In the past 10 days, on our property in downtown Toronto we’ve encountered 3 dead racoons. I’ve been told the likely reason for this is an outbreak of distemper amoungst racoons in Toronto. I understand its not really a problem for humans, but we do have a pet dog whom we’re concerned about. Every time we find a dead racoon, animal control is called (through apparently they only come if one uses the term ‘ill’ rather than dead) and the racoon is removed. Is there anything else we should be doing to protect our dog? Are there any other issues associated with distemper I should be aware of? How long will our yard be potentially contaminated once each carcus is removed?
Your dog should have already been vaccinated against distemper. If s/he hasn’t been I would recommend getting it done.