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]