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Handling The Injured Fox

By

Samantha Bloomfield

Bsc MA VetMB MRCVS

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Got a fox visiting your garden suffering from Sarcoptic Mange, then please visit our mange pages for help and free treatment.

The first rule when dealing with any potentially injured animal is your own safety.  If you are on a highway take appropriate measures to ensure the safety of yourself against traffic and to ensure the safety of other road users.  In some circumstances this may mean contacting the police before any rescue effort can be attempted.   It may also mean obtaining the land owner’s permission to avoid trespassing.

The next aspect of your safety applies to anyone dealing with animals, not just foxes.  If you are not used to working with animals it will surprise you how fast a seemingly very ill animal can move away from you to escape, or, towards you to bite and scratch.  If you are not confident then it is best to find someone that is.  

In terms of handling, foxes need to be thought of in the same way as cats; they may try to bite and can leap in any direction including upwards.  They have extremely sharp claws and needle-like teeth.  Catching and handling an injured wild animal needs to be undertaken with a thought out plan and quiet, gentle movements.

Injured foxes may be caught in a net, cubs under a blanket or a large coat.  It may be possible to ‘herd’ some into a box.  The rule is a dark place.  To a fox this means safety and will calm most animals.  

Once caught it is important to keep people away, no matter how curious. Quiet, dark and minimal handling are vital to reduce stress and ‘wind up’ which will render the animal so terrified no-one will be able to handle it.

Foxes can be ‘scruffed’ like a cat as long as the other hand is used to support the hindquarters.  Foxes must never be picked up by the scruff alone and never held by the tail.  Once scruffed it is then possible to place a dog muzzle on the fox if needed or a tape muzzle.  

A tape muzzle can be improvised easily from any length of material, about one to two inches wide and a foot long:

1. make a single throw in the length of material (as if you were starting to tie your shoelaces)

1. place this loop around the fox’s muzzle with the turn sitting on top of the bridge of the nose

1. firmly tighten then pass the free ends under the muzzle and cross them over, bringing the ends up to tie behind the ears  

1. make sure you have a pair of scissors on hand in case you need to release the muzzle quickly

NEVER use a muzzle:

1. on an animal with breathing problems

1. on an animal with obvious injury to the face

1. on an unconscious fox

1. on a fox when travelling as it may vomit and choke

Potential Risks of Handling Foxes

As with most species of animal, there are diseases that can be caught from foxes (zoonotic diseases).  For this reason it is advised than anyone who may be pregnant, on immunosuppressive drug therapy or the elderly, should not handle wild animals.  

It is best to wear disposable gloves when handling wild animals.  As with your pet dog and cat, thorough hand washing after touching the animal should be sufficient to guard against diseases such as Salmonella and Campylobacter.   In common with cats, foxes carry Toxoplasma (dangerous to the unborn baby).  Cats, dogs and foxes carry Toxocara (can cause blindness and meningitis in children).

Rabies, thankfully, is not yet in this country.  It is still wise not to approach any fox showing odd behaviour or overt aggression towards you.  You should seek specialist help.

Foxes carry canine Sarcoptic mange.  This species of mange cannot reproduce in human skin so you cannot catch the infection, however, in certain people it can cause a painful skin rash. Foxes also carry a fungal infection of the skin called ‘ringworm’.  Depending on the species it can cause skin disease in humans.

Fox urine can transmit the disease Leptospirosis which causes liver failure in humans. Never touch fox urine without gloves.

By far the highest risk is from a bite.  In common with cats, fox bites need to be taken seriously and medical attention sought immediately.  A number of  bacteria are transmitted in fox bites, in particular, Streptococcus species.  At the time of the bite allow the wound to bleed a little before scrubbing with antibacterial solution under running water for ten minutes.  Then seek medical attention as soon as possible.  

Do not let children or your pet dog ‘play’ with a rescued fox or fox cub.  Not only will you cause unnecessary stress to the fox you are trying to help, you are also putting the health of your child and dog at risk.  

Confident, safe handling and good hygiene should prevent you from being injured and from catching a zoonotic disease.