Wildlife experts find canine distemper in raccoons in northeast Salem Oregon

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Wildlife experts find canine distemper in raccoons in northeast Salem

Residents are urged to have their dogs vaccinated

Area wildlife officials have seen an increase in cases of raccoons with distemper symptoms in northeast Salem. The disease can be spread from wildlife to dogs, so dog owners are urged to have their pets vaccinated against the disease.

Some raccoons in northeast Salem are carrying a fatal virus that can spread between wildlife and domestic animals.

Melanie Smith, a raccoon rehabilitator with the Salem Wildlife Rehabilitation Association, has received 23 calls since mid-January about raccoons acting strangely.

After two necropsies, Smith found out that the raccoons were carrying canine distemper, which dogs typically are vaccinated against annually.

She has had to humanely destroy 20 raccoons because there is no reversing canine distemper in raccoons. She has another raccoon in observation to see whether the animal develops the illness.

"Distemper is disastrous as far as the wildlife population is concerned," she said. "Raccoons are my passion, and it hurts beyond description to see them suffering with this disease."

Symptoms of distemper look similar to those of rabies, but there have been no reported cases of rabies in skunks or raccoons in more than 30 years.

Raccoons with distemper often have a pus-like discharge from their eyes and nose and look dehydrated or starved. Another form of the disease is neurological and creates paralysis and seizures, said Dr. Janette Ackermann, a veterinarian with the American Wildlife Foundation in Molalla.

"Distemper is not just going between raccoons," she said. "It is also going between raccoons and dogs."

Smith is mapping where the animals are found, but so far, most have been in northeast Salem.

"Last year, Portland had quite a problem with it," Smith said. "But I haven't seen an outbreak like this here in several years."

Smith noted that many animal shelters are reporting a higher number of strays with distemper.

State wildlife veterinarian Colin Gillin said the problem is not statewide, but his office is receiving phone calls daily about raccoons acting odd.

"(Raccoons) can carry this disease at low levels in populations and then various changes, like increased stress or climate changes, can set off an outbreak," Gillin said.

Gillin said the most important thing people can do is get their dogs the proper shots.

"I can't stress enough that people get their animals vaccinated," he said. "It's good for public health and domestic animal health."

It also could help prevent wildlife from contracting a fatal disease.

"It is just painful," Smith said. "It makes me question my own spirituality. What did these animals do to deserve this? They didn't do anything."


Distemper

Canine distemper is not rabies. It is a viral disease that infects foxes, coyotes, skunks and unvaccinated dogs. The disease does not affect humans.
The disease spreads through body fluids or droppings.
Symptoms include discharge from the nose and eyes, a rough coat of hair, emaciated appearance and unusual behavior such as disorientation or wandering aimlessly.
The disease is more likely to occur when raccoon populations are large or concentrated. It seems to run in cycles of five to seven years.
SOURCE: The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife.

Wildlife rehab

If you see a raccoon in the daylight acting disoriented and/or with discharge from the nose and eyes:
Do not attempt to pick up or move the animal.
Call the Salem Wildlife Rehabilitation Association at (503) 856-8242 or raccoon rehabilitator Melanie Smith at (503) 585-0564.