What is it and what can be done?
Fox with Mange!
Emergency!
If you have found a collapsed or severely injured fox, get help now!
If you have come across a fox that is suffering a medical emergency, contact your nearest rescue for help!
Contact our rescue for any local emergencies by using the ‘contact us’ section on our website.
If your not in our area, use the wildlife directory to locate your nearest rescue!
What is Mange?
Sarcoptic mange is a disease caused by mites irritating and burying into the skin of the host, in this case, the fox. This causes severe itching, which in turn, leads to loss of fur, crusty & broken skin, and even secondary infections, which can be fatal.
It can be easily spread between foxes throughout the year, but it can be especially present after January, which is mating season.
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Foxes become less timid of humans and more active during the middle of the day, especially in cold weather
Thin appearance
Wounds around their tail - the infection usually starts around the tail and moves up the body towards their head
Continual scratching
Bare skin looks like dry, cracked earth
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YES!
There are a few options for treating foxes with mange, there are non-prescription homeopathic routes, and veterinary prescribed medications. Carry on reading this page for more information!
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It’s unlikely that any pet will contract mange from foxes. The dog and fox would need direct contact, or would have to lay in the same place for an extended period of time for any risk of spread. Most regular flea treatments also aid control of mange in dogs, so there is little risk.
Mild Cases of Mange:
Minor/mild cases of mange should see patches of fur missing, but should cover no more than 40% of the overall body. It’s worth contacting your local rescue and providing images of the fox if the effected area is encroaching on the 40% or more mark.
Mild cases can benefit from an improved diet, alongside homeopathic drops.
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Homeopathic potions have been provided to foxes with mange for years! As it isn’t a prescription, there has always been speculation by few to its effectiveness, however, we’ve recommended these drops for a long time, and on countless occasions and had feedback to say that the fox has improved. These drops are sent by many fox rescues across the UK for minor cases of mange with many reports of success.
The Fox Project says:“Rather than risk an animal ingesting a high level of potentially dangerous veterinary products, a safer, alternative option may be considered.”
“Spectacular recoveries have been achieved by use of two natural remedies. The first is a combination of arsenicum 30c and sulphur 30c and the second is psorinum 30c.”
“Many wildlife centres have found these treatments effective on foxes, depending on the level of infestation, and Helios (see below) recommend using them alternately, with priority given to arsenicum and sulphur.”
“Our own view is that positive results are less convincing on foxes suffering more than 40% visible mange but, whatever the result, and given that wildlife is not generally co-operative, it is sometimes the only possible option in the absence of capture.”
“But are you sure these remedies work?” we hear sceptics ask.
“Well, if you consider complimentary treatments akin to voodoo – a placebo effect that only works because you believe in it – just bear in mind animals don’t have an opinion, don’t know they’re being treated – and yet they get well!”
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Firstly, the fox should only be fed in small quantities as a temporary measure during any treatment. The worst outcome for any fox is to become reliant on food from members of the public. This can cause the fox to be less fearful of people, which puts them at risk, and it can also impact their young learning to hunt and scavenge for food.
This being said, during treatment, provide small quantities of high-quality food such as raw or cooked chicken, eggs, or even good-quality dog food. They also like jam sandwiches.
Be cautious not to overfeed for the reasons above, and that foxes will hide excess food, which can then be eaten by other animals.
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Yes!
Provide a shallow water bowl in your garden. Most foxes that have mange suffer increased levels of dehydration, so access to clean drinking water can help improve their condition.Remember to add a rock, or similar, to the bottom of the bowl so that any wildlife, such as hedgehogs, can get out if they fall in!
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Derbyshire Fox Rescue - CLICK HERE
Pet Perfection - CLICK HERE
NFWS - CLICK HERE
With moderate to severe mange, the mange may cover a large percentage of the body in crusty and broken skin. You may find that the eyes are swollen or oozing and that the mange has also spread across the face.
In these cases, a prescription medication would be appropriate for treating the fox; however, they do come with many variables that can affect a vets decision to prescribe.
If treating on site isn’t possible, the fox will need to be caught with a humane trap and admitted into a suitable wildlife rescue for treatment (if one is available). This is a stressful experience and can lead to the death of cubs if it’s a nursing female, so it should be a last resort.
Moderate or Severe Cases of Mange:
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The wildlife rescue will ask for multiple pieces of information and evidence to create a case to put forward to their vets. They may also request permission to share your information with their vets as a reference for the prescription.
You will need to provide:
Clear and in-focus images of the effected fox.
A photo or video of your ability to target feed the effected fox.
How frequently the fox visits.
How many foxes visit your garden.
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Most wildlife rescues do not have vets ‘on-site’ and instead have good working relationships with external veterinary practices. However, as a prescription can only be dispensed by a vet, they are the final decision-makers. They may request further evidence or have concerns about the reliability of target feeding. In most cases, the rescue will already have the answers they need, but aside from requesting a second opinion, rescues cannot force a vet to prescribe.
It is very rare, however, for a vet to refuse or deny a prescription if sufficient evidence has been provided.
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Absolutely not!
The prescription cannot be left unattended or out of view for any period of time. Not only does this run the risk of another fox eating the medication, but it also risks any animal eating it! In some cases, this can be fatal, so a vet will not prescribe unless sufficient ability to target-feed the correct fox is evidenced.
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This is entirely at the discretion of the individual rescue. Prescriptions can be expensive, so most rescues, like us, will ask for you to make a small contribution towards the cost of the medication, without this we cannot afford to treat as many foxes as we do!
There are many fox rescues that offer "free mange treatment"; however, this is more often than not a homoeopathic potion and not a medication prescribed by a vet.
Ordering Homeopathic Potions:
Ordering homeopathic potions online is a very easy, we’ll provide the links below!
Derbyshire Fox Rescue: CLICK HERE
National Fox Welfare Society: CLICK HERE
Pet Perfection: CLICK HERE
Requesting a prescription medication:
If you have already tried the homoeopathic potion, or the fox is suffering from moderate to severe mange, make contact with the Fox Angels: CLICK HERE and provide the following:
Clear and in focus images of the fox (Blurry or grainy images can’t be accepted.)
Evidence of your ability to target feed this fox (they may ask for this on more than one occasion)
The location (to ensure this fox isn’t already receiving treatment nearby)
How many foxes visit you?
Have you already tried the homoeopathic route?
The Fox Angels do not use any telephone service; they are only contactable on Facebook.