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Raccoons are known to be a major pest. These pesty animals can cause damage to the outside of a home by tearing apart soffit with their human like hands and chewing roof material with their sharp teeth to gain access inside a home. Once inside the home these nuisance pests can cause a significant amount of damage by chewing into drywall, insulation and wires. They also leave their urine and feces throughout the attic space which can cause diseases.
Raccoons not only can cause a significant amount of money for repairs to the home, but they are also a vector animal that has a high risk of carrying rabies. There are an amount of health hazards that can be associated with raccoons and within that number can include rabies. The first step to know if a raccoon is rabid is to look for the symptoms.
It's a myth that something is wrong with a raccoon if it's seen during the day. However, this is not true. A raccoon can be seen either during the day or night without having anything wrong with it. One of the symptoms to look for is to watch the raccoon for a staggering gait or erratic wandering. Other symptoms to look out for is self-mutilation, matted or wet hair on their face, repeating high pitch vocalizations, discharge from the mouth or eyes and/or if the raccoon seems oblivious to all nearby sound movement.
The risk of a raccoon attack is not common; however, it can happen. These pests are wild animals and can show aggression to humans. When a raccoon becomes infected, it usually dies within 3 days. During that time of infection, the raccoon can attack either a human or pet. If that does happen, the first step is to wash the wound with soap and water then seek immediate medical help. A post exposure treatment is available. If a pet happens to be bitten from a rabid raccoon without ever having it's rabies shot, then it can transfer from the raccoon to the pet. It is extremely important to ensure pets have their rabies shot. The Center of Disease Control (CDC) has only reported one human death from a raccoon attack.
If you do come across a rabid raccoon, contact your local animal control immediately. Preventative measures can be taken to eliminate raccoon entry onto your property. Remove any bird feeder you may have that will give them a food source to stay by and ensure the outside garbage cans stay sealed. Also, contact a wildlife specialist to inspect your home and property. Raccoons are unpredictable and can put you, your family, and/or pet in a dangerous situtation. Elite Wildlife Removal will be more than happy to assist in removing any dangerous and unwanted wildlife animal. Give us a call at 804-867-7184 to schedule an appointment.