Possible Raccoon Roundworm in Pacific NW?

[koagoo]

All,

We have seen one or two "tipsy" squirrels recently, ones that walk with tilted head and have difficulty sitting still & upright while eating, but now we have a young one which is very affected- staggering, falls over and lays down while eating, palsied & shaking when sitting still on all fours. Great appetite, we've even been able to get a couple of Henry's Healthy blocks into him over the last few days. He is wild, coming up on our deck for food and we're gradually able to get a little closer to him. We cannot see any obvious injuries, and are afraid he's showing the signs of raccoon ringworm infestation. We live near Portland, Oregon.

Does anyone know if this parasite has been detected in our area? Does anyone have any advice on care? He's an Eastern Fox mix, so even if we were able to trap him to bring in to Audubon or Dove Lewis (the licensed rehabbers in Portland) I'm afraid they'd be forced to euthanize based on the "invasive species" laws.

I do have a short video of him, will try to upload it now.

Thank You,

-koagoo

[koagoo]

Short video taken today:

https://youtu.be/RXrpOKaxSC4

[HRT4SQRLS]

It’s impossible to say if this is caused by the raccoon roundworm. There are many things that could cause the neurological issues you’re seeing. My first thought was associated with mating season and squirrels falling from trees. I’ve seen that in my own yard. I’ve come to recognize that sickening thud as a squirrel hits the ground. In your area, Bayliascaris is certainly a possibility. I found a scientific study that was done in Portland 10years ago and at that time, an extremely high percentage of raccoons carried the roundworm. I was actually shocked that it was that high.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19204331

We have a member that is across the border from you in Vancouver,WA. He has a rehab center called Squirrel Refuge. You can find it online. I’m sure he would be willing to talk with you about his experience with the parasite.

[koagoo]

HRT4SQRLS, thank you for the quick reply. If only it was just this squirrel; we've seen at least 2 others with milder but similar symptoms. That report seems to confirm our fears that the roundworm is affecting our neighborhood squirrel posse.

I will ask Squirrel Refuge for their advice.

[kcassidy]

HRT4SQRLS, thank you for the quick reply. If only it was just this squirrel; we've seen at least 2 others with milder but similar symptoms. That report seems to confirm our fears that the roundworm is affecting our neighborhood squirrel posse.

I will ask Squirrel Refuge for their advice.

So weird in the past two days on FB in two different groups different people are coming on posting about neuro squirrels, one lady has 5, another two and someone else has a few as well. Different states.

I suggested possible roundworm as well, but Sammysmom was thinking mating.... Question is what do we tell these Finders to do. One of the squirrels has babies :O

[Chippergray]

All,

We have seen one or two "tipsy" squirrels recently, ones that walk with tilted head and have difficulty sitting still & upright while eating, but now we have a young one which is very affected- staggering, falls over and lays down while eating, palsied & shaking when sitting still on all fours. Great appetite, we've even been able to get a couple of Henry's Healthy blocks into him over the last few days. He is wild, coming up on our deck for food and we're gradually able to get a little closer to him. We cannot see any obvious injuries, and are afraid he's showing the signs of raccoon ringworm infestation. We live near Portland, Oregon.

Does anyone know if this parasite has been detected in our area? Does anyone have any advice on care? He's an Eastern Fox mix, so even if we were able to trap him to bring in to Audubon or Dove Lewis (the licensed rehabbers in Portland) I'm afraid they'd be forced to euthanize based on the "invasive species" laws.

I do have a short video of him, will try to upload it now.

Thank You,

-koagoo

I’m not a vet, but I’m thinking what you’re thinking. Wondering if Fenbendazole would be the optimum choice. I know it’s one of the anthelmintics used to kill them in raccoons. I also think Fenbendazole is an anthelmintic vets will prescribe for squirrels. However, I don’t think ANY anthelmintic will kill the larvae. It only kills the adults. So it may be a process.

[Chippergray]

What is even more scary is the ideal that kids can come into contact with the raccoon feces. Children put everything in their mouths. I saw a toddler on tv that got the roundworm. Now he is unable to see or walk. They were talking about how dangerous raccoon feces is for not only other animals, but also humans. Some people say if you find raccoon poop, burn it on the spot, and don’t try to wash it away.