If for any reason you become unable to care for your skunk for a day, a week, a month, or permanently, you will need someone to care for your skunk during this time. This may not be as easy as it sounds. A good skunk sitter needs to know a lot about caring for your baby. If you run into this problem, do not hesitate to contact us at the Florida Skunk Rescue and we will be glad to help however we can. You should be financially prepared to handle a skunk. Depending on the area where you live, some vets charge more to treat a skunk because they consider it an exotic animal.
Outside the normal costs of food, bedding, and other necessities, there are vet bills. Depending on your skunk, wellness examinations are recommended at least once a year. You may also need to travel to different vet for a medical solution if your vet cannot handle the problem. You need to research an emergency clinic that can handle a skunk emergency during the hours your vet is not open.
A lot of emergency clinics treat wildlife and these usually always have a vet that would be willing to see a skunk in an emergency. Call around and ask, or even check with your vet, don't wait till emergency arises and your are in a panic about what to do. We all hope for long and healthy lives for our skunks, but you have to be prepared for just about anything. As of this writing, pet insurances does not cover pet skunks. If you have a skunk emergency occur and you do not know what to do or cannot reach a vet, do not hesitate to contact us for assistance at Skunks can be potty trained but depending on your skunk, it might not be the easiest thing to do.
Skunks like to do their business in corners. Your skunk will definitely let you know which corner or corners are preferred for litter boxes. One litter box will usually not be enough and it may take several spaced throughout the rooms your skunks goes to satisfy your skunk's potty needs.
Be prepared if you attempt to change the mind of your skunk on the choice of corners and it fails. This is one battle you may not win. Eventually, you will come to a mutual understanding. The most important thing in caring for a skunk is to insure they receive a proper diet. Unfortunately, except a product called STOMP, there are not any pre-packaged foods, kibbles, or shortcuts available.
They need to be fed precise amounts and types of foods to keep them in good health. A skunk's stomach is only about the size of a half dollar and it does not have a shut off switch to tell the skunk when it is full. For this reason, you need to be very aware of how much food your skunk is consuming in a day otherwise you can end of with a very obese skunk. Just like people, once the weight is on, it takes a big effort and strict diet control to get them to lose the excess weight.
Make sure all family members know not to feed the skunk snacks constantly. Just because a skunk begs does not mean they are hungry. They are very clever at going from one person to another to beg and act like they've never been fed. Since the domestic skunk just made the leap from wild into the home in such a short period, their diet should mimic as best as possible the diet they would have eaten in the wild.
Feral skunks consume a wide variety of foods. In particular they eat beetles, crickets, grasshoppers and are fond of bees. In summer they eat some fruit, rodents and eggs. As colder months approach, they eat leaves, nuts, and carrion.
Therefore, your skunk's diet should consist of fresh fruits and vegetables, and animal protein such as superworms, mealworms, crickets, grasshoppers, raw chicken necks, cooked ground turkey or chicken, and baked chicken or turkey. The need for supplements may be determined by blood analysis. If a well balanced diet is not fed, deficiencies will occur. Harm can also occur from over supplementation. You will quickly realize that your skunk is probably eating better than you do. The importance of a good balanced diet can never be stressed enough.
If you are a juvenile or young adult thinking about getting a domestic skunk as a pet, there are a few things you need to consider. In the State of Florida, you must be 16 years old before you apply for a permit to have a pet skunk. This would also make your parents responsible for any action your domestic pet skunk may take. In addition, they may one day become the primary caretaker of the skunk depending on your life choices after high school.
Your parents are also the ones that will be buying the food, cleaning supplies, and paying the vet bills. They are the ones that will be making the most changes in the way the house is cleaned and what products are used. A juvenile considering a domestic skunk as a pet is probably in high school, or of an age where there are many unknowns which will affect your pet skunk.
High school and after school activities can be very time consuming; and that means time away from your pet. High school is a time for your social development; offering dances, sporting events and other social events you will not want to miss and these all mean time away from your pet. Many of you will want to go off to college. Skunks also are subject to many diseases.
We are not talking about the rabies and distemperment that affect wild skunks; pet skunks are subject to a whole plethora of diseases, including encephalitis, obesity, leptospirosis, cardiomyopathy a degenerative heart condition , and gastric conditions due to the skunk ingesting foreign items. Going to the bathroom is interesting.
Like cats, skunks can be trained to go in a litter box. Unlike cats, it is much more difficult to get a skunk to recognize a specific place as the proper location fo going to the bathroom.
For this reason, a skunk owner typically needs multiple litter boxes scattered about the house two or three usually so the skunk can easily get to the bathroom. I am no trying to talk anyone out of getting a pet skunk; pet skunks are extremely affectionate, loving pets. They get on well with other animals in the house and are friendly with children. However, anyone is thinking about having skunks as pets needs to understand what they are getting into. Avoid chocolate, as it is toxic to skunks.
Also, try to offer your skunk foods high in calcium and taurine, or give it supplements that provide these. Consult your vet for the proper dosage. Finally, skunks need access to a dish of fresh water at all times, though some don't drink a lot. They get much of the water they need from the vegetables in their diet.
Be aware that it can be difficult to find a veterinarian who specializes in skunks, so ensure that you will be able to see one before acquiring a pet skunk. Plan on at least an annual wellness exam for your animal. Skunks should be spayed or neutered at a young age, usually when they're 4 to 6 months old, to prevent aggression and potential health issues due to their hormones, such as cancer. Removing the scent glands may be done at the same time, though this is often done at an even younger age while the skunks are still with the breeder.
Skunks also need to be vaccinated against common dog and cat diseases, such as distemper, as well as dewormed.
Your veterinarian should be able to recommend the correct course of vaccinations. Skunks are prone to a variety of health issues, including metabolic bone disease, diabetes, dental disease, nutritional deficiencies, cardiac disease and obesity. You should never take a skunk from the wild to keep as a pet. This is illegal in most places unless you are a licensed wildlife rehabber. The majority of states ban skunks as pets.
And most of the areas that allow pet skunks have stipulations, such as requiring permits or necessitating that the skunk was bred within the state. Make sure you know all of your state and local laws before committing.
Always acquire a pet skunk from a reputable breeder or rescue group. Avoid purchasing an animal through the internet or from a classified ad, as you're less likely to get accurate information about its origin and health history this way. It's typically ideal to look for a young skunk, which will be easier to tame and adapt to your household.
The peak availability for young skunks is in the spring, but you might have to place a deposit and be put on a waiting list. You also can see whether a rescue group has an older skunk whose personality would fit your lifestyle.
Aim to interact with any animal before you bring it home. It should be active and alert. Some red flags include labored breathing, lethargy and erythema of the skin around the eyes. Otherwise, check out these other exotic animals to find your next pet. Pesendorfer, M. Observation of tool use in striped skunks: how community science and social media help document rare natural phenomena.
All skunks have long claws used for digging up worms, insects, and grubs. When raised in a house, pet skunks put their claws to use opening doors, cabinets, drawers, and even refrigerators. Pet skunks are also known to steal blankets, towels, sweaters, and other soft items that they bring to their sleeping den.
As seen in Is That Skunk? Domesticated skunks are unique and sometimes rewarding pets, but they require a lot of specialized care. As with any pet, prospective skunk owners should think long and hard about whether or not they have the time and the resources to properly care for a skunk before purchasing or adopting one.
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