Opinion
Omnivores for the most part, wild animals are opportunistic eaters. Pet food left or put out for them is akin to a free drive-in restaurant. Yet, their human-provided takeout represents less than 20 percent* of their caloric needs. Foxes, coyotes, raccoons, opossums, squirrels, skunks, deer and rodents are reservoirs for zoonoses and contribute to the number of fomites present.
These captivating photo examples are a compelling example of why we must vaccinate and regularly protect our pets from zoonotic disease risks such as rabies, leptospirosis, distemper, internal and external parasites, ticks, fleas and more.
Because wild animals can carry diseases without appearing to be sick, it is important to enjoy wildlife from a distance. Close contact with wildlife, their urine or droppings can spread diseases to people and pets.” – CDC
JUST IN: Experts examine risk of bacteria spillover from wild animals to the U.S. swine herd, PORK, October 11, 2022. Link. Adding to preliminary results, Swine Health Information Center reports seven bacteria were ranked as having a high-risk of antimicrobial resistance and five bacteria were ranked as having a high human outbreak potential.
Sources:
- Healthy pets, healthy people. CDC. Link.
- Coyote rescued from middle school restroom, Desert Sun, October 3, 2022. Link.
- Oklahoma DVMs see rise in horses being diagnosed with rabies, KOCO 5News via AVMA SmartBrief, September 30, 2022. Link. DVMs point to skunks and bats as carriers.
- *Urban coyotes do not rely on human food, earth.com, September 29, 2022. Link.
- Many good reasons not to feed wildlife, paws.org. Link.
- When it comes to raccoons, it’s the shy ones to watch out for, AHD, October 2, 2022. Link.