Plants Known to be Toxic to Pets
Since it is baby season, I thought it would be a good reminder to send out the list of plants known to be toxic to skunks and other pets. Even if your plant is on the list that is considered safe, be aware that skunks are naturally inclined to dig and may do severe damage to a potted plant. These plants may be inside or outside the home. While it is safe for skunks to eat fresh mushrooms from the store, it is NOT safe for them to eat mushrooms or other wild growing fungi. If you think your skunk has ingested anything on the toxic list, it is a medical emergency! If you have a plant to add to the list, please let us know. Aloe Vera Amaryllis Arrowhead Vine (all parts) Asparagus Fern Autumn Crocus Azalea/Rhododendron Bird of Paradise (fruit, seeds) Boston Ivy (all parts) Caladium (all parts) Calla Lily Castor Bean Christmas Rose Chrysanthemum Creeping Charlie (all parts) Creeping Fig Crown of Thorns Daffodil Dieffenbachia Dumbcane (all parts) Easter lily Elephant Ears Emerald Duke (all parts) English Holly English and Glacier Ivy (leaves, berries) Heartleaf (all parts) Ivy (Hedera) Jerusalem Cherry Kalanchoe Lilies (all members) Lily of the Valley (all parts) Majesty (all parts) Marijuana Marble Queen (all parts) Mistletoe Nephthytis (all parts) Oleander (all parts) Parlor Ivy (all parts) Peace Lily Philodendron (all parts) Poinsettia (leaves, flowers) Pothos (all parts) Pot Mum Red Princess (all parts) Saddleleaf (all parts) Sago Palm (all parts including seeds) Schefflera […]
New Skunk Owners
Are you a new skunk owner??? Have you located a vet to treat your little furkid??? Consider “interviewing” the vet first to know if he/she has treated skunks before. Your first question should be, “what if my skunk bites you during the exam, what is your policy?” If he/she says, “We will need to report the bite to the health dept.” pick up your little bundle and LEAVE. If the answer is something like, “Wash it off and continue with exam trying to calm the little one” then continue with the visit. The law in Florida states, ” If a skunk bite is reported, the skunk will be killed and tested for rabies”. Of course the test results will be negative but the results for you and your skunk will be devastating because they need to be killed to complete the test. Find a vet who is skunk knowledgeable. Contact people on this blog for help. A list of trusted vets will be forthcoming!!!!!! Lynnda Butler Contributor
Prolapses
Prolapses in skunks most often occur because of improper or incomplete de-worming. This can happen a day or so after de-worming a skunk with a huge parasite load. The dead and dying parasites can cause a blockage that are a medical emergency! An intestinal blockage is another cause of prolapse. In cases where the prolapse won’t stay in, your Veterinarian may decide to put a stitch, until it heals. Some skunk owners feel they can handle this but in my experience, most, if not all, prolapse cases require a Veterinarian as soon as possible. Until you can get to your Veterinarian, the most important thing is to carefully get the intestine back in where it belongs. Make sure the area is clean, then apply a bit of KY Jelly or Vaseline on the tip of your sterile, gloved finger, apply light pressure, and slowly push it back in. Hold for a few minutes. While healing, keep your baby on a soft food or liquid diet until healed. Do NOT feed a high fiber diet to a skunk with a prolapse as it can make it worse.
De-Worming Your Baby Skunk
All baby skunks come with roundworms! Some will come with coccidia (small single cell parasites). Please do not assume that if your skunk has parasites, that you will always see them in the skunk’s stool. That can be a fatal mistake. Parasites, also do not always show up when tested. One of the leading causes of death for young skunks is from parasitic infestation. They can build up causing prolapses, seizures and death. It is important that your Veterinarian dose the de-wormer until the skunk gets to be at least 4 pounds. Be aware that the wrong de-wormer can kill a skunk! Strongid (Pyrantel Pomoate) is recommended until the skunk reaches 4 lbs, then Panacur (Fenbendazole) is recommended as it kills more types of parasites. You will need to de-worm your new baby at least 3 times, several weeks apart like you would a puppy so make sure to get enough medicine from your Veterinarian. After that, you should be able to de-worm twice a year. If there are other household pets, you might want to do everyone together. Once you switch to twice a year, the de-worming cycle is as follows: skunks between 4 and 10 pounds will get Panacur for 3 days in a row, wait exactly 2 weeks and repeat for 3 more days. Wait 6 months and give for 3 days, wait exactly 2 weeks and repeat for 3 more days. If you prefer the liquid Panacur, you can get that from your Veterinarian along with […]
Baby Season 2015
Baby season 2015 has officially arrived! Skunk people know there is nothing more exciting than getting a new baby skunk! Send pictures of your new baby here.
Skunk Show
The 27th Annual Skunk Show This year’s show date is confirmed! It will be held on Saturday Oct. 17, 2015 at the Ramada Gateway Hotel in Kissimmee, FL. To reserve a room call 407-396-4400 and tell them you are attending the skunk show. Looking forward to seeing everyone there! Countdown
Pet Skunk Blog
Welcome to the new Mephitis Advocate pet skunk blog! It has been a few years but the Advocate is back, better than ever, in blog format. Visit the archives for the previous version of the newsletter in pdf format. Mephitis Advocate meaning Mephitis mephitis: derived from Latin, a noun describing the most common and widespread North American skunk. Advocate: a person who publicly supports or recommends a particular cause or policy. Put the two together and you get Mephitis Advocate, a blog about the care of pet skunks. We hope you will enjoy this informative blog. Questions and comments are welcome!