Causes and Prevention Methods of Stunted Raccoon Dogs

Stunted raccoon dogs refer to commercial raccoon dogs that cannot be raised to marketable size during the growing period after weaning and separation from the litter, showing no growth, small body size, being all skin and bones, and with messy fur, only reaching 2.5-3.5 kg by the growing period.

Causes: There are many reasons for the formation of stunted raccoon dogs, generally as follows:

Unreasonable nutritional combination and incomplete nutritional value are the main causes of stunted raccoon dogs. Breeders try to save money and feed only cornmeal or with very little other feed. Because the feed is severely lacking in nutrition and cannot meet the growth needs of raccoon dogs, the raccoon dogs do not grow and become stunted.

Insufficient milk from the mother raccoon dog is another main cause of stunted raccoon dogs. If the mother raccoon dog gives birth to too many cubs, for example, 13-18 per litter, and no foster mother is found, due to insufficient milk, some of the cubs cannot get enough milk, are small in size, and become stunted after weaning.

Among the cubs born to the mother raccoon dog, although the total number is not particularly large, one or several small-bodied raccoon dogs are produced, which are called "runts," and such cubs are prone to becoming stunted.

If cubs are ill and not cured or not fully recovered, such as long-term dysentery, big paw disease, infectious hepatitis and other diseases that are not cured, they are prone to becoming stunted.

If sarcoptic mange and fungal skin diseases are not cured, stunted raccoon dogs are very likely to form.

If the mother raccoon dog has the bad habit of carrying cubs in her mouth, and injures individual cubs before weaning, and the injuries do not heal for a long time after weaning, stunted raccoon dogs will eventually form.

Multi-generation inbreeding, because genes cannot recombine, leads to decreased physical condition and sickly and weak cubs, eventually forming stunted raccoon dogs.

Prevention: For small-sized raccoon dogs caused by many births and poor milk, after separation from the litter, feed them in separate troughs. On the basis of complete-price feed, add milk, eggs, and soy milk, but it is not easy to feed too much or too full; feed small meals more often, and feed 5 meals or more per day. Milk and soy milk should not exceed 100 grams per animal per day, and eggs should not exceed 50 grams per animal per day. Do not feed it all in one meal; mix it into the food and feed it in three or four meals. In addition, feed 3-5 yeast tablets per animal per day, also added in divided meals.

Use vitamin Huang: 250 mg, mixed with 1 mL of inosine, and inject intramuscularly for 7 days.

For young raccoon dogs with mange, treatment should be strengthened. Use 0.5% Xin Mie Lai Ling for a 3-minute medicated bath, washing the whole body without leaving any spot untouched. You can also use 1% trichlorfon, Decis, etc. for medicated baths, or inject 0.2 mL of Ivomec per animal each time, and inject once more after 7 days.