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 […]
4 Month Old Skunk Kits
September is a busy month for new skunk owners! In September, the kits born in May will be turning 4 months. There were lots of changes in the last few months as kits grow fast, and are starting to look less like a baby skunk. Like other mammals, some body parts may appear to be growing faster than others, but that should even out in the next few months. By now your little girl should weigh between 2lbs and 3.5lbs depending on whether she will be a small, average or large female. Your little boy will be between 2.5lbs and 4lbs depending on whether he will be a small, average or large male. You should have already purchased a digital baby scale and be maintaining a weight log, weighing the skunk at least once every 2 weeks. This weight log will be beneficial for the skunk’s entire lifetime. Once the skunk reaches his or her adult weight, it will assist you in maintaining the skunk at a healthy weight. It will point to trends that will show if the skunk is gaining or losing weight, this is information your Veterinarian will find helpful. Sometimes the only symptom the skunk is ill, is a weight loss or gain that may, or may not be noticed without the weight log. The 3rd de-worming should be completed no later than the first week of September, if you are following the schedule. If you started late, or got off schedule, now is the time […]
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 […]
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 […]