SKUNKS!

[thundersquirrel]

heard a strange noise tonight, so i went outside, and whaddaya know? a skunk! it ran off and luckily didn't spray me, but i was worried cause we just put our fox squirrels in the outdoor cage yesterday. i guess they're already attracting attention.

did you know that skunks are considered pests, at least in michigan? that means we're not allowed to rehab them. nossir
we gotta change some michigan laws. there are a few rehabbers i know who have chosen to risk being caught rather than leave defenseless baby skunks to their doom.

[WingedCat]

Many politicians have no respect for life, at least not animal life. Such a shame because animals are vulnerable members of Mother Earth and deserve protection.

[thundersquirrel]

yeah....i've never actually seen a baby skunk, but if you think about it, they're not that different from other baby animals, right? most baby animals that you raise aren't afraid of you enough to, for example, spray you with nastiness. rolling if i ever find a helpless skunk, i'm getting it help, i don't care what the law says.

hehehe, i'll spray paint it and say it's a deformed raccoon.

[MissDolittle]

What do you know..look what I just got in!!!

http://www.amazes.us/album/albums/userpics/10001/normal_skunkbaby.jpg

[thundersquirrel]

oooooooooooooommmmmmmmmmmmmggggggggggggggg!!!!!

lucky! have you ever raised one before? it's so cute! it reminds me of the skunk in bambi, lol.

hehehe, people were bashing skunks at school today.
our school is extremely crowded (3000 students in a building meant for 1600) and so we have "portables", little one-classroom buildings. we have about twenty of them, and they're all put together, and it's interesting cause there's a deck that connects them all, and underneath the deck is a prime place for critters. laughter anyway, every once in a while, a skunk "lets loose" underneath the portables, and the smell is amazing. i think it's funny, but everyone else gets pissed. lol.

how's it doing now?

[MissDolittle]

No, I never raised one! He isn't eating very well either..I can't find a nipple
that fits right lol. I keep trying though...he's adorable!

I'm take better pics tomorrow, had a hell of a day and will go chill now :).

[WingedCat]

Awwwwwwww What a cutie.

[MissDolittle]

Unfortunately he isn't good at all right now, is getting cold on me, won't
eat and has diarrhea. He was fit 3 hours ago. I don't think he's going to
make it.

We took this pic yesterday..he's so adorable and I would have loved to
raise him and release him:

http://www.amazes.us/album/albums/userpics/10001/normal_werner2.jpg

But that's ok..at least I'm not scared of skunks anymore nor do I find them
yucky :).

[Saviah Wildlife]

Frustrating... I'm trying to get a few pictures of a skunk from my son's Bear Scout meeting but it keeps failing.

If only Tina hadn't have broken our real camera.

So anyway if I get this working I'll post the pics.

Any updates on yours? How is he doing?

[MissDolittle]

He didn't make it.

[Saviah Wildlife]

He didn't make it.
I'm so sorry! Was it because he was too young?

[MissDolittle]

I don't know. And I'm not allowed to take any skunks nor racoons anymore.
Animal Control threatened me with a ticket if I do, because I don't have the
pre-exposure rabies shots. I don't like it, but they are right, for my own
safety.

[Saviah Wildlife]

I don't know. And I'm not allowed to take any skunks nor racoons anymore.
Animal Control threatened me with a ticket if I do, because I don't have the
pre-exposure rabies shots. I don't like it, but they are right, for my own
safety.

That's utter crap though. So you aren't going to pursue it and get the ability back?

I was personally wondering about getting rabies shots myself every 3 years.

[MissDolittle]

I'm saving up for the shots..$640.

[Saviah Wildlife]

I'm saving up for the shots..$640.

$640, what IS it? It can't be what dogs and cats get then?

Why is it so much?

[MissDolittle]

Of course not. It's a 3 series shots that the hospital has to order..pain in the
behind those are! $640 is cheap! Some hospitals want over a thousand.

[Saviah Wildlife]

Of course not. It's a 3 series shots that the hospital has to order..pain in the
behind those are! $640 is cheap! Some hospitals want over a thousand.

I'm confused then. Is this the vaccination that pets get or something else? Why can't they use the pet one in higher doses?

[MissDolittle]

Because they have a complete different imune system? That's why they get
different illnesses than we do too.

Here is some info:

http://dep.state.ct.us/burnatr/Wildlife/problem/rehab/rabies_immunization.htm

It's from CT though, but it's the same here.

[Saviah Wildlife]

Because they have a complete different imune system? That's why they get
different illnesses than we do too.

Here is some info:

http://dep.state.ct.us/burnatr/Wildlife/problem/rehab/rabies_immunization.htm

It's from CT though, but it's the same here.

Interesting. While yes our immune systems are different I fail to see why pet vaccines for rabies wouldn't help humans. I'd think just higher doses would be needed. Good link thanks. I wonder now the difference between that an pet vaccines.

I know I'm dwelling here but I'm quite curious especially considering we can GET rabies from animals.

[MissDolittle]

Good luck finding out. Let me know if you do lol.

[oldcrow61]

So sorry to read about the little Skunk. I expect I would break any laws as well if it came to helping an animal in distress.

[MissDolittle]

Yes, I've been breaking the law a lot when it comes to saving animals ;).
But I also need to see the facts. I have a husband, 4 cats, 3 dogs and usually
a rescue full of animals. Do I want to expose them all to potential danger?

Have you ever seen what a raccoon roundworm can do to a human for
example? Often people just roll their eyes when they hear about the rabies
danger..I had 2 animals last year with rabies and had to re-think my priorities. :)

[DonB]

Unfortunately he isn't good at all right now, is getting cold on me, won't
eat and has diarrhea. He was fit 3 hours ago. I don't think he's going to
make it.

Sorry about the loss. I know it happened some time ago but I'm sure it still feels like yesterday.

In browsing a few posts in another forum I saw where you lost a baby possum too. Do you use Dyne or Stat with little babies like this? Many times it's the only thing that can pull them through. It's wonderful stuff for weak or dehydrated babies.

Don

[MissDolittle]

Thank you for your kind words. 60 - 80% that comes in here doesn't make it, because they are too far gone already..it takes a special place in one's heart to deal with that.

I always feed the powdered Esbilac Puppy Milkreplacer to all mammals, without exception. Already went through 15 lbs this year and we are not even half done. That can get quite expensive.

[DonB]

My hat is off to you Lady. It is such a difficult thing to do. I had to quit because it was just to hard for me.

The last animal I tried to save was a young adult male raccoon with distemper. I picked him up at a plant nursery. After five days of full time work using an IV rig and every other weapon I had available to me, I thought I had him saved and then... boom, he was gone in a matter of a few hours. After that one, I just couldn't do it anymore. It still hurts every time I think about it and it's been a little more than ten years.

Check out the Dyne or Stat. They're more of a rescue substance than a diet. It will help you to pull off some miracles.

Don