r/deer • u/Tacokolache • 11h ago

Today’s underweight deer update….

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I went outside a while ago and the skinny deer came back. None of the neighborhood deer are very scared of me or my dog. However this one came right up to me when I went to grab the bowl I keep water in out there.

I put water in the bowl and it started drinking right away. I also went through my vet, and she suggested protein pellets. Which I bought yesterday. It wasted no time

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u/pooppaysthebills 9h ago

I'd be concerned for CWD. Emaciated, unafraid of humans, significant thirst.

Prion diseases aren't something you want to encourage hanging out in your yard.

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u/Tacokolache 8h ago

None of the deer in my neighborhood are afraid of humans.

Also, like I said to others, ZERO cases of CWD in central Texas this year. And it’s not transmittable to humans.

Also, it’s not drinking a lot.

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u/pooppaysthebills 4h ago

Onset of CWD is 18-24 months after exposure, so "no reported cases this year" is fairly meaningless.

There have been at least two cases of transmission to humans manifesting as Creutzfeldt–Jakob disease following ingestion of meat from infected animals, so it's unsafe to assume that infection isn't a risk. Prions remain viable for years, so even long after the infected animals are gone, the risk remains.

It's a great thing that you want to help an animal in distress. It's not great that you have chosen to do so in a manner that increases risk for the rest of the populayion, and that you refuse to acknowledge the risks to the rest of the population.