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1 April 2003 Morbidity and Mortality of Red Foxes (Vulpes vulpes) and Gray Foxes (Urocyon cinereoargenteus) Admitted to the Wildlife Center of Virginia, 1993–2001
Terra R. Kelly, Jonathan M. Sleeman
Author Affiliations +
Abstract

The medical records of 48 red foxes (Vulpes vulpes) and 35 gray foxes (Urocyon cinereoargenteus) examined at the Wildlife Center of Virginia (Waynesboro, Virginia, USA) from 1993 to 2001 were reviewed. The most common diagnosis in red foxes was orphaned (33%), followed by trauma (27%), undetermined diagnosis (23%), and sarcoptic mange (17%). Trauma (46%) was the most frequent cause of morbidity and mortality in gray foxes followed by orphaned (23%), undetermined (20%), toxoplasmosis (6%), presumptive canine distemper (3%), and rabies (3%). One gray fox had concurrent toxoplasmosis and presumptive canine distemper (3%). Similar diseases were detected in previous studies at a diagnostic laboratory; however in this study, trauma and orphaned animals were more common than infectious diseases. The lack of diagnostic information on some cases limited the usefulness of this study, and more emphasis should be placed on performing postmortem examinations of wildlife presented to wildlife rehabilitation centers.

Terra R. Kelly and Jonathan M. Sleeman "Morbidity and Mortality of Red Foxes (Vulpes vulpes) and Gray Foxes (Urocyon cinereoargenteus) Admitted to the Wildlife Center of Virginia, 1993–2001," Journal of Wildlife Diseases 39(2), 467-469, (1 April 2003). https://doi.org/10.7589/0090-3558-39.2.467
Received: 17 February 2001; Published: 1 April 2003
KEYWORDS
gray fox
morbidity
mortality
red fox
Urocyon cinereoargenteus
Virginia
Vulpes vulpes
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