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Free Mange treatment for foxes suffering from Sarcoptic Mange and Mange Treatment Advice
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| The wound on the foxes back end can very easily become infected. |
When Sarcoptic Mange infects a fox it tends to start at the rear end first and work its way up the body, whilst it can start anywhere, the back end is usually the first place (maybe because of the heat). So the fox bites and scratches until it is bleeding because of the severe irritation. During this period of extra activity and the fox being unable to rest, it starts to lose weight and often the skin tightens around the hip bones this is in addition to hair loss. With more biting and scratching and sometimes the fox dragging its backside along the ground in an attempt to relieve the irritation, two holes either side of the tail appear and often become infected, usually the size of a 10p piece. The mange then starts to spread further on the back legs and on the pads of the feet, again more biting can make the leg or legs very painful, so it is often the case with a fox with mange, to be holding a leg off the ground. I would say in about 60 - 70 % of the cases we hear about with mange, one back leg is being held off the ground. As the mange progresses up the body and starts to take a death grip the fox moves with a very hunched up appearance, almost like it has been shunted. Increased activity and being unable to rest for long periods, the fox quickly loses weight and more hair loss. In bad cases a fox with mange can be completely bald and because of the hunched up appearance people often assume it is a Wallaby.
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| A fox with very bad mange often has a hunched up a appearance |
If this wasn't enough for the fox to cope with, once mange effects the face, conjunctivitis often is another side effect. Their eyes become gummed up with infection they have lost so much weight and their small bodies are under constant attack from the millions of mites eating away at them. Once the fox is compromised, fleas, ticks and other hosts jump on for a free meal. In just four months a fox with mange can die. This can be down to secondary infections, dehydration, pneumonia and or severe weight loss.
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| Conjunctivitis is another condition the fox is likely to suffer from when it has Sarcoptic Mange |
The National Fox Welfare Society sends out Free Mange treatment to householders who would be willing to provide food for the fox each night laced with the treatment we provide. We will also offer advice on this mange treatment and the best course of action. The golden rule is normally anything below 50% hair loss can be treated via laced food and anything over and above the 50% hair loss scale, we like to use a humane cage trap in an attempt to bring them in to treat. The golden rule like all rules can be broken, as sometimes a fox with less than 50% hair loss can have conjunctivitis and or secondary infected wounds. It is because of this that we have changed our Free Mange Treatment Request form on our website. The form is now changed to allow people to give us as much information about the fox and the mange as is possible, including the option to upload a photo of the infected fox if they have one. Although it will take us longer to process these forms it means we will have the ability to decide on the best course of action for each individual fox with mange. So please if you have a fox coming to your garden with hair loss visit our website for advice on Mange Treatment and for free Mange Treatment.
National Fox Welfare Society (NFWS) continues to lead the way forward in eliminating Sarcoptic mange / canine Mange in foxes across the UK By offering Free Mange Treatment for foxes and using humane cage traps for foxes suffering advanced mange
Sarcoptic Mange / Canine Mange / Fox Mange is a terrible condition that left untreated will see the death of the infected fox. We believe that if a condition can be treated then it should be, regardless of whether the householder is unwilling, or unable to pay for the treatment. If you have seen a fox with mange and would be willing to provide food (in the form of a jam or honey sandwiches each night), the treatment can be sent to you free of charge. To receive Free mange treatment and an information leaflet, please click on the Free Mange Treatment link. If you are able to make a donation, please do so, we rely solely on public support.
We are not advocating a diet of Jam or Honey sandwiches for the UK fox population. This is merely a vehicle for the treatment. Foxes love anything sweet, the local cat population usually wont touch anything sweet. By putting the mange drops into something sweet, we know it will be the fox that takes it, not the cats. To give an indication of the commitment of the National Fox Welfare Society, in an average week, we can send out, free of charge between 100 -
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| The image shows a fox recovering from Sarcoptic Mange in the care of the National Fox Welfare Society |
To read more of the work on the National Fox Welfare Society please see our links below
National Fox Welfare Society Email Address natfox@ntlworld.com
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