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I'd never heard of this and I know some fur babies
get to go outside and raccons are everywhere, so I thought I'd pass
this on as an FYI to be aware of (it came from a different list I'm on): -------------------------------------------------------------------------- I deal with feral rabbits and wild squirrels and see a lot of neurological problems caused by Baylisascaris procyonis (Raccoon roundworm larva migrans). You can go to the Center for Disease Control website www.cdc.gov and search for raccoon. In a very small nutshell, the raccoon is rarely affected by the parasite, but when he poops, thousands of these microscopic parasites are expelled. They leave the poop and get onto the grass, where other animals ingest them. Over 100 different species have been identified as having been infected with this parasite including cats and humans. The only way to positively diagnose the disease is to send the brain to a lab. We do not euthanize rabbits with this parasite unless/until they no longer have a good quality of life. We have three "wobbly" bunnies who are now 9 years old. We immediately put our rabbits on oxybendazole for life when we suspect raccoon roundworm. That medicine does not stop, but drastically slows down the progression of the parasite through the brain. We have had one rabbit on oxybendazole for over 6 years now. This year she has started to show signs that the parasite is doing more damage. She is no longer able to stand and we may have to make the decision to euthanize her within the next few months. Mom cat could have walked through the grass where raccoons had pooped and the babies could have ingested the parasites. There are certainly other reasons for neurological symptoms such as trauma, but I'm always trying to get the word out about the dangers of encouraging raccoons to come into your yard, so I'm taking this opportunity to do so. Sandi :-) Best Little Rabbit, Rodent & Ferret House -- Belinda happiness is being owned by cats ... Be-Mi-Kitties http://bemikitties.com Post Adoptable FeLV/FIV/FIP Cats/Kittens http://adopt.bemikitties.com FeLV Candlelight Service http://bemikitties.com/cls HostDesign4U.com [affordable hosting & web design] http://HostDesign4U.com ------------ BMK Designs [non-profit animals websites] http://bmk.bemikitties.com |
