Fearless raccoons could be more sick than brave

If you spot a raccoon that seems unfazed by noise or human contact, it could be suffering from a disease called distemper.

Distemper is a contagious virus that affects the respiratory, digestive and nervous systems of animals — a disease that often proves fatal if left untreated and can also infect unvaccinated pets.

Londoner Linda MacKinnon spotted a raccoon acting strangely in her backyard and decided to call animal control.

"The raccoon was right in my husband's work shed and was coming up on the deck," said MacKinnon. "This little guy had no fear of anything."

As the weekend approached, she said the raccoon became less coordinated and began walking around the yard in circles on shaky paws.

Be aware of the symptoms

There are several possible signs of distemper and those are just two of them, said Jamie Round who is the enforcement manager with the London Animal Care Centre.

"There can be a detached retina effect, where they have a green reflection in the eye," he said. "They sometimes also drool uncontrollably."

Round said distemper damages the animal's organs and brains, which is why they have such abnormal behaviour. If it's caught early enough, the animal can possibly be treated.

"They would make a determination based on what they're seeing and we would also look to seek advice from wildlife rehabilitation centres," said Round. 

Vaccination against the disease can keep pets safe, he added.

Euthanasia is the only option when the disease progresses

"Any canine can get it, so skunks, foxes, dogs, anything like that," said David Loechner, a wildlife specialist with The Critter Guy.

It's sometimes hard to notice the early stages of the disease and it spreads quickly, he added.

"It doesn't even have to be direct contact," said Loechner. "They just leave some blood or saliva behind and if something else comes in contact with that, then they can get it."

When he gets a call from someone to pick up a sick raccoon, Loechner said people often mistake its symptoms for rabies.

"Rabies is almost nonexistent in Ontario. It's pretty obvious when it's distemper, especially in the final stages. Their eyes are all crusted over and they're disorientated."

If the disease progresses too far, all that can be done is humanely euthanize the animal.

"We use CO2. They just fall asleep and they're out. Done. No pain, no suffering," said Loechner.

In the last eight months, Loechner said he would get as many as four calls a day about raccoons with distemper outside of the city.

Linda MacKinnon said she's thankful that the disease hadn't progressed that far with the raccoon in her backyard.

"When animal control came, they said this guy was quite hefty," she said. "So he probably hadn't been sick all that long. It's a terrible, terrible way to die."

If you see a raccoon that looks sick, the Ontario SPCA and Humane Society recommends contacting the London Humane Society or a licensed wildlife rehabilitator. Do not attempt to handle the animal.