St. Louis, MO (KSDK) - A warning tonight for dog owners.
The Bi-State Wildlife Hotline is getting lots of calls for raccoons with canine distemper.
A dozen calls in one area of Chesterfield alone. Five more in Crestwood last month.
A sick raccoon is pretty easy to spot.
"Raccoons are going to be stumbling around during the daytime," says Nancy Hunt, Bi-State Wildlife Hotline. "They'll stagger like they're drunk, sometimes they'll drag their back legs like they've been hit by a car but you won't see any blood or anything."
If you see a sick raccoon, call the Bi-State Wildlife Hotline at 636-492-1610 or 800-482-7950.
The disease can be passed onto dogs.
They have to come into contact with a raccoon's saliva either through a bite or shared food.
However, most dogs have the distemper vaccine.
KSDK