Every year we get in several foxes with mange.

Mange is caused by a mite (Sarcoptes scabiei–see picture below ) that burrows in the skin causing sores, thickening of the skin (crusts), itching, hair loss and can cause secondary bacterial/yeast infections.

This red fox  (picture above) came in last week with severe mange.  Luckily, she is responding to medication, although it can be very difficult to treat sometimes.  Mange is also zoonotic (meaning humans can contract the mite and develop rashes) so we are adhering to strict sanitation and biosecurity measures.  Hopefully this fox will continue to recover and we’ll be able to release her!

This entry was posted on Monday, August 23rd, 2010 at 5:18 pm and is filed under Medical News, Vet Renee's Posts. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.