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Skunks as pets

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Pet skunks are domesticated mammals of the Mephitidae family. Although capable of living indoors with humans similarly to dogs or cats, skunks are relatively rare pets, partly due to restrictive laws and the complexity of their care. Pet skunks mainly exist in the United States, Canada[1], and Germany[2].

Skunks can be purchased from shelters or licensed breeders. Baby skunk availability peaks during springtime, immediately following the skunk breeding season. Some large fur farms sell surplus skunks to pet stores.

Skunks are perhaps best known for their ability to spray rancid fluid as a defense against predators. Most wild skunks only spray when struck by cars or attacked. The mercaptan-emitting scent glands are usually removed in pet skunks at about four weeks of age[3].

File:Radio Flyer Skunk.jpg
File:BeecheyF&SMAT.jpg

History

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A good-quality skunk will be bright, alert, and curious, with a full shiny coat.

Skunks are native to North and South America, and traceable back to historical accounts of Christopher Columbus[4]. Details are somewhat murky, but their domestication probably began in the 18th century, when farmers used them to catch rodents and other pests. Their pelts were also used for coats and frequently passed off as marten fur[5]. Since the 1940s, skunks have been mainly bred as pets[6]. A domestic skunk appears briefly in the 1961 Disney film, The Parent Trap.

Temperament

File:Skunk busted.jpg
Skunk exploring a bag of chips

Skunks are sensitive, intelligent animals.

They also tend to be highly curious. Skunks will open cupboards that are left unlocked. Some owners have noticed skunks smelling something that was spilled on the carpet long ago, and trying to dig to find out what is buried there. According to Odd Pet Directory, skunks are so inquisitive that they "need to investigate every inch of their home, usually daily."

Skunks tend to be very friendly, loving, entertaining and playful. However, they can also be stubborn and headstrong. Due to the complexity of their care, pet skunks are not for everyone (See Skunk care considered)

Skunk care overview

Handling skunks

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Baby skunks need lots of attention.

A new skunk will be rather disoriented after arriving home. He should be held and cuddled as much as possible, so that he will grow into a friendly, affectionate pet. Skunks that are not touched much as babies tend to become shy and retreat from humans.

In particular, it is important to touch to rub, fondle, and play with their feet and toes to get them used to humans touching their feet. This will make it easier to trim their claws later.

This is also the time to start hand-feeding the skunk so that he will learn to avoid biting fingers at treat time.

Skunk expert Jane Bone writes:

The more you gently handle and fondle your baby skunk, the more docile it will be when it grows up. The more you hold and talk to a baby skunk, the more love will come your way from this skunk as it grows. More homes have been cleaned, meals prepared or football games watched with a baby skunk snuggled inside a T-shirt tucked into a waistband, than you could ever imagine. Being this close to you, the baby skunk will learn that it is great to be part of your family as you protect it, calm it down, feeling warm and wonderful all over that you are its new Mom or Dad!

It is better to avoid playing rough with baby skunks, or they may become aggressive and bitter as they get older. Bare hands can be used for loving and cuddling the skunk, but a stuffed toy or hand puppet should be used when playing with them due to their sharp teeth and extremely long fangs.

Spanking or hitting a skunk is not recommended, since it will cause him to become vengeful. Discipline should be in the tone and volume of voice. A squirt from a spray bottle may be helpful.

Housebreaking

Most skunks can be corner-trained. After they choose a corner, a litter pan with unscented litter can be placed there. If the skunk misses the litter pan, after cleanup, the area should be saturated with plain white vinegar to remove the scent, so that they will not return to that spot. After the skunk's bathroom has been established, it can be moved about four inches a day to a different ___location. The skunk may or may not follow. If he doesn't, it may be necessary to give in, let the skunk have that corner, and block the view with a chair or bookcase placed catty-cornered or some other decorative idea.

For covered cat litter boxes, it will probably be necessary to cut a larger opening for the skunk. With any litter pan, bear in mind that regular cleaning is necessary since skunks will avoid a dirty bathroom.

Some owners have reported that their skunk could not be corner-trained or taught to use a litter box, according to Skunk Haven's Deborah Cipriani.

Letting skunks outside by themselves is risky since, like ferrets, they lack a homing instinct and can easily get lost[7]. Descented skunks lack their most powerful defense against predators such as owls and foxes. Their nearsightedness also makes them suspectible to becoming road fauna.

Diet

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Heavy, easy to clean food bowls that cannot be easily turned over are best. Wide, shallow bowls work well.

Skunks need a wider variety of food than most pets. They tend to have a voracious appetite, making obesity a common problem with pet skunks. It is important not to overfeed them.

The topic of what to feed skunks is very controversial, according to Owners of Pet Skunks. Mary Kaye Ashley's Comprehensive Guide to Raising a Pet Skunk recommends a ratio of 50 percent vegetables, 40 percent Skunkie Delight, and 10 percent other whole foods. Skunkie Delight is a blend of millet, raw ground turkey, eggs, vegetable oil, and a variety of vitamin and mineral powders. Since it is not available commercially, the owner has to mix it.

Jane Bones's Skunk Stuff describes a diet of vegetables, fruits, dairy, yogurt, vitamins and minerals, fiber, carbohydrates, and eggs. Skunk Haven disagrees with this diet, and recommends their own sample diet.

Some skunk owners have tried a vegetarian diet including rice and beans with yogurt, cottage cheese for protein needs, nutritional yeast, cold-pressed safflower oil, various vitamin supplements (including taurine and D-3), and Linatone Plus/Ferretone[8].

Lynnda Butler, President of Florida Skunks as Pets, believes a small amount of sugar can be benefical for skunks and recommends an eighth of a graham cracker or vanilla wafer a day. Others (e.g. Skunk Haven) eschew feeding skunks processed sugar altogether, citing the risk of diabetes. The choice of diet is ultimately up to the skunk owner.

Skunks generally do not drink a great deal of water, but clean water should always be available.

Foods to avoid:

Skunk healthiness checklist

Healthy skunk

  • Glossy, thick coat
  • Eyes bright and clear
  • No yellowing of the white fur
  • Solid, formed stools
  • Active and happy
  • Not overweight
  • Good appetite
  • Not underweight

Unhealthy skunk

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Skunks rarely need baths. Body odors may be a sign of worms or other health problems.
  • Drastic change in bathroom habits (middle of floor, frequent urination, many locations)
  • Frequent thirst or increase in the amount of water consumed
  • Dry, brittle, dull or thin coat
  • Coat loses its color-becomes dull
  • Dandruff
  • Yellowing or loss of hair
  • Obesity (fat skunk)
  • Dry, cracked feet
  • Aggressive behavior and biting
  • Loss of appetite
  • Makes constant unusual noises
  • Runny nose and eyes
  • Body odors (Altered skunks should have no body odor)
  • Coughing and sneezing
  • Bad breath
  • Rubs sides of face or head
  • Limps

Veterinary care

Baby skunks from the pet store generally have not had any medical treatment other than scent gland removal, and will require spaying/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 is needed, and recommend a blood panel as part of a yearly check up. For more information on contacting Dr. Krupka for any questions about the blood levels, see the Haven] website.

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.

There are several different pet skunk organizations giving out conflicting advice on skunk care, according to James Firmiss, creator of the Wonderful Skunk and Opossum web site. Particularly in the medical realm, it would be 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 Galaxy DA2PPvL+Cv and Eclipse 4 given as a baby and then a yearly booster[9]. Some veterinarians do not recommend giving skunks even these common shots, since they were developed for dogs and cats.

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Skunks use their claws to hold celery stalks and other food.

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[10].

Rectal prolapse: Skunks are prone to rectal prolapse, in which the rectum extrudes from the body. Skunk Haven has instructions on dealing with this.

Tapeworms: Skunks can get tapeworms by swallowing infested fleas. A tapeworm problem has to be handled by a vet.

Symptoms of tapeworms include:

  • Eats like a horse and loses weight
  • Loses hair
  • Is not very active

Like roundworms, tapeworms may go undetected by fecal tests. According to Skunk Stuff, it will not hurt a skunk to have them treated for tapeworms as a precaution, if they seem to have "a bad case of the blahs."

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 (See Baylisascaris).

Skunks can be infested with roundworms for several weeks before eggs begin to be shed in feces. It is very common, if not ubiquitous, 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 Skunk Rescue, Shelter, and Education, Inc. recommends: "After the first series of worming 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.

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.

Symptoms of roundworms may include:

  • Rubbing bottoms on the floor
  • Bad breath
  • Coughing
  • Lack of appetite
  • Bloating
  • Hiccups
  • Rectal prolapse

Some of these signs may occur during the normal course of skunk behavior, so the presence of one or two is not conclusive proof of a roundworm infection.

Roundworms can enter the central nervous system and kill skunks. Early countermeasures are key to preventing significant damage to vital organs.

Skunk care considered

Overall, caring for skunks is more complicated and challenging than raising other pets. The difficulty in finding a veterinarian with experience treating skunks, the fierce disputes between competing 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.

Prospective skunk owners should consider the difficulty in finding the skunk a new home if it doesn't work out. Skunk shelters exist[11], according to James Furniss, a good skunk owner needs to be a do-it-yourselfer and willing to put in a lot of effort.

Rabies

Skunks and other mammals can contract rabies by being bitten by an infected animal or eating the carcass of an infected animal. Although it is quite rare for domesticated skunks to get rabies, there have been many unfortunate cases in which a pet skunk bit a person, and then was euthanized by animal control personnel so that his brain cells could be tested for rabies.

There is no USDA-approved rabies vaccine or quarantine period for skunks. In Canada, Imrab is the approved rabies vaccine. If a skunk nips or bites, and the owner can produce proof of vaccination, a 2-week quarantine is required.

Legality in North America

Canadian pet skunks must be purchased from a USDA-certified breeder in the United States. An import permit is required from the Canadian Food Inspection Agency to bring the skunk into the country. The skunk must be spayed/neutered and micro-chipped or tattooed. A vet check fee must also be paid[12]. Black-and-white skunks are illegal in Canada.

File:Mocha skunk.jpg
Besides the standard black-and-white striped pattern, there are also white, gray, brown, blond, beige, and lavender skunks. The colors allowed under state law may vary.

American laws on skunk ownership vary from jurisdiction to jurisdiction. Some states, such as Georgia, will allow only certain colors (no black-and-whites). The reasoning is that too closely resemble wild skunks. Banning black-and-whites reduces the chance that people will steal skunks from the wild and pass them off as pen-bred skunks.

Skunk regulations can change from time to time, so prospective skunk owners may want to check with the Fish and Game Commission or Department of Conservation and Natural Resources in their state.

The legal status of pet skunks is as follows:

Politics

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Several activists are seeking legalization of pet skunks in the states where they are currently banned. Their activities have included supporting bills and testifying before state legislative panels.

In 2001, Del. George W. Owings III introduced a bill in the Maryland legislature to legalize pet skunks in that state. Several officials spoke in opposition to the measure before the Environmental Matters committee. Mike Slattery, testifying on behalf of the Maryland Department of Natural Resources, slammed the idea, saying it would encourage "Bambi syndrome," the tendency to domesticate wild animals. State health officials pointed out that the bill required rabies vaccinations when there is no federally-approved rabies vaccine for skunks.

Rabies has, in fact, been a key issue in skunk-related legislative debates. Since wild skunks account for the second-largest number of rabies cases in wildlife in the US, many legislators have been reluctant to allow domestic skunks without an appropriate vaccine on the market. In addition to the problems at the state level, federal organizations set the policy for dealing with accidental skunk bites, which currently requires euthanizing the animal so rabies tests can be performed.

In February 1990, a rabies vaccine was approved for ferrets[13]. Many skunk advocates believe the vaccine would also be effective for skunks, and are pushing to have it tested for this use. They also favor clinical tests to determine the appropriate quarantine/observation period in case of a skunk bite. This would provide a way to test skunks without the need for euthanasia. According to Aspen Skunk Rabies Research, part of the reason this research hasn't been done yet is the high cost of these clinical trials, which would be difficult for drug companies to recoup.

In Canada, Skunks as Pets Canada leader Vivianne Chernoff and other activists persuaded the Canadian Food Inspection Agency to legalize pen-bred skunks. Although Natural Resources Canada does not recognize the CFIA laws, the CFIA assured Chernoff that the NRC cannot confiscate a micro-chipped skunk whose legality is documented with import papers and a health certificate. In 2004, Canadian activists were working on having a tear duct rabies test legalized for skunks.

Organizations

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Skunks napping at the 2004 Skunk Show in Orlando

Pet skunk organizations can be a source of useful advice for skunk owners. Some organizations also hold annual skunk shows. Prizes are awarded in categories such as Prettiest Tail, Friendliest, Most Talented, etc.

The American Domestic Skunk Association provides the following services to all skunk owners, prospective owners, and interested parties:

  • Education for Skunk Owners & the General Public
  • 24-Hour Phone & Web Support
  • Skunk Kitten Adoptions
  • Rescue, Rehabilitation & Adoption
  • Skunk Shows & Events
  • Newsletters & Skunk Care Guide
  • Research Program

Owners of Pet Skunks is a non-profit organization whose mission is to better the lives of captive-bred skunks. OOPS has an annual picnic and publishes a quarterly newsletter containing informative articles about skunks, human interest stories, puzzles, information on skunk related laws, and regional and national events.

Skunk Haven Skunk Rescue, Shelter, and Education, Inc., located in Ohio, has a network of people nationwide helping with rescues and helping people learn about their pet skunk. The shelter has USDA/APHIS and State permits to take in and adopt skunks from all over the nation and exhibit the skunks to the public. Staff are on call 24/7 for any skunk help needed. Skunk Haven has set blood normals for skunks and has other ongoing collective data done by a licensed veterinarian[14]. Skunk Haven also maintains a regularly updated list of legal states[15]. In addition, Skunk Haven is the home of SkunkFest, held each year the second Saturday in September. The organization has a newsletter called SkunkNews. To learn more about skunks please see their website.

Skunks as Pets has chapters in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Kentucky, Minnesota, North Dakota, Mississippi, New Jersey, Ohio, Oregon, Texas, Canada, and Germany. Links to the chapters can be found at the bottom of this page.

Sources

See also

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