Ownership and veterinary care of pet skunks

Approximately 10% of Illinois veterinarians were mailed a questionnaire designed to measure and characterize veterinary care being received by pet skunks in Illinois. Responding private practitioners reported treating 36 skunks, vaccinating 15 skunks, and descenting 9 skunks during 1979. All of the skunks that were vaccinated for rabies received killed vaccines. Using the rate of descenting surgery as an estimate of the rate of acquisition of new pet skunks, extrapolation to the entire population of Illinois veterinarians indicated that about 111 new pet skunks were obtained in Illinois in 1979.