It is a mystery to some why some people would want skunks as pets. Perhaps it’s because they look like the old school Pepe LePew cartoon character. Some people actually prefer them to other pets and think they are cute. If you are a person who finds glory in owning what is thought of as one of the stinkiest animals in the whole world you may want to keep in mind the care tips presented in this article.
Caring for a skunk means feeding it the proper foods, having it checked for diseases, and getting it spayed or neutered. The spaying or neutering process should be done by the time it is four months old. Furthermore, the skunk glands should be removed if not done so already. Along with having your pet checked for diseases along with being spayed or neutered, you will want to make sure it gets the appropriate immunization shots as well.
Immunization shots recommended by vets include Galaxy DA2PPvL+CV and Eclipse 4, which is for the prevention of rabies and other diseases. These are often given to dogs and cats in the U.S. Other preventative measures against rabies or other diseases that skunks could contract and spread are in the development process. Canada, however, has a shot that is approved for skunks that needs to still be approved by the U.S.D.A. to be used in America.
Another aspect of skunk care includes taking it to an animal doctor at least once or twice a year for a checkup. Not only that, but it means making you properly groom the animal. Furthermore, you need to keep up with the changes involved in skunk care as pets as new research provides new evidence.
One example of a change in care you would need to know about is the following: in times past it was thought of as acceptable to feed your skunk dog or cat food. However, studies in more recent years have proven that a dog or cat food diet can lead to a premature death, or at least severe obesity, in a skunk. Instead, your skunk should be fed about 90% vegetables in its diet. The remaining 10 percent of a skunk’s diet can consist of foods such as low fat yogurt and cottage cheese, fruits, vanilla wafers, graham crackers, and dog biscuits. Either that or they should eat chicken, lamb, or rice-based pet meals.
Other foods that they may want to eat include baked or broiled chicken or turkey, and water packed, baked, or broiled fish. They also take well to popcorn and high fiber cereals low in sugar and fat. Your skunks should not eat any foods containing preservatives such as sulfur dioxide or MSG, and should NEVER eat chocolate. Other foods that your skunk should not eat include raw meats, red meat, or pork.
Another job for skunk owners is in the process of grooming. You can carefully comb or clean your animal but you should NOT be de-clawed because skunk claws are equated to human fingers (at least according to one source). If you de-claw your black-and-white friend it may have an extremely hard time handling food and walking. Not only that, but it would be impossible for them to remove any obstructions from their throat in the case of an emergency.
One more aspect of caring for your skunk is that you need to litter train your pet. The best way to teach skunks how to go to the bathroom is to place a box in a corner that contains unscented litter material in it. It will not be hard to train your skunk to go the bathroom in this way if you let them choose the designated “potty corner”. This is one thing that comes natural to skunks so let them choose the place where they will then go to the bathroom time and time again.
If you properly care for your skunk it can live to be over 20 years old. For more caring tips of skunks and other small household animals you can read more articles such as these. Keep in mind that new research is being done daily on the advancement of pet care for skunks. A large portion of this information is made available online to the general public.
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