Dead dog sparks Yorkshire raccoon hunt

Vets have been asked to help in a raccoon hunt in South Yorkshire after a local practice put down a dog with symptoms of paralysis similar to those reported to be caused by bites or saliva from the native American mammal. The dog's owners, from the Barnsley area, had reported seeing a raccoon being walked on a lead near where they exercised their seven-year-old Lhasa apso, according to a letter about the case in the Veterinary Record.

Its author, Pip Boydell, said a similar case had been reported in the Barnsley area, although that dog had been put down before any detailed investigation. There may have been a third case in the area, although signs were less specific. Now he is trying to discover whether the animals were suffering from coonhound paralysis after possible contact with a raccoon. The animal occasionally turns up as a pet in UK households.



Boydell works for Animal Medical Centre Referral Services of Manchester and Rotherham, a business that deals with tricky cases normal vets find unusual or need help with. His letter concedes that the symptoms of the dog, which needed a ventilator to help it breathe during part of the treatment, may also be linked to botulin intoxication, tick paralysis or have other origins, including an auto-immune reaction.

But the dog was said not to have been exposed to anything edible on walks. "Tick paralysis has not been reported in the UK. In North America association with raccoons has been recognised as a cause of polyradiculomyelopathy, although the mechanism remains uncertain." Boydell's letter adds: "A raccoon in the same locality is likely to be a coincidence, but, without wishing to scaremonger or jump at possible red herrings, we would be very interested to hear from veterinary surgeons in the South Yorkshire area."