are plenty of raccoons that have been fed (intentionally and not) who are not very fearful of people. I've pretty much only seen these along PPSW, though. The trash cans are a great source of food for the raccoons (and for rats) and there are people who go out to feed them at night there, as well.

dhxx

I already have raccoons on my roof and in my windows at night. Last summer I saw them in the day and everybody told me not to worry. They are not afraid of anything, but I am very mindful of my cats

cool the kid

Damn this sucks. We keep our dog inside, but she loves to be out.

bookistan

Opossum Queen - where do you have these encounters and how do you know they are rabid? I encountered a raccoon in broad daylight last week. It was large, quite fat around the middle, and kept screeching at me. Scared the daylights out of me but it soon went down 2nd Ave (near 9th). I was thinking to call animal control but I don't kinow how they would have found it by the time they got to the locale.

opossumqueen

I have not encountered a known rabid raccoon in NY, just the beggars south of the park.

This was in the south, and they were killed and tested which the only way to confirm it. I grew up around such animals and you learn normal behavior if you spend enough time with them, and sick ones are like a different species, odd movements. The one that screeched was probably scared of you and trying to scare you away. I think a lot of the ones around here are less fearful of people than in more rural settings--they are very smart and adaptable.

Once, I was chased by one that tried to attack me on my bike. Healthy raccoons do NOT chase people. I narrowly missed a bite. I worked at the animal shelter in that county during the time and there was an outbreak in the raccoons and foxes, and one child was actually bitten by a rabid fox there. Multiple cases were confirmed in the park where I was chased. I never biked so fast as that night and our foster dogs never got after-dark walks there again.

bobmarvin

"but there is a [painful] treatment that works if used early after exposure"

Rabies vaccinations have not been painful for many years. Back in 1981 I was the first person in NYC to receive the then new human duploid rabies vaccine, after being bitten by a coatimundi in Mexico. The only ill effects were a slight fever after the first shot and slight soreness in the arm where I had the injections. The rabies immune gloubuline shot, used to give temporary immunity before the vaccine becomes effective, is a large needle and more painful than the vaccine, but not that big a deal.

Prior to the approval of the human duploid vaccine I understand that rabies shots were given in the stomach. Those WERE probably painful, but that treatment is obsolete.

opossumqueen

My friend recently had to get the rabies treatment (bitten by a wild dog in another country) and he said it wasn't too fun. He had to get weekly shots in the bite wound. Better than the old giant needle in the stomach but not great. And some people don't do as well. I guess it partially depends on where you have to get it. I would rather get no shots

bobmarvin

"I would rather get no shots "

Me too; I was never advocating not taking care around suspect animals and the shots I got were hardly fun. OTOH, if you ARE bitten there's no reason to hesitate before seeking rabies vaccine,

carmen

Opossum- your stories remind me of my childhood in Mass. my sister was once cornered in our yard by a deranged-looking squirrel of all things...it was hissing and lunging at her. My dad ran from the shed and shot it...kind of traumatizing but im positive it was rabid. We had a huge rabies problem in the woods where I grew up, our neighbors were putting down pets left and right and we kept our dogs and cats indoors for a good while. When you see a normally docile or nocturnal species actively chasing after or attacking animals or people theres a good chance rabies is involved

veets

bookistan wrote: Opossum Queen - where do you have these encounters and how do you know they are rabid? I encountered a raccoon in broad daylight last week. It was large, quite fat around the middle, and kept screeching at me. Scared the daylights out of me but it soon went down 2nd Ave (near 9th). I was thinking to call animal control but I don't kinow how they would have found it by the time they got to the locale.

I know that creature. I live on 9th Street. Surely, he was headed for Mc Donalds.

I wish I was kidding but all last summer I saw one these guys on a walk on the back fence on his way to get dinner.

young -n- modern

i see raccoons every so often by my trash. saw them fuckin' one time. was disturbing.