Maralynn Posted October 11, 2010 Report Share Posted October 11, 2010 I let the dogs out yesterday morning and headed out with them to go for a walk. Thirty seconds later I hear a huge fight under the bushes next to the driveway. Kipp found a raccoon. Go figure, the dog that works through animal distractions on a search turns into a tenacious fighter in the front yard. He finally (in reality it was less than a minute, but all I could think was that coon was going to seriously hurt him) came out from underneath the bushes unscathed and we headed to the field to walk. I figured the coon would high-tail it to the woods as soon as the dogs were gone as the house has woods right up next to it on two sides. Then later in the afternoon I take Kipp out to work with him a little. Yup, he finds the coon again. This time he called off it a lot faster (I think my reaction from the morning impressed him just a bit). The coon had moved and I was able to get a good look at it and it looked sick. So my brother came over and quickly dispatched it. Then I look up online to see what the MDA had to say about rabies in MI. Yup, it is a possibility. So I call around and they tell me it's probably not a probelm, but I do need to take my dog in for a rabies booster shot becasue, well, it's policy in MI. So I call my vet and hear about the same thing. Since I have Kipp out and about all the time for SAR training, in he went for a booster. And the vet told me that while the regular vaccine is perfectly effective, but it's state policy to give a booster. I guess since it's rabies the state figures overkill is best. Sheesh, who needs kids to give them gray hair - I have dogs! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
njnovice Posted October 12, 2010 Report Share Posted October 12, 2010 That's no fun. Sinead once got into it with a very angry possum at 2am. They put up a pretty good fight. I'm glad Kipp is okay. Raccoons can kill a dog. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MyTDogs Posted October 12, 2010 Report Share Posted October 12, 2010 Wow, that is scary. I am surprised they didn't want to test the raccoon for rabies. Glad he's okay. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rushdoggie Posted October 12, 2010 Report Share Posted October 12, 2010 Seems like testing the coon would have been the more sensible option, but I guess the booster is cheaper. Oy. Glad Kip is OK. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maralynn Posted October 12, 2010 Author Report Share Posted October 12, 2010 I guess since there has not been any rabid coons in MI in the last several years and no person came in contact with it they didn't feel the need to test it. At least the vet at the MDA said it wasn't necessary. I'm not sure how feasable it would have been since my brother shot it in the head. Twice. But sheesh, in my reading over all the info put out by the state, I'm almost ready to go get vaccinated against it. Treatment for a person can be several thousand dollars. Vaccinations are only a few hundred. Kipp is a small dog and I was soooo relieved to see him come out just fine. Thankfully it was a small coon becasue a good sized adult would have weighed more than Kipp. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MyTDogs Posted October 12, 2010 Report Share Posted October 12, 2010 I guess since there has not been any rabid coons in MI in the last several years and no person came in contact with it they didn't feel the need to test it. At least the vet at the MDA said it wasn't necessary. I'm not sure how feasable it would have been since my brother shot it in the head. Twice. But sheesh, in my reading over all the info put out by the state, I'm almost ready to go get vaccinated against it. Treatment for a person can be several thousand dollars. Vaccinations are only a few hundred. Kipp is a small dog and I was soooo relieved to see him come out just fine. Thankfully it was a small coon becasue a good sized adult would have weighed more than Kipp. Oh yeah, ouch....head shot definitely messes up the rabies test. Yes, I'd encourage everyone to get a rabies vax. Luckily transmission to humans is rare but still fatal if you are the unlucky one that unknowingly gets it. Post exposure can cost up to $10,000. I have had 2 vaccines; once as a volunteer/worker at the humane society in '91. In '99 I was exposed to a rabid kitten at work & I had to go to the local ER & get a titer drawn & a booster was given at the same time. The other unluckies had to get multiple (huge! ) butt shots. My titer came back way high (even after 8+ years). So I plan on having another titer run soon & will get a booster if needed. Yes, having seen the damage a raccoon can do I am very wary of them too. I have 50+ acres of orange grove around me so I am sure they are out there. I have only seen one since I moved here a year & a half ago...along with a possum (an o'possum?). Raccoons are the main reason i still don't have chickens or ducks- I just hate to lure them here with bait! The dogs have access to the whole yard when I let them out at night & I know that of there was a raccoon they'd be on it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dal & Mad's Mom Posted October 12, 2010 Report Share Posted October 12, 2010 although it's not funny that you had to get your dog a roabies booster it reminded me of Kirby. He used Bring home animals all the time with a look on his face like. Well I know I ran away again but, I was out wandering and I came across this(squished bunny, sick racoon, live playing dead possum) I thought you would love it and forget that I've been missing for an hour.lol Once we were eating dinner and he was on the lamb once again in the kitchen window he's waving a squished bunny like let me in I"m home and I brought my own toys. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tommy Coyote Posted October 12, 2010 Report Share Posted October 12, 2010 I let the dogs out yesterday morning and headed out with them to go for a walk. Thirty seconds later I hear a huge fight under the bushes next to the driveway. Kipp found a raccoon. Go figure, the dog that works through animal distractions on a search turns into a tenacious fighter in the front yard. He finally (in reality it was less than a minute, but all I could think was that coon was going to seriously hurt him) came out from underneath the bushes unscathed and we headed to the field to walk. I figured the coon would high-tail it to the woods as soon as the dogs were gone as the house has woods right up next to it on two sides. Then later in the afternoon I take Kipp out to work with him a little. Yup, he finds the coon again. This time he called off it a lot faster (I think my reaction from the morning impressed him just a bit). The coon had moved and I was able to get a good look at it and it looked sick. So my brother came over and quickly dispatched it. Then I look up online to see what the MDA had to say about rabies in MI. Yup, it is a possibility. So I call around and they tell me it's probably not a probelm, but I do need to take my dog in for a rabies booster shot becasue, well, it's policy in MI. So I call my vet and hear about the same thing. Since I have Kipp out and about all the time for SAR training, in he went for a booster. And the vet told me that while the regular vaccine is perfectly effective, but it's state policy to give a booster. I guess since it's rabies the state figures overkill is best. Sheesh, who needs kids to give them gray hair - I have dogs! It might have had distemper. That goes thru the raccoon population here on a regular basis. Now as I understand it coons and dogs do get the same kind of distemper but that is why I always keep my dog's shots up. We have so many kinds of wildlife here - lots and lots of coons and possums and foxes in the city. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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