[QUOTE=Gil’s Girl;5869171]
I’m trying to get the exact dosage and treatment plan for Ivermectin, if that’s the correct way to go - I’ve read that it should be fed 3 x wk for 3 wks, then tapered off - has anyone does this - has it helped? Any tips/tricks/advice?
These animals bring us so much joy in our property, which we’ve tried to make a little oasis to birdlife and wildlife in a very over-farmed, over regulated area. I would LOVE any input on this, I know a lot of people on this board must have foxes on their farms, and hopefully they’re as knowledgeable about this as everything else
Thanks! I feel awful for him![/QUOTE]
Found on the internet (see below). Please note: you should be VERY careful to make sure the fox is the one that eats the food, not a domestic animal. I’d offer real, fresh meat - not the canned stuff, and nothing cooked. Fresh and at body temp is the natural food of a wild carnivore. If you can slip the food in front of the fox without it seeing you, all the better. If you can catch it in a Have-a-Heart trap, so that you can ensure its care, that would be best until it is ready to be released.
Good luck! I hope you can help the little critter.
[I]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. 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 syringe to draw it out though. Don’t use the pastes for horses or the pour-on for livestock!
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 [/I]
