How common is rabies in coon? I’m in eastern Nebraska. This evening had one of my pigs wounded up from a coon. I dispatched the coon and will put it up. But my pig was beat up pretty bad from it, all marked up. But still alive. Wondering if I should treat the pig. Or perhaps euthanize it.

I've heard as high as 30%. May depend on location and how prevalent it is in your area. My advice is talk to a veterinarian.

Kinda random because a lot of it has to do with population cycles. You have to remember that they cant test all wild animals. What the numbers you see reported are mostly specimens that are suspected of having rabies or have bitten someone or a pet/farm animal by local health departments. So thats going to lead to a number higher than out in the wild.If it was actually population rate 30-40% instead of tested animals, it would look a zombie apocalypse out there.

Well it’s not. lol. A thriving community here of them. And I don’t understand it either cause I put up over 100 of them every year and it’s like I don’t make a difference in some of the areas I trap

Historically the rabies percentage in wild animals has been low except for pockets of animals who have been exposed and tested. 30% of the coon tested means “of the coon tested” rather than the entire population. Yet, epidemiologists have to start somewhere in reporting incidence rates, etc.

You might want to talk to a vet about rabies, pseudo-rabies, distemper and other diseases he/she is seeing in your area. The testing and vaccinations, however, might cost you more than the pig is going to be worth

If it hasn't froze, Cut and send the head to the State Health Dept. through your local vet. If you shot the coon in the head, it won't be usable to determine if it was positive. If you handled the coon or hog WITH OUT rubber or nitrile gloves, You may have been exposed,,,,,,,, always send a suspected animal to the Health Authority in your area. Not worth the risk!!!!!! My experience. ......................... the mike (in eastern NE)

Taking the head in to the vet and eventually the state lab for testing only shows an animal in the advanced stages of rabies.

Rabies travels thru nerves. When I studied it, the rate of travel was an inch a day. An animal bitten on the face had a much better chance of developing rabies in a few days than one bitten on a hind leg. The hind leg exposure was going to take weeks before the virus made it to the brain and the disease developed.

That being said, state health recommendations are to treat all coon bites as potential sources of rabies and to get the rabies shots started as soon as you can. As for the pig, well, it might be time to say good bye and send it off to rendering or whatever your vet says to do with it.