Humane society warning about raccoon distemper, uptick in the county

Humane society officials are spreading the word about a higher rate of raccoons with distemper in the area.

Executive director Melanie Coulter said the symptoms of raccoon distemper can mimic rabies.

"They're neurological symptoms, so they'll be walking in circles. They'll be acting disoriented. People often think it's just because they're out during the day but there's many reasons why that can be the case," said Coulter.

The raccoons are not a danger to humans but they could spread the fatal disease to dogs.

"I wouldn't call it an outbreak, as distemper is something that is common in the local raccoon population, but the number of cases has been higher than normal this year, especially in the county," said Coulter.

Coulter is advising pet owners to be on the lookout and to have their dog's shots up-to-date.

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"You can often see nasal discharge or eye discharge," said Coulter, who says distemper cases might be higher than usual due to a larger raccoon population or because they are mating right now.

Raccoons with distemper are usually more disoriented so they're actually easier to capture, said Coulter.

"If [people] see a raccoon they're concerned about to just go up behind them and pop a recycle bin over top of them," said Coulter, adding that helps animal control officers to capture them.

She urged people to talk to local municipalities to find out whether they respond to calls about raccoons with distemper.

Coulter said distemper can't be treated in the wild.