Raccoons, Rabies and Pets in Florida

Raccoons live everywhere in Florida, and most of them want nothing to do with your dog or cat. The risk comes from close contact – a dog cornering one at night, a cat meeting one over a food bowl – because raccoons are one of the two main wildlife sources of rabies in Florida. Keep your pets’ rabies shots current, keep food indoors, supervise pets after dark, and treat any bite or scratch from a raccoon as a vet visit and a call to the county health department.

Where raccoons and pets cross paths in Florida

According to FWC, raccoons are native and common throughout the state, anywhere there are trees with cavities for dens and a reliable source of water nearby, and they are very much at home in urban areas. That covers cities, suburbs, parks, campgrounds, wetlands, coastal neighborhoods and rural properties. They eat fruit, plants, eggs, crustaceans, small animals and garbage.

FWC notes that raccoons usually become active in the late afternoon and stay active through the night, though they shift their schedule around food. That overlaps the evening potty break and the dawn walk. For travelers the hot spots are predictable: dumpsters and trash enclosures at condos and vacation rentals, parking-lot garbage areas, campground sites with food left out, and any patio where a pet bowl sits overnight.

Rabies: why a raccoon bite is never “just a scratch”

The Florida Department of Health says the main wildlife sources of rabies in Florida are raccoons and bats, and that infected animals usually pass the virus on through bites. Florida law requires dogs, cats and ferrets to be vaccinated against rabies, and in a state where wildlife encounters are this common, a current vaccine is the single most important thing you can do. Bring proof of vaccination when you travel.

That vaccine matters most after an exposure. Guidance from the Florida Department of Health in Hillsborough County calls for a rabies booster immediately after a pet is exposed to a wild animal suspected of rabies, regardless of vaccination history. If the raccoon cannot be tested, or tests positive, the pet is quarantined – for 45 days if its vaccine is current, and 180 days if it is unvaccinated or you cannot prove it is current. Details vary by county, but that gap is a good reason to travel with the paperwork.

A raccoon out in daylight is not automatically rabid

Raccoons do sometimes forage during the day, especially when food is easy, so daytime activity alone is not proof of rabies. More concerning signs are staggering, severe disorientation, paralysis or unprovoked aggression.

There is a Florida-specific wrinkle here. FWC reports that canine distemper is the most common infectious disease diagnosed in the state’s raccoons, with multiple outbreaks often happening at once. Distemper causes seizures, lack of coordination, eye discharge and weight loss, and it cannot be told apart from rabies by looking. FWC’s rule is to treat every sick raccoon as if it could have rabies. Distemper does not infect people, but it can infect dogs, which is one more reason FWC recommends keeping pets vaccinated against rabies, canine distemper and canine parvovirus. Keep pets well away, do not approach or handle the animal, and report it to your regional FWC office or the Wildlife Alert line at 888-404-3922.

If a raccoon bites or scratches your pet

1. Separate them safely. Do not reach in with bare hands. Do not try to catch, kill or transport the raccoon yourself.
2. Protect yourself. The Department of Health advises wearing gloves before examining your pet, then washing the pet with soap and water to remove the other animal’s saliva.
3. Keep the pet apart from other animals and people until you have spoken to the authorities.
4. Call your veterinarian immediately, even for a small puncture. Bites from raccoons can be deeper than they look, and your vet will want to start the booster process.
5. Report it. FWC advises reporting mammal bites to your local county health department, and the Department of Health asks you to call the county health department or animal control with a description and location of the animal so it can be found and tested if possible.

Call your own vet or an emergency vet the same day; Pet Help lists emergency vets for the counties it covers so far.

If a person was bitten or scratched, wash the wound well and contact a doctor and the county health department the same day. Go to an emergency vet if your pet has deep or bleeding wounds, wounds on the face, neck or belly, trouble breathing, or is lethargic or in obvious pain.

Cats, dogs and cornered raccoons

Free-roaming cats are far more likely to meet raccoons than indoor cats, and indoor living also protects them from cars and disease. If you travel with a cat, keep it inside. For dogs, the danger is the chase. Do not let a dog chase a raccoon into a fence corner, the base of a tree, a shed or under a deck. A cornered raccoon will defend itself aggressively, and a dog that “wins” still comes away with bites.

At night, keep the dog on a short leash and bring a flashlight, even in a fenced yard. FWC advises accompanying pets outside and turning on lights and making noise before letting a dog out after dark. If you find a baby raccoon, keep your pet away from it and contact a licensed wildlife rehabilitator or local authority if it truly seems to need help.

Take away the food and most of the problem goes with it

The easiest way to prevent raccoon trouble is to remove the reward. FWC recommends feeding pets in your presence and bringing bowls and uneaten food inside immediately afterward. Never leave pet food out overnight. Garbage should have latching lids or go in the garage, and wildlife-resistant containers help where they are available. Bird seed, compost and fallen fruit draw raccoons too. Do not feed raccoons on purpose, either; it teaches them to approach people and keeps them coming back. At campgrounds, store all food and pet food in the vehicle or a hard-sided container overnight.

Raccoon-proofing your trip

• Confirm your dog’s and cat’s rabies vaccines are current before you leave, and pack the certificate. Ask your vet about distemper protection too.
• Keep cats indoors and supervise dogs outside, especially from late afternoon through dawn.
• Feed pets indoors or bring bowls in right away, and keep rental trash closed and secured.
• Carry a flashlight and a short leash for night walks, and give dumpsters a wide berth.
• After any bite or scratch, call your vet and the county health department that day.

Related:Bobcats and Small Pets, Coyotes in Florida Neighborhoods, Armadillos and Dogs, our Florida Wildlife With Pets: Complete Guide and the Florida Wildlife Emergency Checklist for Pet Travelers.