The dangers of Raccoon Roundworm

by Sos Wildlife Control | Jul 16, 2017 | Uncategorized

If having a raccoon on your property or in your home wasn’t bad enough, raccoons leaving their feces around your property can lead to a potentially deadly disease called “raccoon roundworm”. If you live in an urban area or a place where you see raccoons fairly often we suggest you get a pest control technician and talk to your health care provider to see how they can help you in the event of a racoon roundworm infection.

Raccoon Roundworm

Also known as “Baylisascaris procyonis” , is the common large roundworm found in the small intestinal tract of raccoons. Raccoon roundworm becomes a producer of dangerous diseases when the raccoon feces is exposed to air and a warm warmer temperature, making the roundworm eggs infected.

The egg ridden, infected feces can be ingested by other wild animals or even your own cats and dogs, making them a source of infection. Fecal matter can also travel though air, making the disease airborne.

Raccoons tend to use establish latrines on rooftops, in attics and around chimneys to defecate in. This becomes dangerous when these places accumulate in roundworm eggs which become a long term source of infections for both wild animals and humans.

Once the eggs get into your system , they hatch and turn into larvae. The larvae then travel through the brain and spine through the cerebrospinal fluid found in the spine and brain.

Who is most at risk?

Wild animals are most at risk for picking up raccoon roundworm, as mentioned earlier they tend to ingest the infect feces unknowingly and become hosts of roundworm infections themselves.

Children who play in the dirt, or outside in general, and like to get their hands dirty and put things in their mouths are at high risk as they may not be able to see the difference between dirt and feces and fecal matter.

The developmentally disabled need special attentions as well as they tend to behave the same as young children.

What are the symptoms of raccoon roundworm?

Racoon roundworm (Baylisascaris infection) symptoms can vary. It depends on how many eggs are ingested and where in the body the larvae travel to.

Eggs hatch into larvae once ingested and travel through the liver, brain and spinal cord.

A small amount of eggs being ingested may lead to no issues ,but a larger amount can lead too:

Nausea
Fatigue
Liver Enlargement
Lack of Coordination
Lack of attention
Loss of muscle control
Coma
Blindness

Some cases of infection have even led to death. Its easy to confuse these symptoms for something less serious so it’s especially important that children and the developmentally disabled are checked as soon as possible for potential roundworm infection.

Diseases that can develop from racoon roundworm

Encephalitis

Encephalitis is a swelling of the brain hat results from a viral infection. It usually starts abruptly and develops fast so it does require urgent care. It usually starts with a fever and headache and becomes as serious as seizures, confusion, drowsiness and loss of consciousness and even coma.

Feline panleukopenia

Feline panleukopenia is a disease that affects cats. Feline panleukopenia attacks growing cells like those in the bone marrow, intestines and any developing fetus. Its common in cats ages 3-5 and happens more often in warmer times of the year. Older cats are more immune than younger ones, so its important to be aware of symptoms of the younger ones. There is no cure for FP , only treatments to support the cats care.

Canine distemper

Canine distemper is a disease that impacts dogs and has no known cure yet. Its spread through the air and through direct contact with other infected animals. It attacks the tonsils and lymph nodes where it replicates itself for about one week. After that in attacks the urogenital , gastrointestinal and nervous system. Symptoms of canine distemper include high fever, reddened eyes and a watery discharge from the nose and eyes. Abnormal enlargements of the pads of the dogs feet is common with canine distemper as well.

Herpes simplex

Herpes simplex is a common virus is mostly seen as a cold sore or a fever blister. It can be nuisance. Some symptoms include blistering sores, pain during urination and itching. Some symptoms can be similar to a flu like fever, swollen lymph nodes, headaches, tiredness and lack of appetite. It’s usually spread through kissing, and sharing anything used around the mouth. There is no cure for the disease, but treatments are available to prevent further spread.

Parasitic disease

Also known as parasitosis, Parasitic disease affects any living organism. Its symptoms include abdominal pain, weight loss, increase appetite, bowel obstructions, diarrhea and vomiting which can lead to dehydration, sleeping problems, worms present in the vomit or stools, anomia, aching muscles or joints, general malaise, allergies, fatigue, nervousness. Parasitic disease is spread through feces or the inadequate disposal of feces. Parasitic disease is usually treated with antiparasitic drugs.

Raccoons can cause serious issues and even though some may appear cute and friendly and your kids want to keep a raccoon as a pet, its what they leave behind as they scavenge and squat that can cause major issues caused by raccoon roundworm . Click here for an in-depth article on raccoons on your property.

Don’t wait for the worst to happen, have your raccoon situation assessed!

After doing a situational analysis and discussing some of your concerns with the removal of the raccoons we begin our investigation on how the raccoon(s) have been entering your property. In many cases, their entry points will be either in the house, on the roof, underneath the house or under your deck/patio. We will also point out potential entry points that other raccoons may use in the future so we can address that immediately as well. We know that you would like to have the raccoon or raccoons nuisance removed as quickly as possible, but also in a way that is humane and ethical. We make sure that we discuss removal options with consideration to your preferences, your property and your time.

The usual process is called the “one-way door” method in which the raccoon’s entry/exit point is covered by the installation of a screen which allows the raccoon to leave the through the door but not re-enter. Eventually, for common reasons like gathering food from food sources outside of the property the raccoon will leave its dwelling as part of its regular routine. At that point the one way door is used and the raccoon is prevented from re-entering.

If the raccoon has babies, an alternative method is conducted for the safety of the animals. The one way method is not used as this would cause the babies to be separated from their mother leaving them abandoned. Instead the babies will be safely moved to an insulated box outside of their nesting area where they will remain until the mother comes and picks them up and relocates them to a new den.

While uncommon, if trapping is involved in the raccoon removal process, it is done so in a humane method where the raccoon is uninjured and are moved to a location at least 1 kilometer away, in accordance to Ontario law.

For future prevention our technicians can do a thorough inspection of possible entry points and weak spots in your home.. After finding some major entry points and others areas that have the potential to become entry points, we give you options that take these problems, your property and the safety of the animal into account. We then seal off these entry points with galvanized steel mesh to prevent any re-entry.
To avoid encountering these issues and more, call a professional wildlife control technician at SOS Wildlife Control. For residential, commercial and industrial solutions, SOS Wildlife Control Inc. can be there to help you with your wildlife removal problem.

Call 1-800-981-0330 today!

General FAQs

What Diseases Can Humans Get from Raccoons?

Baylisascaris procyonis, commonly known as raccoon roundworm, is a worm found in raccoons. It can infect people and other animals such as dogs. It can lead to a deadly disease.

Can Humans Get Raccoon Roundworm?

Raccoon roundworm can infect humans without symptoms, causing severe neurological problems. Although human infections are rare, individuals or children who are more likely to ingest mud or dirt have a higher risk of acquiring the disease.

Who is at Risk of Raccoon Roundworm?

Wild animals have the highest chances of picking up raccoon roundworm. Also, children, hunters, taxidermists, and wildlife rehabilitators may also be at risk if they handle raccoons or raccoon feces.

What are the Symptoms of Raccoon Roundworm?

The indications of raccoon roundworm include fatigue, nausea, lack of coordination, enlargement of the liver, lack of attention to surroundings and people, loss of muscle control, blindness, and coma. Some cases may also result in death.

Why Do Skunk Like Living Under My Shed or Deck

by Sos Wildlife Control | Jul 3, 2017 | Skunk Control

Skunks have a bad reputation of being animals that will spray without warning, or if you grew up with Looney Toons you may be afraid that they will try and profess their love for you. Neither are true, skunks are not as dangerous as you think and only spray in self-defense. A skunk living under your shed or deck can become an nuisance especially if you cross it unknowingly.

Where do skunks usually reside inside homes?

Crawl spaces
Dens
Under concrete slabs
In your yard
Your shed
Under your deck

How can you tell if you have a skunk in or around your property?:

To the right is a picture of skunk tracks, which you can find in mud or softer ground.

The sounds of scrambling feet or scratching in your den, attic, or walls are also a good sign that a skunk has found a entry found into your home or onto your property.

When you think of the dangers a skunk you probably jump to one thought.

Skunk spray

A skunk’s natural form of self-defense to help them survive in the wild and fend off predators is their spray. It’s a mix sulphurous oil and contains a compound known as thiol which is usual present in rotting flesh and feces. The odor gets worse once it comes into contact with water.

So if you get sprayed, DO NOT USE WATER, it will make the smell stronger and last longer.

First thing you’ll want to do is NOT go inside, the odor will follow you and make your ordeal much worse.

For a step-by-step guide to what you should do when you get sprayed, click here

Skunks are a danger to any household pets too

It’s common for skunks to spray cats too especially when searching for a food source or if it wants cat food. If you come home your pet, or your pet comes to you with the scent of skunk spray on it there a few options to deal with it:

Use Paul Krebaum’s “Baking Soda and peroxide” formula

1 quart of 3% hydrogen peroxide
¼ cup of baking soda
1 to 2 teaspoons liquid soap (not detergent)

Wash your pet thoroughly and massage the mix into the fur, allow the solution to set for roughly 5 minutes until the oder is gone. Allowing the solution to set allows for the solution to really lift the smell off and lets oxygen molecules bond to the oder-causing thoils, neutralizing the smell.

It’s recommended that you wash your pet outdoors as soon as the solution is mixed.

As a precaution the solution can bring a stinging sensation to your eyes so your will want to wear protective gear like gloves and eye mask. Use lukewarm water for larger pets.

2) There are numerous over-the-counter products available for sale such as skunk shampoos, deodorants and sprays that can get rid of the skunk stench (but not to make your local skunk look fabulous unfortunately) and help get your cat, dog , or any pet the protection it needs.

Keep in mind the odor of skunk spray can even be spread by squirrels and skunks in the area that have been sprayed.

If you think your pets or the wildlife in your area are at risk of being sprayed by a skunk your best option is to get a trained technician that can provide effective, humane sunk control out there immediately to contain the situation before it gets bad.

Health risks of a skunk spray

Beyond the awful oder of a skunk spray, the spray can also cause serious health problems to you and any pets in the house:

A skunk spray which is fairly close to the face can cause extreme discomfort and in some cases, temporary blindness. The first thing you should do if this happens is to flush the eyes and the mouth out immediately with water.
Skunk sprays to the face can also lead to vomiting, drool, squinting, sneezing and seizures amongst pets.
Thiol in skunk spray also leads to damage to red blood cells resulting in anemia (a condition marked by a deficiency of red blood cells or of hemoglobin in the blood, resulting in pallor and weariness.).

Skunks and baby skunks

Once a skunk gets comfortable somewhere it will want to start raising a family, which means your skunk problem has expanded exponentially. Baby skunks ,like most animals that are new to the world, are easy to scare and this means that they are very trigger happy with their spray.

When can you expect a baby skunk issue?

Early spring is usually birthing season for baby skunks. They stay in their dens for the first 6 to 8 weeks of life. Mother skunks tend to give birth to 4-6 babies at once.

Baby Skunk Removal

When faced with a baby skunk issue its best to call a technician to help you remove them, here’s why:

It’s illegal to kill these animals
Skunks are extremely protective of their young
Baby skunks will spray at anything that moves
There are specific regulations around how baby skunks and skunks can be relocated

During baby season, the technician will have to dig and find the babies to remove them from the property. Once the technician has all the babies they will put them in a safe insulated box near the one-way door for the mother to find. Eventually the mother will come relocate the babies to a new den. We provide humane, effective and ethical removal of all nuisance animals.

What can you do to prevent skunks from entering your property or taking up residence under your deck or shed?

Skunks tend to do most of their scavenging for food sources at night and tend to avoid light so a good preventative measure is to install lights with motion sensors in your yard. Keeping your back or front yard light on will also work.

Lawn motion detector sprinklers are also an effective method to keep skunks out as well.

What do skunks eat?

Garbage
Plants
Any food left outside

Skunks tend to go right after gardens, garbage bins and any food left outside. Make sure you throw away any food left outside and that you secure your garbage bins with something heavy or a securing mechanism.

Use a wire mesh fence or chicken wire to keep the vegetables in your garden safe and install a motion sensor light as an extra precaution.

If you see any openings into dens, crawl spaces or the attic you’ll want to cover that with a steel mesh screen, one that can withstand a chewing and will secure tightly to the opening. If you arnt sure of any openings you can always call us for an assessment.

For future prevention our technicians can do a thorough inspection of possible entry points and weak spots in your home to prevent future racoon problems from plaguing your home. After finding some major entry points and others that have the potential to become entry points ,we give you options that take these problems and your property into account. We then seal off these entry points with galvanized steel mesh to prevent any entry whatsoever.