Wednesday, October 22, 2008

Recorded Discussion on Raccoons & Their Associated Diseases

On Thursday, Oct 23, 2008 Oct 23, 2008 8 PM EDT there was a podcast on http://www.Talkshoe.Com/tc/16456/ Allison Lavallee of Massachusetts who has a long history in Animal Control and working in her state with raccoon diseases has agreed to lead this discussion.

The evening started out with a discussion between Robb Russell and Allison Lavalee. The discussion eventually broke out into a actual discussion as Mike page, Maynard Stanley, Kevin Dahn, Mike Flick briefly joined into a conversation.

In the second hour Craig Coon from Saratoga Springs New York was able to join in and many of us found his input enlightening and informative. I am glad both Craig Coon and Allison Lavalee took the time to help do this podcast.

The discussions covered many diseases but primarily Raccoon Roundworm, Distemper and rabies. In addition to material on diseases , equipment and safety measures were covered pretty well.


Click Here to Listen to the podcast



Pictured Above Robb Russell, The Wildlife Pro, LLC
North Central Florida
http://www.gainesvillewildliferemoval.com
or in many states and cities nationwide.
http://anytimeanimalcontrol.com
1-800-714-8727

Common Infectious Diseases of Raccoons
http://www.addl.purdue.edu/newsletters/1997/fall/raccoon.shtml

Raccoons are susceptible to a large number of different infectious agents including bacteria, viruses, and parasites. Several of these infectious diseases are zoonotic. Veterinarians are faced with the diagnosis and treatment of wildlife including raccoons and need to be able to make the correct diagnosis as well as educate clients on the potential hazards associated with exposure to raccoons.

Leptospirosis is a common bacterial disease in raccoons caused by a number of different species of Leptospira. Trans­mission is thought to occur via urine contamination of feed and water. Antemortem diagnosis is based upon serology and dark field examination of urine. Histopathologic examination and fluorescent antibody testing of liver and kidney are two postmortem procedures that can be done to help further aid the diagnosis of leptospirosis. Other natural bacterial infections reported in raccoons are listeriosis,yersiniosis,pasteurellosis, and tularemia.

Viral diseases of raccoons include rabies, canine distemper, raccoon parvoviralenteritis, infectious canine hepatitis, and pseudorabies. Rabies is a zoonotic disease that is endemic in raccoon populations in Pennsylvania and New England. In recent years, there has been a shift of rabies infected raccoons westward into Ohio (see Diagnostic Forum Vol. 8, No 2, 1997).

Canine distemper virus infection is probably the most common viral disease in raccoons. The clinical signs, and gross and histopathologic lesions in raccoons are similar to distemper in dogs. Neurologic signs due to distemper virus infection in raccoons are virtually indistinguishable from rabies induced neurologic disease. Diagnosis is based upon histopathologic lesions in brain, lung, spleen, and small intestine. Intranuclear and intracytoplasmicinclusion bodies can be visualized in many cells including epithelial cells in the respiratory epithelium, gastric mucosa, and transitional epithelium lining the renal pelvis and urinary bladder. The best tissues for fluorescent antibody testing and virus isolation of canine distemper virus are lung, brain, stomach, small intestine, kidney, and urinary bladder.

Parvoviral enteritis in raccoons is due to a unique raccoon parvovirus that is most antigenically similar to feline parvovirus. Clinical signs include bloody diarrhea, lethargy, inappetance, and loss of fear of humans. Raccoons do not develop clinical disease when exposed to canine parvovirus. Diagnosis is based upon histopathologic lesions of necrotizing enteritis and identification of the virus by fluorescent antibody testing. The most common method in which raccoons acquire pseudorabies virus infection is via the ingestion of virus-infected pig carcasses.

An important parasitic disease of raccoons is toxoplasmosis, which is a protozoal disease caused by Toxoplasmagondii.Felids are the definitive host for T. gondii, and they excrete potentially infective oocysts in their feces. Toxoplasmosis in raccoons is commonly associated with immunosuppression from canine distemper virus infection. Necrotizing encephalitis and pneumonitis are frequent lesions associated with toxoplasmosis.

Another parasite of importance in raccoons is Baylisascarisprocyonis, which is an intestinal roundworm of raccoons. Baylisascaris is a known cause of cerebral nematodiasis and ocular and visceral larval migrans in domestic and non-domestic animals, and humans. Transmission com­monly occurs through the ingestion of infective eggs, which results in aberrant migration in hosts other than raccoons.

- by Jim Raymond, DVM

- edited by M. Randy White, DVM, PhD

Tags: Raccoon Diseases Podcast Audio

Doing My Part And Saving the World's Honey Bee Population

Doing My Part And Saving the World's Honey Bee Population
By Robb Russell, The Wildlife Pro


Robb Russell, The Wildlife Pro resolves wildlife conflicts the natural way
Robb Russell,
Gainesvilles Own Nuisance Wildlife Control Operator


Honey bees play a major role in our very lives, Many go day to day not realizing what this world and our food supply would be like with out the aid of honey bees. Most of the fruit and vegetables we get in the grocery store are dependent on a simple act of flying around and spreading nectar and pollinating the blossoms of of the very food we eat at the dinner table. Nearly 80% of the fruits and vegetables we depend on may never make it to our markets with out the help of the honey bee.

When I first started resolving various stinging insect problems for customers I erred in selecting a easy solution by chemically removing and exterminating thousands of these lovely insects. Today I regret my actions and believe all of us must taker our part in saving what honey bees we have from possible extinction. All of us must do our part and save the feral honey bees here in the Untied States.

Many of our domestic bee colonies are falling subject to what is known as Colony Collapse Disorder and in many parts of the United States beekeepers have encountered nearly a 80% unexplained death rate. Scientists from around the world are trying to resolve this crisis and so am I.

Do not ask your exterminator to kill your honey bees. Find a professional who is trained and experienced in the live removal and transfer of honey bees. Here throughout all of North Central Florida I would happily arrive to your home or business and relocate your bees and resolve any re-occurrence . By giving me a call you will be doing something good for our environment and I promise to either raise the bees myself or find another beekepper who will handle them responsibly.


Find more videos like this on THE WILDLIFE PRO NETWORK



The video above was prepared by my friend and mentor, Robert H. Evans of Madison New York who has spent most of his life preserving our honey bee population. If you are interested in professionally learning how you can also play a part in saving honey bees I invite you to join my other website http://www.wildlifepro.net .

You can reach me toll free me through my call center with Anytime Animal Control.com . I am just one of many who belong to a national network of professionals committed to the live capture and relocation of honey bees . Please call for estimate and save them honey bees today. Please feel free to visit my blog and learn about the wildlife in this area and throughout North America.

Robb Russell
Nuisance Wildlife Control Operator
http://gainesvillewildliferemoval.com
800-714-8727