Mephitis Advocate

Skunk News You Can Use!
Junior Skunks

Fall is here and for those who got a kit in the spring, your baby is officially a junior skunk. He or she should look just like a smaller version of an adult skunk. By now, the 3 de-wormings are complete. Once your skunk weighs 4 pounds or more, you will switch to using Panacur C, 1 gram to de-worm and follow the instructions for an adult skunk. Read more about that here. After completing the cycle of de-worming for 3 days, wait 14 days, then de-worm again for 3 days, you need to mark your calendar to do this twice a year or every 6 months. Make sure all other pets in your household are de-wormed on schedule too as they can pass parasites to your skunk or your skunk to them. Following these easy steps can prevent most cases of prolapses as parasite infestations are almost always the cause of prolapsing in skunks. It will also prevent the discoloration of the white of the fur, assuming the diet fed is healthy. By now, most people will have had their boy skunk neutered. Neutering can be done anywhere between 3 and 6 months assuming the skunk is healthy. Girl skunks are spayed between 4 months and a year, depending on their size. If you have both a boy and a girl skunk that have not been spayed/neutered, it is important that they not be allowed any time together as you do not want to have a surprise litter of […]
Spotlight on Hershey

Meet little Hershey, a tiny, sweet boy only 6 months old. We found Hershey through another skunk owner who had contacted me earlier this week about an ad for a skunk that she had seen posted on Craig’s List. It is illegal in Florida to sell Class III, captive wildlife without the proper permits but unscrupulous people seem to find this an easy way to make a buck at the animal’s expense. I searched for the ad and found that the owner had posted pictures showing a young male skunk in horrific condition. While it is sadly not uncommon to take in adult rescues in poor condition, this was the worst case of neglect of a junior skunk that I have seen in years. Several people contacted the owner in the hope of reasoning with him to turn the skunk over to skunk rescue. A volunteer was able to meet up with the owner, come to terms (ransom), and delivered little Hershey last Wednesday. I got the phone call to fill the bath tub as they approached my home. Hershey arrived drenched in his own urine and smelled worse than awful. The skin on his belly and inside his legs was bright red and inflamed. He was removed from his carrier and placed into the bath tub. From his reaction, this was his first bath! I gently washed him twice, which turned the water red by the time I finished. Even though he must have been in pain, he never tried to […]