By Joseph Haney
An increased number of sick raccoons have been reported in Buena Vista recently.
Since March 1, the city’s animal control unit has responded to 26 calls for raccoons that were showing signs of the illness. One such raccoon was captured and taken for testing to determine the exact nature of the illness. While tests are still pending as of Monday afternoon, reported symptoms are consistent with distemper.
Distemper is a contagious disease that primarily affects canines, attacking their respiratory, gastrointestinal and nervous symptoms. It can also be found in a variety of other animals, including skunks, opossums and ferrets. The disease is primarily spread through airborne exposure to infected respiratory secretions. Infected animals may display abnormal behaviors such as fearlessness or confused behavior, and may have a rough fur coat and discharge around the eyes and nose.
In a post to its Facebook page last Wednesday, the Buena Vista Police Department encouraged anyone who encountered a sick raccoon to keep their distance and not approach the animal, and to contact the authorities instead, including local law enforcement, animal control or wildlife removal.
They also encouraged anyone seeking additional information to reach out to the Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources at (804) 367-1000 or to visit its website at dwr.virginia.gov.
The department also encouraged pet owners to keep their pet’s vaccinations up to date, to supervise pets when outdoors to prevent contact with infected animals and to avoid attracting raccoons by not leaving pet food outside and keeping yards clean.
