>From:    "Ilena E. Ayala" <[log in to unmask]>
>One last though on distemper.  It hits wild animals also; raccoons for
>example are susceptible to both canine and feline distemper.  Any time
>someone (at least around here) says "sick raccoon"), people think of
>rabies- that's not necessariy why the animal is ill.
 
Here, raccoons are most likely to have canine distemper.  As a wildlife
rehabber, I get many "sick raccoon" calls.  They are almost always sick
with distemper.  They have to be euthanized or suffer an agonizing and
drawn out death.
 
Even if the dogs in your area aren't suffering from distemper (probably due
to being vaccinated), the wildlife may very well be.  And distemper can be
passed to your ferrets by a raccoon (who is shedding the virus) that walks
past an open window in your home.  It is always fatal!
 
Kim and The Dynamic Duo
[Posted in FML issue 2431]