While there is no doubt that raccoons look cute and cuddly, there is a very important reason why they need to be dealt with using extreme care and urgency. The most dangerous thing about raccoons is the fact that they can transmit rabies to humans, which is why a raccoon living in your home should be addressed immediately. Additionally, this is a task that should never be taken on by yourself; there are plenty of companies that specialize in wildlife removal in Toronto, so giving a quick call to a professional is all you need to do to ensure the health and safety of your family.
How Can You Get Rabies From Raccoons?
Raccoons are highly intelligent and resourceful creatures; despite not appearing threatening, raccoons are wild animals and can become very dangerous when they feel threatened, especially if surprised while they’re fostering their young. This means getting bitten by them is the most common and typical way of becoming infected with rabies.
There is a small chance of getting the saliva of an infected raccoon into an open wound on a human. The important thing to remember in either case is that an urgent reaction following the bite or exposure is crucial; getting a vaccine immediately after contact will increase your chances of fighting the rabies infection dramatically.
Rabies Symptoms: Humans & Animals
There are a number of ways you can tell if a raccoon you encounter is rabid or not. Typically, the first clue is obvious behavioural changes such as anxiousness, aggressiveness or even unnatural friendliness. Additionally, symptoms also include seizures, viciousness, and hypersensitivity to sound and light.
One of the most accurate ways to tell if a raccoon is rabid include hypersalivation, which is a result of paralysis of nerves that control the head and throat. This paralysis most often progresses rapidly and ends up causing respiratory failure and death.
Humans, on the other hand, have somewhat different symptoms of a rabies infection. Most often you’ll experience flu-like symptoms, like headaches, fever, and weakness. Discomfort, a prickling sensation, and itching will most often be present at the bite location, with confusion, agitation, anxiety and cerebral dysfunction becoming more and more evident as the disease progresses. You’ll most likely also start to experience insomnia, delirium, and hallucinations – the problem is that once clinical symptoms have set in, rabies in humans is almost always fatal. This is exactly why getting a rabies shot almost immediately following even possible exposure is critical.
Why You Should Never Attempt To Remove Raccoons By Yourself
Raccoons with rabies are often vicious and aggressive, but there is also the possibility of the animal carrying other diseases aside from just rabies. For example, there’s a chance it may be a carrier of canine distemper or raccoon roundworm.
This is why it is never recommended that you attempt to catch or trap a raccoon using DIY methods. The risk of being attacked is just too high. The chances of this happening further increase if you happen to attempt to remove a mother raccoon with her young – female raccoons are extremely protective and ferocious when it comes to protecting newborn kits. That is why your safest option is to get in touch with Skedaddle Humane Wildlife Control.
Get In Touch With Skedaddle Humane Wildlife Control
The safest and most effective decision is to get in touch with a company like Skedaddle Humane Wildlife Control that specializes in wildlife removal. Skedaddle has been in business for nearly three decades – in addition to pioneering a number of humane removal techniques and methods, we also have a first-to-the-door policy, meaning we strive to provide same-day-service in all cases.
Our Skedaddle technicians not only humanely remove the raccoons and their babies but also sanitize and re-insulate the denning sites and other affected areas. Additionally, we also provide a lifetime guarantee on all materials used to future-proof your home against re-entry, making us the ideal choice for your wildlife invasion problem. Get in touch with our Skedaddle Humane Wildlife Control team in Toronto today and ensure your family is safe and risk-free when it comes to rabies transmitted by these masked invaders.
