The Riverside Police Department in suburban Chicago , Illinois is warning resident to take care out for " zombie raccoons " stumbling through the region , the
Chicago Tribune
report . The raccoons get their skittish nickname from a disease that causes them to walk upright , stagger aimlessly , and denudate their teeth [
] . Despite resembling furred members of the undead , the scariest affair about them is their voltage to spread a virulent disease to andiron .
Distemper
is a virus that infects sure mammal like raccoon , foxes , coyotes , and crumb . Domesticated dogs are also susceptible to the disease . When a dog has distemper , it discharge watery pus from its eyes , starts cough , develops a fever , lose its appetite , and becomes unenrgetic . The computer virus attacks the respiratory , GI , and nervous organisation , and complication such as seizure and pneumonia can conduct to death in andiron .
Distemper can easily spread from wildlife to blackguard through the aura . That means living near a pathologic racoon is enough to disclose a dog to the computer virus .
Fortunately , there is a vaccine for ill humor , and if you ’ve taken your heel to the veterinary for routine care it ’s in all likelihood already protect . Most wiener receive their distemper vaccine at the same time as their parvovirus , canine adenovirus , and rabies shots . Dogs who have n’t been inoculate and older hot dog with weakened immune systems are at the heavy risk of contracting ill humour .
As long as the distemper eruption persists among the
raccoon
population in Riverside in Chicago , local police force commend that pet owners keep a close eye on their dog . Pets should always be manage when outdoors to keep them from interacting with wildlife . And when taking them to places with other dogs , like favorite daycare centers , it ’s safest to choose businesses that require all canine tooth Guest to be vaccinated .
Regardless of whether or not they own pets , Riverside residents can assist preferent owners in their neighborhood by looking out for ill raccoon . If they spot a racoon displaying zombie - like behavior , they can alarm the police to have it bump off .
