Skunk, Veterinary Care

Baby skunks from the pet store generally have not had any medical treatment other than scent gland removal, and will require spaying or neutering, shots, and worming. They will need to be tested for coccidia and other protozoa as well as parasites. Skunks also need to have regular yearly checkups. Dr. Frank Krupka and Skunk Haven have developed a blood panel to show if supplements or changes in diet are needed, and recommend a blood panel as part of a yearly check up.

Veterinary understanding of skunks is rather limited, since scientists have not conducted as much research on skunks as they have on more common pets. Skunks do not always respond to medicines the same way as cats or dogs. As a result, there is considerable disagreement about how best to treat them. Some veterinarians say they are in the hamster family and treat them as such. However, Hamsters are from the Rodent family while Skunks are in their own family the Mephitidae which is unrelated.

There are several different pet skunk organizations giving out conflicting advice on skunk care. Particularly in the medical realm, it is wise to consult multiple sources rather than rely on any one source of information from the Internet.

Spaying/neutering: Males should be neutered between 3 and 4 months of age. Females should be spayed between 4 and 6 months of age.

Vaccinations: Most skunk organizations recommend Purevax Distemper and Rabies vaccinations. Only distemper has been shown to cause disease or illness in skunks. Other vaccinations created for dogs and cats are modified live vaccinations and may cause actual illness in skunks.

Declawing: Skunks should not be declawed, since they use their claws to handle food. Instead, their claws should be trimmed occasionally. Skunks have "digging" claws like dogs, as opposed to "ripping" claws like cats.

Roundworms: Many skunks have died from roundworms. Baylisascaris columnaris is the species that infests skunks most commonly. Baylisascaris eggs can remain viable in the environment for many years, despite hot or freezing weather or certain harsh chemicals.

Skunks can be infested with roundworms for several weeks before eggs begin to be shed in feces. It is common for new skunks to have roundworms, which may be too early in development to be detected by fecal tests. Skunk experts agree that all new skunks need to be treated for roundworms, and that more than one treatment is needed. Diagnostic Parasitologist Matt Bolek recommends that "A deworming program should probably start at 7-8 weeks of age and deworm biweekly for 3-4 treatments".

The frequency with which adults need to be treated for roundworms is controversial:

* Skunk Haven as well as skunk expert Mary Kaye Ashley and ADSA, Inc. recommend: "After the first series of wormings, you should worm every 4-6 months".
* Owners of Pet Skunks recommends "over the counter worm medication given every couple of months and a yearly stool sample check at the vet".
* Skunk expert Jane Bone recommends that all skunks be wormed once a month. However this information is dated and is no longer believe to be the best method of controlling parasites in skunks. Deworming should be done as needed and not on a routine basis due to certain parasites and worms becoming resistant to the dewormers.

The consensus is that Evict or Nemex 2 are good over-the-counter wormers for skunks. A veterinarian may have more powerful wormers. Safe, natural alternatives include seeds from cantaloupe, fig juice or cloves, according to Jane Bone.

General considerations

Overall, caring for skunks is more complicated and challenging than raising other pets. The difficulty in finding a veterinarian with experience treating skunks, the conflicting advice offered by different pet skunk organizations, and the scarcity of scientific knowledge about skunk physiology make it necessary for many skunk owners to fend for themselves. In addition, some skunks - especially those that were mistreated - may bite, refuse to use a litter box, or exhibit other negative behaviors, according to Jane Bone and Skunk Haven.

According to James Furniss, a good skunk owner needs to be a do-it-yourselfer and willing to put in a lot of effort. There are, however, relocation options if a pet skunk does not work out, including skunk shelters.