Treating Sarcoptic Mange in Red foxes

  I often get calls and e-mails from people who have a Red fox around that is acting lethargic or unfearful of humans.  They will stay close to houses and will eat under the bird feeders, seek refuge under decks and often lay in the hay in barns.  A scruffy appearance usually indicates that the fox has Sarcoptic mange. 

Sarcoptic mange is the name for the skin disease caused by infection with the Sarcoptes scabei mite.  The mites are microscopic and can't be seen by the naked eye.  Female Sarcoptes mites burrow under the skin and leave a trail of eggs behind. This burrowing creates an inflammatory response in the skin similar to an allergic reaction.  The motion of the mite in and on the skin is extremely itchy, as is the hatching of the eggs. This creates further allergic reaction and more itching, loss of sleep and reduced immune response.  Loss of fur, scaly skin  and a general unthrify appearance is characteristic of a Sarcoptic mange infestation.  The condition worsens as a skin infection sets in.  The Foxes immune system is even more compromised and internal parasites (tape, hook and round worms) begin to take over and absorb any nutrients that fox may find.  Mangy foxes are usually starving in the late stages. 

These foxes are not a threat to people, dogs, cats, etc.  They are close to people and buildings because there may be easy food such as cat or dog food left out in dishes, bird seed, garbage, insects, worms, roadkill and a mouse or two.  They are also losing their ability to thermoregulate  and need protection from wind, shade, sun, whatever the present need of the body is.  Mangy foxes (and coyotes) often seek out a pile of hay to lay in. Hay seems to relieve the itchiness and provide a source of comfort.

Sarcoptic mange is treatable if the animal is treated in time before the process of organ failure begins. The drug of choice is inexpensive and easy to obtain. Although it is an "off-label use" according to the FDA, Ivermectin injection for cattle and pigs is a very effective cure for Sarcoptic mange in foxes.  This injectable solution works orally and can easily be slipped into food. The ivermectin also treats a lot of the intestinal worms and any ear mites. The catch is this: it kills the mites living on the skin but doesn't kill the eggs .  These eggs will hatch and reinfect the fox, so it has to be administered  many times to kill the mange mites that hatch after treatment.  I strongly recommend treating Red foxes very aggressively, giving them the Ivermectin every three days for the first three weeks.  A daily feeding station using cat or dog food can be set up  to facilitate the administration of tasty treats laced with ivermectin.  A spoonful of canned cat food, a chunk of cooked chicken or venison can easily be injected with the solution.  Weeks four and five give the ivermectin every five days.  Weeks six through nine put the ivermectin every ten days.   

Ivermectin comes in two strengths- the 200 mL tall blue bottle  is a dilute 0.27% solution for Grower and Feeder Pigs.   0.5 ml (or cc) will treat a 10 lb fox. if your fox is an adult or young adult, it is a 10 lb fox.  A lot of people think they weigh more than that , but trust me, a mangy fox does not tip the scales past 10 lbs.  Fox pups may weigh less, and you can cut the dose in half.  You will need a large needle to draw the solution out of the bottle because the solution is rather thick. A very fine needle and small syringe will make it difficult to draw.  Ivermectin is a non- perscription product and available online through many livestock suppliers, such as Jeffers.com  Here is a link to the stuff I  recommend  http://www.jefferslivestock.com/ssc/product.asp?CID=2&mscssid=WFQNXHV0PGK99JNWUX83NEEQSK27F9A6     tractor Supply stores carry Ivermectin too, and if they don't have the 0.27% solution, you can use the 1% cattle solution- but the dose will be considerably smaller.  You will need to get a needle and syring from someone to draw it out though. Don't use the pastes for horses or the pour-on for liestock!

The second  strength of Ivermectin is in a much smaller bottle  (50 mL) and is a concentrated 1% solution.  This injection solution is for cattle and large swine.  It costs around $45 at most farm stores- but it will last forever!  1 mL will treat a 110 lb cow. 0.5 cc will treat a 55 lb fox - of course we know that there are no 55lb foxes... so, you will need to really give a small amount!  I use 0.2 mL (or 0.2 cc) .  Giving the solution orally is much safer and has a larger margin for error than injecting it in foxes.

Of course other wildlife might get to the food before the fox does, so try to use your judgment and administer it the best way that will target only the fox.  Ivermectin is a pretty safe drug and won't harm most wildlife.  Some breeds of dogs can be very sensitive to it, particularly the collie family and Australian shepherds .  Use extra caution around domestic animals.  They use Ivermectin in third world countries to treat different things, such as scabies in humans.  Ivermectin is also used to treat dogs and cats for mange, though it is an off label use according to the FDA . 

A topical product called Revolution can be obtained through your veterinarian and used to help prevent your domestic dogs from picking up mange in the grass surrounding your property.  I have found Revolution to be a very effective preventative for mange, but a very ineffective cure for mange.  I apply Revolution to all my foxes just before they are released back to the wild as a preventative measure for them.  I have tried Revolution as a treatment on several foxes and a dog that had mange, and it simply did not treat the mange infestation at all. 

Can people get mange? You bet, but it won't live and reproduce on your skin.  It will give you one heck of an itchy red allergic reaction if you are sensitive to mange mites though.   I have had it more than a few times. it won't bother some people, and others it will.  I happen to be one of those sensitive to it.  In fact, I have used my own skin reaction as an indicator of if an animal's skin condition is actually mange or not.  Often a veterinarians skin scrape can  miss the mites,  but, my skin doesn't.  I have diagnosed mange in fawns, coyotes, dogs, very young fox pups and other tricky things that a skin scraping  had missed.  I will share my personal mange experience in a future blog  :0)   

Comments

[Peggy Bashline]

I cannot thank you enough for this invaluable information. I was crushed to discover my pal behind the fence developing what looks like a crusty muzzle. When I noticed his eyes appeared sleepy about three weeks ago, I had suspicions .... until I googled 'sleepy eyes red fox' and found your article. Maybe I will be able to save this magnificent sweetheart.

I still worry about the spread of disease ... for me, my husband, my dog and cat .... who relish the back yard??? Presently, we're very healthy with good immune systems I suppose, but we would like more info regarding just how possible it might be to become infected. What scenarios might put us at risk? Should we avoid rolling/sitting on our lawn? Are wet lawns more dangerous? Does cold weather kill the mites? Will the other foxes in the area likely contract this disease from the infected fox? I have noticed they do not come close him as of late, as if he is being shunned. It is all so painful to watch. I must see the sick one well and happy again, playing with his buds.

Details, Details, Please. Thank You So Very Much!!!

Peggyb

[Don Drysdale]

We were woken up the other night by horrible screams. I thought they were human screams of a women but my wife said it was an animal. The neighbours tell us it is a fox with mange however I didn't read any remarks confirming this as one of the symptoms.

[Valerie]

I have a fox neighbor who most definitely appears to have mange. Little or no coat (including tail) and he sits out in the cul de sac scratching himself and rubbing his back on the asphalt. I've ordered the Ivermectin. He spends much time in the drainage gulley under our driveway so that is where I will leave dogfood with the added medication. (I'm hoping no other animals, esp cats, will get at the food since it seems to be his home when the weather is not wet and rainy - hopefully the cats avoid the fox scent.) I'll let you know if there is any improvement!

[JC]

Thank you so much for this information. We have had red foxes living around our house for years. Late this spring, my husband observed one of the pair scavenging around the base of our bird feeders for crumbs of suet. She/he had an obvious case of early-stage sarcoptic mange (severe hair loss on rear quarters and around neck). Our initial research indicated that our only recourse would be to put the poor animal out of its misery, which we didn't have the heart to do. Fortunately, we found your site, ordered Ivermectin through the mail and began treating it aggressively.

When we spotted the fox again last week, s/he looked completely healthy, happy and cured. Her/his coat was again full and glossy. We are at the phase-out stage of treatment, and should be completely finished in two weeks.

Thank you so much for the information on your site. With your help, we have saved this magnificent creature's life.

[M.Crossman]

Hello. Although the dates on your website are fairly old, I found the information very helpful as long as I'm able to get the ivermectin. I have a fox that has been around all winter and his coat is very scruffy now and he's scratching a lot. I thought he might just be losing his winter coat, but he's very thin and his hair is falling off very rapidly. I have 2 dogs that are walked in the same area so I need to prevent them from catching it, if that's what he's got. He has a family somewhere around as well but they would be hard to treat since he's the only one that comes. But thanks for the information. I am going to see if I can help him and also keep my dogs safe.

[Sally Bee]

We have a red fox in our farmyard that shows many of the signs you mention ... but NO itching or scratching. However, she is shedding a LOT of winter hair on hindquarters and is quite thin ... she is feeding kits under one of our sheds so we thought that might account for some of her thinness and hair loss. (We haven't seen a male around ... only the one adult.) We have been putting some food out for her. Her haunches seem almost bare but checking her with binoculars the hair is there, just very short. So ... to you think it's mange? If it isn't, would giving her Ivermectin anyhow be bad? She shows no fear of us.

[Elaine]

We are trying to determine if the fox in our yard actually has mange. His tail is almost hairless but the rest of him seems okay, just scruffy, and he's a little skinny. No abnormal behavior, though, just comes through the yard every evening. Could anyone tell me if this is likely to be mange? I'd love to start the Ivermectin but only if it's worth it...

[Amanda]

Hi I work at a small town bank in Maine we have a red fox around that has only lost hair on its tail but just the middle it looks like a poodle cut! The game warden "is to busy" to come put a trap out! How would we know if it is mange or rabies? He is very brave and is around town in main street often. I was driving home the other night and he had a cat in his mouth! What do you suggest we do? Thank you So much

[jane evenson]

We have a fox that has been coming by for a couple of years. We were gone for a wk., and returned to find it's tail looking as if it had been twisted, about half way up the length. The fox seemed less, not more friendly. Could this be mange?

[Chris Smith]

In the UK, we have found it easiest to order ivermectin from http://www.hyperdrug.co.uk (who also provide the tiny syringes required).

[cathy pilla]

We have been feeding a red fox with the mange for sometime. We have been trying to trap it so we could bring it to an animal rescue facility for treatment; however, unsuccessful. I read your article and I felt hopeful that I could help the animal. I thought I could contact my veternarian and ask for Ivermectin. I explained the reason and they would not allow me to get the Ivermectin because it is a prescription and would need to see the animal. As you know that would be impossible. So my question is there any way I could get that medication. The animal is really in poor conditon. He is eating and drinking but looks awful and is scratching constantly. I want to give him relief Your help in this matter would be very much appreciated.

From Elise: Ivermectin is not a perscription product. You can easily buy it at Tractor Supply Co stores and online from catalogs such as Jeffers. I have modified my original post to reflect this as many people have asked me where to get it.

[Karen]

Thank you SO much for posting this! I had two red fox in my yard, and they were so beautiful at the start of summer. Lately I've only seen one at a time, and just a quick glimpse. It walked through my front yard in the middle of the day today, and I saw that it had mange REALLY bad. I am going to see if I can get some of this and put it out for him/her. Hopefully I have caught it in time. I'm concerned, as it has very little hair left. Just a tuft on the back of it's tail, and not much on it's body. Poor baby.

[Elaine Randle]

i have found a fox very near to where I live with a severe mange infestation and i WOULD LIKE TO HELP IT IT WAS SEEN ON MONDAY AT 6.15 SITTING BY THE SIDE OF THE ROAD WATCHING THE TRAFFIC AND ITCHING i KNOW ROUGHLY WHERE IT COMES FROM DO YOU HAVE ANY ADVICE FOR ME SO THAT I CAN HELP IT

[Marcus von Weigert]

I've been treating my pack of California Coyote buddies with Ivermectin, following this information, since the beginning of December.

This has really worked miracles and probably saved the little Moon Dogs' lives. They are growing their hair back and the big red, infected looking, sores all over them have healed - they are returning to the happy, healthy, handsome looking animals they were before they caught this terrible affliction.

I haven't been able to get any good photos of them yet, and since they are feeling better they seem to be getting more shy and reclusive again - only 3 of the 8 or so coyoets that come here on a regular basis generally show up during daylight any more (the rest come after dark), and of those only 1 still lets me get fairly close to him.

I've been mixing dry and canned dog food together, putting a pretty good size pile on each of about dinner plates I use for this purpose, and then mixing .4 cc of the injectable ivermectin into each plate full. Each time I put this food out, I put out about 10 to 14 plates full over the course of the evening and night, to try to ensure that everybody gets one.