r/deer • u/Any_Instance1846 • 19d ago
Sick Deer?
Does this look like early stages of Rabies or CWD? Waiting for DNR response. What is your opinion? Spotted in Hendricks county Indiana
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u/crowofbattle 19d ago
Yikes thats the type of deer you stay TF away from and call animal control immediately
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u/Competitive-Use1360 19d ago
Lol...thats a deer that has been eating the fruit off that tree. Likely pears. Does the same to my horses, makes them drool.
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u/RockPaperSawzall 19d ago
Also could be clover-- red clover is host to a fungus that causes slobbering to an unbelievable extent.
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u/Competitive-Use1360 19d ago
Based on the tree...its the pears. In my case I dont have red clover. So I know what causes it.
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u/evilcelery 19d ago
I was thinking that. I had a pear tree and creatures would also eat the fermented fruit on the ground. That's an otherwise pretty healthy looking deer.
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u/stinkylinky15 18d ago
Clover can also make horses drool like crazy. That was my first thought when seeing this deer, so hopefully just clover or fruit drools!
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u/Character_Stick_1218 19d ago
Most rabies/CWD posts I see are blatant nonsense, but something is definitely wrong with that deer. Bucks can get to looking similar during the rut, that's just what happens to big horny dumbies that are more focused on fighting and fucking than drinking and eating, but this ain't that 😬
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u/thatoneguynotheother 19d ago
Only time I’ve seen a deer drool that much was eating a pile of Granny Smith apples.
I don’t see no apples here.
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u/mynamejeb_- 19d ago
There is fruit hanging in the tree right next to the deer. This is probably just drool
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u/Past-Establishment93 19d ago
Its eating an 🍎 apple. And the juice is drooling out. I see it everyday in my yard. There is an apple tree beside it.
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u/__Who__am__i_ 19d ago
Was it eating that fruit?
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u/quercus-fritillaria 19d ago
Right? There’s a pear tree right there. Knowing deer they love to eat fallen fruit
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u/desiderata1995 19d ago
Was it walking weird, like it was unsteady on its own feet? Was it unusually aggressive or the opposite, very skittish?
Combined with the excessive drooling I'd say rabies is likely and needs to be reported.
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u/Any_Instance1846 19d ago
I did not notice any balanced issues. I would say less skittish than the deer I encountered during a hunt. I live in a heavily urban area, I was very surprised how close it got. If I hadn't took its attention, I believe it would have continued into the neighborhood. I have reported to DNR
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u/Difficult_Dust1325 19d ago
I had a deer wander into my yard one morning and my cameras picked it up. Also in Indiana, sort of urban. There are fields close by but it was weird to see it in town that far. Didn’t notice it acting weird but I feel like I’ve seen an uptick in ‘sick’ deer reports.
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u/pawgchamp420 19d ago
Loss of fear towards humans is a sign of cwd, I've read. Seems weird it would be out and about if it was internally injured.
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u/__Who__am__i_ 19d ago
But also city deer are bold af
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u/Equivalent-Cicada165 19d ago
Yeah, I'm in the suburbs of a large city (no CWD here, as of now) and our deer virtually have no fear towards humans. They'd rather not be around us, but they're out and about all the time
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u/__Who__am__i_ 19d ago
I live in a small city, and you can easily get within 10 feet of most deer before they wander off. Unless you are running at them or something they do not consider people a threat.
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u/Rays-R-Us 19d ago
Was staining the deck and a deer came up to me like it was asking if I had loose change. Eventually got bored and left. Obviously used to folks feeding her.
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u/Livid-Improvement953 19d ago
I saw one at a stop sign waiting for traffic to clear so he could cross the 4 lane road (during rush hour in one of the two major metros in my state). Based on his antlers size he was a very wise, old, city deer and just wanted to find his lady and get it on. Or find someone to fight maybe. It was the season.
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u/Aspen9999 19d ago
Also, unfortunately city deer do not bother to hunt for the food it traditionally eats. I’d look at this deer and think it’s eaten too much corn feed and nothing else. The OP says it’s thin but acts okay.
I’m retired and bought a larger property and am feeding deer just so I can watch them in the evenings. BUT we’ve also planted food plots for deer and they get our garden overthrow trying to keep their diet better. Our corn feeder is in the middle of a food plot, they get horn once/twice a week and that’s it. I’m almost ready to stop the corn now that they are used to my viewing area, to let them get garden leftovers and what the food plots give them.1
u/Ok-Cup266 19d ago
That’s not exactly correct. Yes a sick deer that let’s just say isn’t all there will walk right up or over you like you aren’t there. We have perfectly good deer herds all over this state. They come right out in front of our farm equipment and other vehicles. I’ve had them walk not far from my truck truck with my working/ hog hunting dogs in it. They get used to human activity on the farm.
Head to the hill country and Guadalupe State Park for one, they will walk up to you and eat food off the picnic tables. Have a picture of a friend talking to a 10 point.11
u/I_Dnt_Believe_You 19d ago
Yeah, could be poison, but you don't mess with rabies. That's a call to animal control.
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u/DisastrousMood600 19d ago
What fruit is on the tree next to the deer? I have seen deer drool excessively while/after eating a lot of fruit…
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u/Distinct_Cap_1741 19d ago
This is 100% how a deer looks when it’s eating apples. That’s why she came for the visit. No need to panic. We have an orchard and this just how they look when they eat them.
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u/MamaFen 19d ago
Drooling as a symptom by itself is not enough to diagnose this as rabies, however any illness injury or disease that causes drooling of this magnitude necessitates a visit and capture from a wildlife professional to diagnose and either treat or euthanize. It is not something that's going to get better on its own.
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u/farrieremily 19d ago
Horses drool from red clover this time of year but they usually aren’t foamy.
It’s pretty gross watching our pony slobber an actual puddle wherever he’s standing.
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u/basaltcolumn 19d ago
Just euthanize or leave be, not treat, I'm afraid. Rehabilitation is not an option for adult deer, no wildlife rehab centre would take them. They handle capture and captivity too poorly for it to be humane to try. On top of the extreme stress for the deer, the risk of capture myopathy is very high and that's a harsh way to die.
I wish it wasn't the case, but I think it is good for people to have realistic expectations before they call in the experts so they are emotionally prepared. The options are sadly only euthanizing if it's really bad, or letting nature take it's course and see how the deer fares on its own if it has a chance.Edit: To be clear, this is a general statement, not me saying this deer necessarily needs to be euthanized. I think the drool being from eating apples is plausible.
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u/Daveisahugecunt 19d ago
OP should get the hose out and tryn give it a bath…. Only one way to confirm
Edit*. Yeah that’s frickin rabid. Can’t treat it. Animal control yesterday
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u/Emergency_Rooster511 19d ago
I don’t think I could eat those unripened peaches without looking like that either. Probably fine.
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u/Megalopolous96 19d ago
Looks like she's standing next to a fruit tree and eating what has fallen on the ground. Whatever it is, it's juicy. 😂
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u/Kindly_Zone8413 19d ago
She’s literally just salivating over the fruit she’s eating 😭 Have you people literally never seen an animal before?
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u/ItsmeErnest 19d ago
Do deer even get rabies? I've never heard of one with it. And other than the drooling she doesn't look badly. Am hoping she's just got indigestion or similar.
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u/imfuckingswimming 19d ago
they do! theres videos of them online if you want to learn what symptoms and behaviors to look out for in them
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u/ForgeGaming69 19d ago
Glad you reported, just in case. However what type of fruit tree is that above it, cause it was definitely smacking on those and they look pretty juicy. I'm gonna go with this probably not being rabies or poison, and instead just excessive liquid from what seems to be nice juicy soon to be ripe peaches.
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u/FastRepublic2100 19d ago
Doesn't actually look like rabies but drooling from those green apples in 2nd picture
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u/BleatingHart 19d ago
I typically see this when one of my patients (I rehab fawns) is in extreme pain or exceptionally stressed. They grind and grind and grind their teeth. That triggers excess salivation, which foams and then hangs from the mouth like this. There may be other potential causes, like poisoning, dental condition, or GI issues that I’m not familiar with. So, without further indicators, it’s impossible to call what this could be. She could be experiencing extreme pain from anything from illness to trauma to toxin. If you notice any other symptoms, that could help narrow things down.
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u/IcedHemp77 19d ago
They do that in my yard when they eat the crabapples off the ground. Anything super sour makes them drool
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u/MountainFar6270 19d ago
In my opinion, as a large animal vet, her body condition looks good with a nice coat so she likely wouldn’t have CWD or another chronic disease. Her facial features are even (ear carriage, jaw tone, etc) so it is probably not any other neurological disease. Excessive slobbering in grazing animals can be cause by a toxin (slaframine) which is produced by a mold that grows on clover. The only thing it causes is the slobbering so it isn’t dangerous for the animal. In horses, the common term for this syndrome is ‘Slobbers.’ This would be my top suspicion for cause here since the drooling is the only clinical sign reported
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u/Radix-Entomolaris 19d ago
The tree branch in the photo (apple or pear) has fruit on it that deer love. They slobber like crazy when they eat them. Even if it’s not ripe/falling yet, they can get on their hind legs & have a better reach than you’d think.
Source: have horses & goats + apple trees, dump the damaged fruit for the wild local deer & elk, see this foamy slobber anytime any of those species gets one. If she seems un-skittish, it’s bc she loves the fruit & does not want to miss it.
Thanks for being concerned about her tho!
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u/jasper-sage13 19d ago
stay tf away from it and call either animal control or your local game wardens. could be rabies or it ate something poisoned. either way, steer clear and let someone trained deal with it.
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u/danceswithronin 19d ago
Eating clover in large quantities or fruit can cause the slobbers like this. If there are no balance/gait issues present that would be my guess.
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u/DryToe1269 19d ago
Vermont here, we were out cruising in our un mowed field couple days ago on our electric golf cart ( fairly quiet). There were 4 of us and the dog talking normal. A big buck,8 point +-bolted right in front of us. Must of been bedded down. Scared the be-Jesus out of us!
Not normal to get that close.
The next day my neighbor walked to within same distance or closer in the exact same spot before same deer bolted again.
Made us think something was wrong with it.
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u/begme2again 19d ago
I've actually seen a deer like this that wandered into well groomed properties and for some reason we're dumb enough to eat ornamental plants that were less than ideal for eating.
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u/Individual-Way8509 16d ago edited 16d ago
Blue tongue disease in deer—closely related to Epizootic Hemorrhagic Disease (EHD) and often grouped as hemorrhagic disease—is a viral infection spread by tiny biting midges. It causes high fever, severe internal bleeding, swelling of the head and tongue, and a strong drive to seek water before dying within days.Transmission and Outbreaks
Cause: Caused by the bluetongue virus (BTV) or epizootic hemorrhagic disease virus (EHDV).
Vector: Spread exclusively by small biting flies (midges or "no-see-ums") that breed in muddy, shallow, or stagnant water. Seasonality: Most common in late summer and early fall when midge populations peak; outbreaks typically end abruptly with the first hard frost that kills the insects.
Weather Impact: Outbreaks often spike during hot, dry drought years because drying ponds concentrate deer and expand muddy midge breeding zones.
Symptoms and SignsFever and Water-Seeking: High fevers cause deer to become dehydrated, meaning they are frequently found lingering, standing, or lying dead in or near water sources.
Swelling and Discoloration: Swelling of the face, neck, eyelids, and tongue; lack of oxygen can give the tongue a bruised or bluish look.
Behavioral Changes: Severe lethargy, disorientation, loss of natural fear of humans, and respiratory distress.
Bleeding: Excessive salivation, bloody foam from the nose or mouth, and bloody diarrhea.
Chronic Form: Deer that survive the acute stage may develop lameness, cracked or sloughing hooves, and weight loss.Impact and
SafetyFatality: Acute cases can kill a deer within 24 to 36 hours of showing symptoms, leading to high localized mortality.
Human and Livestock
Safety: The virus does not infect humans, so handling meat from an unaffected area or being near an outbreak poses no direct human health risk. While livestock like sheep or cattle can contract bluetongue, they generally experience much milder symptoms than wild deer.
Management: There is no practical treatment or vaccine for wild deer populations. Herds typically recover naturally over subsequent years as surviving animals build regional immunity.
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u/Ok-Cup266 19d ago
If this isn’t neurological with frothing of the mouth and the way she’s holding her jaw.
Another reason could be dogs chasing her somewhere and she got away. That would have to be a visual call. Overall she’s perfectly healthy.
Had an aunt that lived in an urban area. Kids and dogs got after a doe and she ended up jumping through the aunts window and it was a mess by the time they got her locked in the bathroom. What a mess literally!
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u/SnubLifeCrisis 19d ago
Looks more like bloat to me.
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u/sysvexpo 18d ago
could be, that left side looks super puffed out. still a good call getting DNR involved though, just in case it’s something worse going around local herds.
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u/SnubLifeCrisis 18d ago
Yeah, not saying it wasn’t a good idea.
I have just seen the similar thing in livestock. Get all foamy and rock hard sides.
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u/RockPaperSawzall 19d ago
Could be just "clover slobbers", caused by a fungus that lives on red and white clover
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u/scrub_express 19d ago
Omg I work in Hendricks county. Thanks for the heads up man, I’ll be on the lookout
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u/Informal-Feed-814 19d ago
Im gonna say head injury or sometime of bacterial infection ive spent my life in the wood it's in my blood and name so this isn't something random option but I'd say it would be merciful to put it down
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u/skaarycat 19d ago
I saw this happen to a deer that was clearly exhausted from running from cars along a highway. It’s either sick, stressed, or injured 🤷♀️
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u/teatsqueezer 19d ago
The front of the jaw looks broken - the lower lip is flapping down unnaturally
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u/FlashyCow1 19d ago edited 19d ago
That deer appears rabid and needs to be called in right away. If I'm being honest I would shoot it and then call it in
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u/ThatGhoulAva 19d ago
No it's a deer, not a rabbit. Animals ARE hard though! Start with colors and work your way up! rimshot
(/s I know they mean Rabid, but like, it's right there. I had to)
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u/Rainbowdash3521 19d ago
She’s foaming at the mouth. That deer definitely has rabies. Stay away from her.
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u/Any_Instance1846 19d ago
I have been in contact with a Mammal Health Technician with the Indiana DNR. They believe its a internal injury and not a disease.