Debilitated Red Fox Heals From Injuries And Infection

The following story about a red fox was submitted by Alberta Institute For Wildlife Conservation in Alberta, Canada.

This red fox was admitted to the Alberta Institute for Wildlife Conservation (AIWC) on August 27, 2022, in a severely incapacitated state. He weighed only 4.3 kilograms (about 9.5 pounds). The fox was found lying in a field with a large wound on his left side.

Upon further examination several more wounds were found, including damage to the fox’s genitals. He was very debilitated. The wounds were severely infected and the patient was extremely dehydrated and emaciated. He was immediately started on antibiotics, pain relief, and IV fluids.

As he was emaciated, he could not be started on solid foods initially as it would shock his system (refeeding syndrome). Instead, he was syringed EmerAid IC Carnivore four times per day for the first couple days. After that, he started on clean meat (quail breast), then mice.

The wounds required aggressive treatment, with daily bandage changes for nearly a month. The damage to his genitals required urogenital surgery and has taken nearly three months to return to normal function. The red fox is overwintering at AIWC while his coat grows back. He is due to be released in spring once the weather warms and the ground thaws.