Rabid skunks attack dogs in Manitoba

A Manitoba dog owner is warning others about rabies after her dogs were attacked by rabid skunks earlier this month.

Ashley Bartel breeds dogs at Lanfear Newfoundlands and said one of her dogs was attacked by a rabid skunk earlier this month, while a second dog was attacked on June 13.

A video taken at their home in Oakbank, Man., shows one of the attacks, in which the skunk emerges from under the patio and chases the dog.

She shaved her dog’s long fur and found that he had not been bitten.

The skunk was later killed and tests revealed that it had rabies.

Bartel said she gets all of her dogs and her goats freshened up.

“The skunk was in the goat pen quite often,” she said, adding that it was unusual for the animals to be outside in broad daylight.

A spokesperson for the Manitoba government confirmed to CTV Winnipeg that two skunks in Springfield County tested positive for rabies in the past two weeks. They said skunks pose the highest risk of rabies of any wildlife in Manitoba, ahead of bats and arctic foxes.

“The province no longer traps skunks to test for rabies. Previous information has shown that skunks in southern Manitoba spread and transmit the rabies virus through the population each year. This means there is always a risk that skunks in Manitoba are infected with rabies,” the spokesperson said.

Signs of rabies in animals include aggressive behavior, attacks on people and other animals, and neurological symptoms such as stumbling, walking in circles, or being very lethargic. The province advised avoiding animals with these symptoms.