FOR WA state residents . . . please take notice about recent
discoveries of canine distemper in sick raccoons in King & Clark
Counties!

Although I do not want to induce unnecessary panic in any pet owners
around here, I thought it should be made known that there have been
several recent cases of canine distemper reported in sick raccoons
in the King County (Seattle) and Clark County (Vancouver) WA areas
since mid-April. It seems that a number of sick raccoons diagnosed
with canine distemper have been discovered on Seattle's "Eastside"
(which typically includes the cities of Bellevue, Redmond, Kirkland,
Woodinville, Bothell, and Issaquah) so if you live in or anywhere near
these cities, precautionary measures should be taken to avoid your pets
(particularly ones who are outdoors) from possibly coming into contact
with any wild animals.

<http://animalsreign.com/blog/2010/04/16/safety-alert-for-washington-pet-owners/>
(this article even mentions ferrets)

<http://www.ci.woodinville.wa.us/News/NewsReleasesDetail.asp?RecordKey=1534>

<http://www.nwcn.com/news/washington/Canine-distemper-outbreak-suspected-in-Clark-County-93151489.html>
(this article mentions Clark County (Vancouver, WA)

I happen to live in King County and much of East KC areas are heavily
wooded, mountainous areas that still have high populations of wildlife -
mainly because humans have marched in and built housing developments
and shopping malls smack in the middle of what used to be protected
woodlands or main habitat sanctuaries for wildlife "back in the day".
Many people and organizations do make an effort to keep these areas
protected and undisturbed so it's not uncommon for people living in
these areas (myself included) to see wildlife such as raccoons, deer,
coyotes and recently even some "lost" cougars roaming around and a
bear. In fact, and very unfortunately, I see more deceased raccoons
on the side of the road than opossums most often.

PLEASE take a moment to read the articles and take whatever
precautionary measures necessary to ensure that ALL of your pets (not
just ferrets) are up-to-date on their vaccinations, including CD shots.
For your pets that are kept outdoors for any period of time during the
day and/or evening, please ensure that you've taken the steps to reduce
or eliminate potential contact between your pets and wild animals as
suggested in the article(s).

Jennifer

"Our purpose in life is to find our gift, perfect it, and give it back
to others"

[Posted in FML 6696]