Raccoon Care Guide

Disclaimer: Raccoons are a huge responsibility and commitment. They take a lot of time, attention, and money. It is like having a toddler for up to 20 years. For most they will not make good pets. They are also not legal in many states so before you do anything please check your local laws. If you find a hurt or lost baby raccoon it is best to leave it alone and call a local rehabber or your local Department of Natural Resources for immediate help or instructions.

If you decide to move forward with a pet raccoon here is a guide to help. If possible, do your research before getting a raccoon if possible. This includes veterinarian availability and pricing, food, enclosures, time commitment, and expenses. Every year people get pets because they are cute as babies but as they grow they decide it is too much and then think they can just release them back into the wild. This is not true and you will be signing their death certificate by doing this. Please do not go into raccoon ownership lightly.

National Organizations:

National Wildlife Rehabilitation Association
Animal Help Now

Specific State Quick Link:
By no means is this a comprehensive list. The information below was gathered from trusted raccoon owners and rehabbers in each state/area. Please know that your experiences may be different from those who have contributed to this list.

AL, AK, AZ, AR, CA, CO, CT, DE, DC, FL, GA, HI, ID, IL, IN, IA, KS, KY, LA, ME, MD, MA, MI, MN, MS, MO, MT, NE, NV, NH, NJ, NM, NY, NC, ND, OH, OK, OR, PA, RI, SC, SD, TN, TX, UT, VT, VA, WA, WV, WI, WY

General:

How Can You Tell How Old a Baby Raccoon Is?

If you discover a nest of baby raccoons on your property, how can you tell how old they are? Young raccoons are independent at around 12 weeks of age, so if you can make an accurate assessment of their age, you’ll have a good idea of how long it will be before they leave your home.

• Raccoon babies are born with a very light covering of fur and with a faint mask. At a few days old, raccoon kits’ eyes and ears are closed, and they can just about crawl spread-legged.A newborn kit weighs 100 grams or less and measures just 4.5 to 6 inches from nose to tail.
• At one week old, pigmented tail rings begin to appear, and the kit’s head appears too large for its body. When hungry, the babies twitter, chatter, or whine like birds. Week-old kits are still unable to stand or walk.
• At three to four weeks old, the kits weigh around 250 grams and measure roughly 8.5 to 10 inches long. The kits’ eyes are open, and their ears open shortly afterward. At this age, baby raccoons are extremely vocal, growling, hissing, and snorting in alarm if disturbed.
• At 5 to 6 weeks old, a raccoon kit will weigh around 550 grams and be between 12 and 14 inches long. At this age, the kit will be able to walk, climb, and run.
• Between 9 and 12 weeks, the kits are weaned, eating solid foods, and becoming active and more independent of their mother. At this age, the kit weighs around 950 grams or more. Male babies tend to be larger than females. Baby raccoons of this age will play-fight and imitate adult defense postures.

The best course of action to take is to contact a local rehabber or your local Department of Natural Resources  for advice. Do not try to catch the raccoon.

Baby Necessities:

• Heat pad (Conair brand from Dollar store or Walmart that doesn’t shut off after allotted time)
• Blankets, towels, bedding (Pine, no cedar due to toxic oils)
• Fox Valley Raccoon Formula or Esbilac Puppy
• Shallow feeding dish (For when your baby starts the weaning process)
• Cage/Kennel/Tote
• Baby Cereal
• Slow flow nipples (extra)
• Puppy Dewormer (Pyrantel Pamoate Active Ingredient) and Panacur (Fenbendazole Active Ingredient). We deworm every few weeks and we alternate deworming with these 2 different dewormers to combat whips, hooks, rounds, tapes, etc. If you only use one or the other, there is no guarantee you’re treating all of your raccoon’s parasites. Panacur is to be administered 4 days in a row. Please read all labels before administering and consult your vet. Photos of both dewormers are shown below in the deworming section.

New Kit:

Your baby needs a heat source always so having that heat pad is important. Make sure the baby can get away from the heat pad if it does get too hot, you don’t want to burn or cook your baby unintentionally. You also need lots of blankets, rattle toys, baby toys, stuffed animals, and extra bedding on hand. You will be changing lots of bedding! Keeping the area clean is super important for the health of your babies, as well as keeping parasites to a minimum if they are still shedding them so you can avoid reinfection (parasite and deworming section is further down the page, don’t worry). Best thing you can do is hold your baby as much as possible and socialize/desensitize consistently.

 Do not leave your baby out unattended so that you can avoid anything tragic happening. Every year we get someone who accidentally had a dog eat their baby, someone lost the baby and accidentally sat on it, etc. Don’t be one of those people! It is always best to put your baby up in a safe area (cage), so you know without a doubt that he/she is safe.

*********While you can absolutely play with your baby and offer toys, do not play rough. Nothing is worse than a raccoon that is 6-8 months old and thinks it is okay to charge and bite. Even if it is just “play”, it is not a good habit to start. Redirection is key, just like you would for a puppy that is trying to play bite. Always offer a toy when poor behavior and biting occurs. I can’t express how important redirection is! This will let them know that biting toys and stuffed animals is okay, but hands and my human are not. **********

Raccoons are products of how they are raised, just like any other animal. Teach them good behavior and good habits and you are much more likely to have a well behaved raccoon.

Feeding:

As of now, your baby is being fed a bottle of milk 3x a day. The milk replacement we prefer to use is Fox Valley and it is specially made for raccoons. We really like this formula and the raccoon kits seem to do really well. We have had no diarrhea or constipation when using this formula. The package of milk you will get in your care package is mixed 50/50 with Fox Valley and Esbilac puppy formula. We did this because most new owners choose to use Esbilac (since you can purchase it in pet/farm stores) instead of Fox Valley so this 50/50 mixture makes it easier for them to transition to that milk with less stomach upset. By it being 50/50, you can choose which replacement you would like to use. You never want to just switch from one full strength replacer to another, so we recommend 50/50 a few days, 75/25 a few feedings, then fully transition to the milk replacement of your choice.

Typically, I feed my raccoons based on how their bellies feel after they eat. This is something that I have learned over the years, but generally speaking, a 4-5 week old coon will eat about ¾ ounce to 1 ounce per feed, 3x a day. This varies per coon (usually the runt will eat a little less than the largest of the litter even if they are the same age just because stomach size differs). As they get older, they are able to drink more at a time, but we typically never exceed 3-4 ounces per feeding. By the time they are eating that much milk, they should be getting it offered in a bowl with a bigger variety in their diet. By weeks 6-8 they need to be venturing onto other foods (even if they really don’t want to give that bottle up). The best thing to do is stick to your regular bottle schedule, but also provide a shallow dish with a mixture of milk, unsweetened applesauce, scrambled eggs, and some fruit as well. The kits will play around in it & pat it, to get comfortable with the new smells and textures. Eventually, babies will taste the new foods and slowly learn to eat from a dish. You’ll be giving lots of baby baths around this time, so baby soap and wet wipes should be kept handy! It can be a slow transition, but don’t give up. By week 10, the babies really need to be moving away from the bottle and onto soft foods for a baby with the milk offered as well. Some options for the softer foods include baby food turkey, baby food chicken, unsweetened applesauce, scrambled eggs, hard boiled eggs chopped, sliced soft berries, unsugared cheerios that are soaked in the milk, shredded chicken, unthawed mixed veggies that have been blended or smashed), etc. Anything that is safe for a dog to eat, generally speaking, is safe for a raccoon. What is unsafe for a dog, is generally unsafe for them as well. This is a good rule to follow when introducing new foods. If it’s questionable, just don’t feed it.

This is the link for formula

https://store.foxvalleynutrition.com/day-one-4025 

Be sure to follow mixing instructions on the packages of replacement, and always use bottled water when adding water to any formula for a baby so that you know it is non contaminated. All well waters/tap waters are different and we want to avoid any stomach upsets if we can! Just be sure to warm that water up in the microwave for a few seconds before adding it to the powder so it is warm, NOT scalding hot. Both the Esbilac puppy and Fox Valley Raccoon powder are mixed 1:2. This means 1 part powder (with the scoop provided), and 2 parts warm water with that same scoop. Mix that together and you have your formula ready to feed your baby!

If the milk is too thick and you cannot get it to come out of the bottle, pinch the tip of the nipple to unclog it! If this problem persists, get a strainer and strain the milk before feeding. This is definitely an option and one we use regularly.

However, if you are having issues with your raccoon choking on the bottle, first ask yourself if the nipple size of the nipple on your bottle is too large. We like slow flows, and rarely use medium flow. If the nipple is slow flow and still choking your baby, add some baby rice cereal. This will help thicken your formula and prevent your baby from drinking too quickly and choking/inhaling milk. If your baby ever chokes, coughs, spits up, or has milk coming out of its nose, STOP FEEDING!!! Put the bottle down, and pat the babies back vigorously until it seems to stop. Quit feeding. Never continue offering the bottle once this has happened. Bottle feeding raccoons is tricky and it can quickly go badly if that liquid goes to the lungs to cause pneumonia. If symptoms of congestion, rattling in the lungs, or raspiness are present hours later, you need to contact your vet and have your baby looked at. Aspiration pneumonia is no joke with these fragile babies. Do not wait to address this issue!!! Also, if your baby is still sounding raspy and rattly, but still taking the bottle and still seems hungry, please don’t read that as “Oh, it must be fine since it is still eating.” That is not the case in the slightest. The bigger issue still needs addressed because it can morph into a huge issue quickly if not treated. Antibiotics are typically needed in this case.  

When in doubt, CALL YOUR VET!!! This is when Dr./Client relationships are super important!

Adult Feeding:

We feed our adult raccoons a good dog food, fruits (apples, bananas, watermelon, unsweetened applesauce, etc), veggies (carrots, corn, unthawed mixed veggies, etc), scrambled eggs, hard boiled eggs, raw eggs, cooked chicken without the bone, fish, minnows as treats, and unsugared cheerios. With most critters, the key to a good diet is variety. They LOVE junk food, but we try to monitor what we feed and how much. Easiest thing to do is overfeed your coon, resulting in obesity. Unhealthy treats are okay every now and then, just not in excess!! As stated above, anything that is unsafe for a dog, is unsafe for a raccoon generally speaking.
        Raccoons 6 months of age and older should consist of around 2/3 meat, eggs, and insects and 1/3 fruits, veggies, plant matter, and nuts. Meat should be lean meats such as poultry, rabbit, and fish with eggs occasionally. Feeder insects such as crickets and mealworms are great for them. Raccoons can eat most fruits, veggies, and nuts. You can also add in 1/8 cup of dry high quality, low fat (5-8%), low protein dog kibble/omnivore food two to three times daily. You can also check out https://mazuri.com/products/mazuri-omnivore-diet however we have found that some raccoons do not care for this.  
        Because raccoons vary in size and weight some, measuring out their food may not work. We keep your raccoons at a healthy weight by watching the scale and their body condition, and adjusting intake depending on that.

Deworming:

Have your kit dewormed often, until 16 weeks old at least (this is stated on the back of the puppy dewormer bottle), but I recommend speaking with your vet before administering your own anthelmintics. I like to deworm with my desired schedule, and then take in fecal samples (we do our own) to make sure we have gotten rid of parasites efficiently. With that being said, I have worked as a vet tech and have experience with parasites and deworming schedules. I would encourage you to take fecals into your vet as often as 2-3x times a year to check for parasites once an adult. We use both Panacur and Nemex-2 dewormers when deworming our kits. Nemex-2 treats roundworms and hookworms, while Panacur treats whipworms and other parasites. All of these are common in kits, foxes, puppies, and kittens. Raccoons specifically carry a roundworm that should be taken very seriously and can affect humans. Please be aware of this and make sure you deworm those babies. Babies shed more eggs than adults because they urinate and defecate more often. Not only that, but babies pat and walk through everything. DEWORM, DEWORM, DEWORM!!!!

Below is a good website that talks about the raccoon roundworm so you are aware!!

https://www.michigan.gov/dnr/managing-resources/wildlife/disease/raccoon-roundworm-baylisascaris

Vaccinations:

I do not recommend starting vaccines until at least 14-16 weeks of age due to the size of kits. If a kit has a poor reaction to a vaccine, the baby needs to be a good enough size to withstand those bad effects (lethargy, fever, vomiting, etc). Size is what I typically go by when determining if a kit is ready to start vaccines or not. I know of many who have vaccinated at 6 weeks like a puppy, and had a tragic experience. Don't be another tragic story.

With that being said, a raccoon baby is susceptible to all the same diseases that a puppy and kitten are. Feline and Canine Distemper, Parvo, Leptospirosis, etc. Be mindful of this and make sure your baby is not set on foreign ground or brought into contact with sickly animals (avoid setting in grass, rest parks altogether, and areas that have had parvo pups in the past). It is your job to protect babies and the environments they come into contact with until all vaccines are administered. I do recommend giving both canine and feline vaccines since they are susceptible to both. Always consult your vet with any questions regarding the health of your pet.

Spaying/Neutering:

        It is highly recommended that you spay/neuter your raccoon when it is around six months of age if it is going to be an indoor pet. However, if you plan to allow it to freely roam outdoors you will want to consider that other animals will treat your raccoon differently once it has been altered and they may even attack or kill it. Always consult your vet with any questions regarding the health of your pet.

Overall:

If you have any issues with your raccoon kits, health wise or sickness, call your vet! You can of course message us as well, but your vet should be your #1 person to call if any serious issues arise. For example, if  a kit inhales milk or chokes, the vet is the only one who can help you and prescribe antibiotics/medications. Please understand that!

Helpful Equipment:

Cage (replace the top with flat plywood)

https://www.chewy.com/kennelmaster-vinyl-coated-welded-wire/dp/966878

Litter Box System
https://www.chewy.com/tidy-cats-breeze-x-large-multi-cat/dp/232584

Info Specific To Each State:
By no means is this a comprehensive list. The information below was gathered from trusted raccoon owners and rehabbers in each state/area. Please know that your experiences may be different from those who have contributed to this list.

Alabama:

Licensed Animal Rehabilitators:  

Alaska:

Licensed Animal Rehabilitators:  https://www.outdooralabama.com/wildlife-rehabilitation/current-wildlife-rehabbers

Arizona:

Licensed Animal Rehabilitators:  https://azwildlife.org/resources/Documents/Wildlife%20Rehab%20Contact%20List.pdf

Arkansas:

Licensed Animal Rehabilitators:  Arkansas Wildlife Rehabilitators for Species other than Birds

California:

Licensed Animal Rehabilitators:  

Colorado:

Licensed Animal Rehabilitators:  Colorado Parks and Wildlife (PDF)

Connecticut:

Licensed Animal Rehabilitators:  

Delaware:

Licensed Animal Rehabilitators:  https://www.dewildliferescue.com/

District of Columbia: 

Licensed Animal Rehabilitators:  https://citywildlife.org/found-animal/

Florida:

Licensed Animal Rehabilitators:  Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (PDF)

Georgia:

Licensed Animal Rehabilitators:  

Hawaii:

Licensed Animal Rehabilitators:  No online listing of rehabilitators. Call your local Division of Forestry and Wildlife office for assistance.

Idaho:

Licensed Animal Rehabilitators:  No online listing of rehabilitators. Contact your Idaho Fish and Game Regional Office.

Illinois:

Licensed Animal Rehabilitators:  Illinois Department of Natural Resources Wildlife Rehabilitation (PDF)

Indiana:

Licensed Animal Rehabilitators:  Indiana Department of Natural Resources wildlife rehabilitators list (PDF)

Iowa:

Licensed Animal Rehabilitators:  Iowa Department of Natural Resources (PDF)

Kansas:

Licensed Animal Rehabilitators:  Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks and Tourism

Kentucky:

Licensed Animal Rehabilitators:  Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources

Louisiana:

Licensed Animal Rehabilitators:  Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries

Maine:

Licensed Animal Rehabilitators:  Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife (PDF)

Maryland:

Licensed Animal Rehabilitators:  The Maryland Wildlife Rehabilitators Association

Massachusetts:

Licensed Animal Rehabilitators:  Massachusetts Division of Fisheries and Wildlife rehabilitators list

Michigan:

Licensed Animal Rehabilitators:  Michigan Department of Natural Resources

Minnesota:

Licensed Animal Rehabilitators:  Wildlife rehabilitation Center of Minnesota

Mississippi:

Licensed Animal Rehabilitators:  https://www.wildagaininmississippi.org/contact-us

Missouri:

Licensed Animal Rehabilitators:  Missouri Department of Conservation Regional Office

Montana:

Licensed Animal Rehabilitators:  

Nebraska:

Licensed Animal Rehabilitators:  https://www.wildliferescueteamincne.org/what-to-do-if.html

Nevada:

Licensed Animal Rehabilitators:  

New Hampshire:

Licensed Animal Rehabilitators:  https://www.wildlife.nh.gov/wildlife-and-habitat/rehabilitators

New Jersey:

Licensed Animal Rehabilitators:  https://dep.nj.gov/wp-content/uploads/njfw/rehab-list.pdf

New Mexico:

Licensed Animal Rehabilitators:  

New York:

Licensed Animal Rehabilitators:  Find a Wildlife Rehabilitator Near You

North Carolina:

Licensed Animal Rehabilitators:  

North Dakota:

Licensed Animal Rehabilitators:  

Ohio:

Licensed Animal Rehabilitators:  Contact a Licensed Wildlife Rehabilitator in Ohio

Oklahoma:

Licensed Animal Rehabilitators:  https://www.wildlifedepartment.com/law/rehabilitator-list 

https://www.wildcareoklahoma.org/ 

https://www.naturesvein.com/rescue 

https://foresttrailsanimalhospital.com/ 

WILD HEART RANCH

https://4thewild.org/ 

Oklahoma State University

Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital

2065 W. Farm Road

Stillwater, Oklahoma 74078

405-744-7000

vet-zoo-med@okstate.edu 

-The OSU Veterinary Teaching Hospital provides veterinary services for a large variety of exotic pets.

-Native wildlife relinquished to the hospital are cared for free-of-charge.

-Captive native wildlife will only be seen if an appropriate license/permit is provided. Copy of the license has to be provided at the time of the visit.  

Sallisaw Veterinary Clinic

Dr. Gary Cox DVM

*State and Federal wildlife rehabilitator

*Boarding of Exotic Animals

3450 W Cherokee Ave, Sallisaw, OK 74955

(918) 775-6182

Animal Clinic of Wagoner

29584 OK-51, Wagoner, OK 74467

(918) 485-4200

Green's Veterinary Clinic

29783 NCR 3260

Wynnewood, OK 73098

(405) 665-9149

Oregon:

Licensed Animal Rehabilitators:  DFW list of wildlife rehabilitators (PDF)

Pennsylvania:

Licensed Animal Rehabilitators:  Pennsylvania Association of Wildlife Rehabilitators

Rhode Island:

Licensed Animal Rehabilitators:  

South Carolina:

Licensed Animal Rehabilitators:  
Keeper of the Wild
1606 Coolers Dairy Rd, Walterboro, SC

(843) 636-1659

Christine Hunt - Edgefield, SC

(914) 227-4756

Veterinarian:
Exotic Vet Care
814 Johnnie Dodds Blvd, Mount Pleasant, SC 29464
(843) 216-8387

South Dakota:

Licensed Animal Rehabilitators:  

Tennessee:

Licensed Animal Rehabilitators:  https://www.tn.gov/twra/wildlife/find-a-rehabilitator.html
Wildlife Permits: https://www.tn.gov/twra/law-enforcement/permits/wildlife-permits.html

Trusted Vets:
Murfreesboro - https://familypethealth.com/ 

Tullahoma - https://crownoveranimalclinic.com/

Texas:

Licensed Animal Rehabilitators:  Texas Parks and Wildlife Department

Utah:

Licensed Animal Rehabilitators:  

Vermont:

Licensed Animal Rehabilitators:  

Virginia:

Licensed Animal Rehabilitators:  Licensed Wildlife Rehabilitators | Virginia DWR

Washington:

Licensed Animal Rehabilitators:  Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife Conservation

West Virginia:

Licensed Animal Rehabilitators:  

Wisconsin:

Licensed Animal Rehabilitators:  

Wyoming:

Licensed Animal Rehabilitators: