Can Raccoons Be Pets?

With adorable little hands and inquisitive expressions, pet raccoons have become trendy. Pumpkin, the most famous trash panda, has 1.5 million followers on Instagram. Through sunny filters, fans get a glimpse of Pumpkin’s high-class lifestyle — lounging poolside, massaging his dog companions and savoring tasty bowls of edamame.

These dumpster divers are smarter than dogs, and their antics can be endlessly entertaining, but like all Instagram celebrities, looks can be deceiving.

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Has Your Cat Been Vaccinated Against Panleukopenia? - A Highly Contagious Viral Disease of Cats and Kittens

Panleukopenia, pronounced “pan-loo-koh-PEE-nee-ah” is a severe, highly contagious viral disease of cats, kittens, raccoons, and mink. The panleukopenia virus tends to invade cells which are rapidly growing such as those of the digestive system, bone marrow, lymph tissue, and developing nervous system. This explains the common symptoms of diarrhea, vomiting, low white blood cell count, and seizures. A vaccine is available to protect against the disease.

Cats are infected oronasally by exposure to infected animals, their secretions, or fomites.  Most free-roaming cats are exposed to the virus during their first year of life.

The feline panleukopenia virus (FVP) is extremely hardy and may survive for months, and even years. It is easily transmitted through contact, either cat-to-cat, or by human-to-cat :

• In utero, from an infected queen
• hands, clothing, and shoes
• shared food and water bowls, litter pans, bedding
• mutual grooming
• fleas, during the active stage
• human handling can transfer the FVP virus from one cat to another.

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6 Common Illnesses to Watch for in Puppies

Your puppy is brand new and you want to protect him. The best thing you can do is to feed him a healthy, balanced diet, says Dr. Jim Dobies, a veterinarian with South Point pet hospital in Charlotte, N.C., and a member of the North Carolina Veterinary Medical Association.

To read more on this story, click here: 6 Common Illnesses to Watch for in Puppies

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