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Original poster

To help a mangy scrap of fox?

374 replies

HarrietKettleWasHere · 30/03/2017 23:46

I know I know, urban foxes get a lot of bad press. Yes they are naughty when they rip open bin bags and make a mess.

And yet, I think they are beautiful. We live in a block of flats (on the back of a big park) and around about Christmas time I noticed one sloping about at night. Actually we used to have a lot of mice/rats down where the rubbish room is so maybe he was attracted to that. He's beautiful- all rusty and bushy. I know it's a bit naughty but I started slipping him the odd bit of chicken or bit of ham. I would never want to get too close as he should be wary of humans would kill to stroke that gorgeous tail but he knows where I live and he will often trot by about 11pm to see if I'm at my window.

So a few nights ago he started bringing a little friend. I thought he looked a bit odd- like stumpy and mishapen and tonight I got a good look at him and he's all bald-patched and mangy Sad

Poor little scrap! And also it'll probably spread to my beautiful original fox as it's contagious. Can I help him? Are there mange tablets you can put in food? He comes every night pretty much so he would eat it. Would dog tablets work? Obviously I couldn't bathe him or give him drops totally would if I could

Please can I add the foxes are very respectful of the neighbours. They do all their shagging in the park and they can't get into the bins! There are a couple of cats here but they are totally unbothered by them.

OP posts:
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MusicToMyEars800 · 31/03/2017 00:26

I hope you can help the poor thing OP, I am a fellow animal lover.

Veterinari · 31/03/2017 00:28

You need ivermectin - the injectable form can be used safely in food - prob abou 0.2mls for a 10kg fox
Repeat weekly for 6-8 weeks

You may struggle to get a vet to dispense it tho..

thecatneuterer · 31/03/2017 00:29

Veterinari - that's what we use - but it's three doses two weeks apart.

SparklyUnicornPoo · 31/03/2017 00:32

Grin at Please can I add the foxes are very respectful of the neighbours. They do all their shagging in the park

If the link above doesn't work you can buy some homeopathic medicine from Wildlife Aid

thecatneuterer · 31/03/2017 00:33

I just wanted to share one of my favourite fox photos again. I met this man and his pet fox in Pets at Home once. Apparently he took in the fox cub as it was blind. It then regained it's sight (the blindness had been caused by a virus apparently) but was then too tame to go back to the wild.

To help a mangy scrap of fox?
Addley · 31/03/2017 00:33

Don't waste your money on homoeopathic "medicine". It works via placebo and will not have an effect on a wild fox that has no idea is being treated for anything.

thecatneuterer · 31/03/2017 00:36

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Addley · 31/03/2017 00:37

Illegal, but possible, I suppose.

SparklyUnicornPoo · 31/03/2017 00:40

If you are chucking food out your window, ivermectin can kill dogs that have a sensitivity to it (certain breeds, older dogs, puppies etc) fine to treat a fox if you are feeding it somewhere you can guarantee no dog will eat the medicine but not great if there's a risk of a dog pinching left over medicine laced food.

thecatneuterer · 31/03/2017 00:41

Yes you have to be very careful with it. You can't just randomly chuck the laced food out and hope for the best. You have to watch that the fox actually eats it and remove it if it doesn't.

NotCarylChurchill · 31/03/2017 00:42

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Destinysdaughter · 31/03/2017 00:43

Aw what a lovely thread! Please do update us OP 😀

Hidingtonothing · 31/03/2017 00:47

Shamelessly placemarking for foxy updates, bless you for caring OP 💕

SootyShearwater · 31/03/2017 00:47

Fantastic thread, everyone 😊. Another animal lover here and it's so lovely to read all your posts. Thanks to you all for caring and helping our furry friends 💜💚💙

Veterinari · 31/03/2017 01:21

Am assuming from the OP's description that the fox is in her garden. So hopefully there aren't hoarded of ivermectin-sensitive dogs wandering about there.

But yes take sensible precautions and remove any food that Isn't eaten

MadisonAvenue · 31/03/2017 01:42

OP you are wonderful! I really hope that you can help the fox, they're beautiful animals. I watched some fox cubs playing in the woods last year and it was one of the nicest things I've ever been privileged to see.

An aquaintance of mine is disgusted that a neighbour is feeding a local fox as her chickens were killed by one a few weeks ago which got into her garden.
Rather than blame the fox for doing what it will instinctively do, perhaps her hen house should've been fox proof.

Kateallison16 · 31/03/2017 02:04

So rare to read a post that makes you smile. Well done op and good luck!

user1490634864 · 31/03/2017 02:12

thecatneuterer that's amazing! Was the fox friendly enough to stroke or just 'bonded' to him?

ShovingLeopard · 31/03/2017 02:20

I have used the homeopathic remedy on several foxes and a squirrel, and it has worked every time. Takes a while until you start seeing the fur grow back, but you should see the skin start to heal fairly rapidly after starting treatment.

I knew somebody would be falling over themselves to inform us all it can't possibly work. Fwiw, I have no idea how it does work, but it does. As the fox society will send it to you for free, there is surely no harm in trying. It will only cost OP a few doughnuts (or jam/honey on toast also goes down very well!), and the alternative is to let the poor animal die an agonising death.

Well done OP.

SantasTipsyHelper · 31/03/2017 02:27

We treated a fox with mange by putting the tablets in squidged up jam sandwiches. He was elderly and had a limp and would wait by our back door for food, which he took out of my hand once. On one occasion he had a sunbathe on our lawn, maybe 15ft from me, whilst I was lying out there. Another time he was standing in the road, drinking water from the gutter, passing cars had to drive round him. I think he was too old/ill to be frightened of traffic and people.

Everyone in our family liked Boris. Except the cats, who would stand guard by the door to keep him away from their home.

salsmum · 31/03/2017 02:39

Working night shifts I sadly see too many foxes run over and killed so if I can save 1 or 2 I do and the mange tablets you can order via certain wildlife sites I was advised to pop the Meds in jam sandwiches they are truly beautiful animals who visit my garden and never bother my two cats...good luck op.

FaintlyBaffled · 31/03/2017 07:55

Hmmph, I work nights too sal but never see foxes, despite living quite rurally (the plus side being that I don't see them dead either)
I've always felt rather cheated that my huge distance from an IKEA hasn't automatically meant that I have a steady supply of foxes on tap

sunlitmeadow · 31/03/2017 07:57

Be aware they are very, very smelly!

Original poster
HarrietKettleWasHere · 31/03/2017 08:04

I'm pretty confident I can get the medicine laced food just in him and it won't be eaten by anything else. He waits as does the other one and eats the things I put out there and then. Would just get the big fox distracted by food first then throw something to the mangy one. If theyre not there when I go to do it I'll wait, but they usually show up of an evening at some point. They seem to learn very fast where they can get a free snack!

I love foxes and this is not my first time helping one- a couple of years ago I was walking during the day on my way back from lunch in London Bridge and I saw a little fox limping about looking really frightened. Obviously looking for a place to shelter and hide. I knew no one could come and treat him unless I got him somewhere specific and enclosed. So I followed him! After a while he peeered around the open door of the foyer to Pizza Express. I followed him in and closed the door. I don't know what I was thinking and there we were just me and the fox in the little foyer, with a glass window and people eating their pizzas!

Luckily pizza Express thought it was a bit of a novelty and opened another door for people to get in and out, so there we were in this space for two hours until a wildlife charity came to pick him up. He was beautiful and so well behaved, he nibbled on my handbag then just sat down for the most part.

Here's the pic!

To help a mangy scrap of fox?
OP posts:
Theworldisfullofidiots · 31/03/2017 08:12

So glad you are helping him
I live in a rural area and it is a bit of a mixed bag here as they do kill people's chickens.
However we still have a hunt and last time we left our garden gate open and the Fox hid at the back of the garden. The cats watched him from the high walk and the dog from inside. He was beautiful.