Blue Ridge Wildlife Center Patient of the Week: Red Fox

What to do if a fox has mange

This Red Fox kit was admitted to our hospital after a witness saw it get struck by a car. Thankfully on intake, this young patient did not show any major physical injuries, but her skin was looking a little crusty. After a skin scrape, we were able to confirm this fox had the beginning of a mange infection.

Despite treating the mites that cause mange, her skin continued to get worse, and required a bath with sedation in order to remove all of the built-up dead skin and matted fur.

After a thorough bath and grooming, this kit is looking so much better! We hope to be able to introduce this youngster to the other three fox kits we have in care once her mange treatment is complete.

We receive many calls from the public who have seen a fox with what looks like mange. However, not every fur loss case is mange, sometimes it is caused by ringworm, fleas, skin infections, older injuries, and other issues.

Please, do not put out medication for wildlife that have suspected mange. The medication that treats mange doesn’t treat the secondary infections or issues mange leads to, such as in this case.

Laws regarding adult foxes require us to release in the county they are rehabilitated in, which in most cases is relocating them to a new area, which generally doesn’t go well for wildlife. This time of year most adults have babies as well, so we don’t want to put the babies at risk of being orphaned if we remove one of two parents. We recommend calling us to talk to our staff about your specific situation so we can decide what is best for that individual.

If you have a concern for a wild animal, please give us a call at (540) 837-9000 before attempting any sort of intervention, so that we might advise you best for your unique situation.

Looking for an easy way to help native wildlife? Become a monthly BRWC donor! For as little as $5/month, you can provide year-round, sustainable support that helps us fulfill our mission.