Manitoba dog owner warning of rabies after dogs attacked by skunks
A Manitoba dog owner is warning others to be careful about rabies after a rabid skunk attacked her dog earlier this month.
Ashley Bartel raises dogs at Lanfear Newfoundlands, and said one of her dogs was attacked by a rabid skunk earlier this month, while a second dog in the area was also attacked.
Video set up at her home in Oakbank. Man. shows one of the attacks, with the skunk appearing from under the deck and chasing after the dog.
She shaved her dog’s long fur and determined he had not been bitten.
The skunk was later killed, and tests found it had rabies.
Bartel said the dogs are all up to date but she is completing booster shots just in case and vaccinating her goats.
“The skunk was in the goat pen quite a bit,” she said, adding it was unusual for the critters to be out in broad daylight.
A spokesperson for the Manitoba government confirmed to CTV Winnipeg that two skunks tested positive for rabies in the RM of Springfield in the last two weeks. They said skunks pose the highest risk of rabies among all wildlife in Manitoba, ahead of bats and Arctic foxes.
“The province no longer traps skunks to test for rabies and previously gained information showed that skunks in southern Manitoba circulate and maintain the rabies virus in the population every year, which means there is always a risk that skunks in Manitoba have rabies,” the spokesperson said.
Signs of rabies in animals include aggressive behaviour, attacking people and other animals, and showing neurological symptoms such as stumbling, walking in circles or being very lethargic. The province said people should avoid animals showing these symptoms.
Correction
Editor's Note: This is a corrected story. We previously reported that the goats had to be tested when in fact they are being vaccinated.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Jubilation and gunfire as Syrians celebrate the end of the Assad family's half-century rule
Syrians poured into streets echoing with celebratory gunfire on Sunday after a stunning rebel advance reached the capital, putting an end to the Assad family's 50 years of iron rule but raising questions about the future of the country and the wider region.
Trump calls for 'immediate ceasefire' in Ukraine after meeting Zelenskyy in Paris
U.S. president-elect Donald Trump on Sunday called for an immediate ceasefire in Ukraine, shortly after a meeting in Paris with French and Ukrainian leaders, claiming Kyiv 'would like to make a deal' to end the more than 1,000-day war.
Baby found dead in south Edmonton parking lot: police
Police are investigating the death of an infant in south Edmonton.
Digging themselves out: With Santa Claus parade cancelled, Londoners make best of snowy situation
Londoners continue to dig themselves out from this week’s massive snowstorm.
Quebec Premier meets with Trump, Zelenskyy and Musk during Paris trip
Quebec Premier François Legault met up with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, U.S. president-elect Donald Trump and billionaire Elon Musk while visiting Paris this weekend.
Foreign Affairs Minister Melanie Joly focused on re-election, doesn’t explicitly rule out future Liberal leadership bid
Foreign Affairs Minister Melanie Joly insisted she supports Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and is focused on her own re-election, but wouldn't explicitly rule out a future Liberal leadership bid, in an interview on CTV's Question Period airing Sunday.
Superior Court authorizes class action against junior hockey league over abuse of minors
The Quebec Superior Court authorized the institution of a class action aimed at compensating all minors who suffered abuse while playing in the Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League (QMJHL).
Longer careers in hockey are linked to greater risk of CTE: study
The largest study ever done on the brains of male hockey players has found the odds of getting a neurodegenerative disease caused by repeated traumatic brain injuries increases with each year played.
opinion The Trump shadow presidency forces Biden further into the background
Not waiting until the official swearing-in, Donald Trump has already begun to exert his influence over U.S. foreign policy as president-elect, writes Washington political analyst Eric Ham in his column for CTVNews.ca.