Caring for Baby Foxes, Bobcats & Coyotes by Cheryl Millham, Exec. Dir., Lake Tahoe Wildlife Care, Inc. If you plan to receive and rehab any foxes, bobcats and/or coyotes, here is a list of supplies I would suggest that you have ready. 1. Cages: Various sizes of cages, plastic airline kennels is what we use here at LTWC. 2. Bedding: Whelping cloth (what we use), cotton or flannel. Do NOT use wood shavings or towels. 3. Heat source: For the very young, use a heating pad. 4. Handling equipment: Leather gloves for the young. For the older babies, use heavier gloves. If you already are a rehab center, you should have on hand: 1. Rehydrating solutions such as Lactated Ringers. 2. Antiseptic Cleanser (for cleaning and disinfecting wounds). If you have a wound, a vet will have to look at, go ahead and debride the wound. But - - - DO NOT - - - put any medications on it. The veterinarian will just have to remove it. You can put KY Jelly on it to keep it clean. 3. Kitten flea and lice powder. 4. Antidiarrheal medication such as Pet Pectillin. 5. A weight scale. The Animals As soon as they arrive, check for any emergence of life threatening problems such as bleeding, breathing and wounds. Take care of that immediately. Once the baby is stable and in the proper cage, secured and warming up, then you can consider a feeding program.
But, before a feeding program can start, you must determine the hydration condition. There are two simple ways: 1. Pull up the skin at the scruff of the neck, then release! Watch to see if it falls back immediately to a normal position, OR, if there is a lag time. A delay of 2 to 3 seconds indicates mild to moderate dehydration. Five or more seconds indicates severe dehydration. 2. Capillary refill time. Looking at the upper gum, press your finger on the gum. The pressure restricts circulation momentarily and causes the gum to turn a light pink to white in color. In a hydrated animal, the gum color returns immediately to pink. As hydration levels decrease, the gum color has increasing delay in returning to normal color. A 2 to 3 second delay is equivalent to 7 8% in dehydration level. Subcutaneous fluids should be given to the animals that are moderately dehydrated prior to giving them anything by mouth. Remember - - All three of these species need to be stimulated to urinate and defecate until their eyes are open, or until you see wet bedding and fresh stool. As soon as you get a stool sample, get it sent into the vet s office for testing. Be certain that the test is for EVERYTHING - - - and NOT just internal parasites. The first bottle feeding is a very diluted version (to clean out any mother s milk in the stomach) for at least 2 feedings. Example: 2/3 water, 1/3 formula. Then slowly decrease the water for six feedings - until the animal is on full formula. If diarrhea starts, go back to ½ water and ½ formula. Also, give Pet Pectillin. When diarrhea stops, slowly start increasing formula until back on full formula. This could take a few days! LTWC uses Esbilac for all three (3) of these species. 1 part Esbilac, 2 parts water. The next question is How much should I feed them? The stomach capacity of most mammals is 5% 6% of the total body weight.
Pet Ag 4 oz. Baby Nursing Bottle (left) and Pet Pectillin for Diarrhea (right). Both will come in handy when working with Foxes, Bobcats and Coyotes. Food Intake/Feeding Offer 5% of the Body Weight (BW) PER FEEDING! Offer NO MORE than 25% of the BW/Day! Example: An animal comes in weighing 100 grams, which is about 3 ½ ounces. For EACH FEEDING - - - offer the animal 5cc s of formula. For EACH DAY - - - offer NO MORE than 25cc s of formula! Same example: An animal comes in weighing 1,000 grams, which is about 2.2 lbs. For EACH FEEDING - - - offer the animal 50cc s of formula. For EACH DAY - - - offer NO MORE than 250cc s of formula! It is always best to give a little less than over feed!
I think one of the hardest things to get the baby to nurse is getting the nipple that THEY like (NOT the nipple that YOU think they should use)! Nipples can be accepted or rejected for no apparent reason. We start with the human preemie nipple on a 4 oz. Pet Ag bottle. Next is the BIG question! HOW OFTEN??? Neonates birth to two (2) weeks. Five (5) feedings per day, plus one-night feeding. Divide the total amount into 6 feedings. Two (2) weeks to six (6) weeks. Drop the night feeding and feed four (4) times per day. Example: 7am, 11am, 3pm & 7pm. Seven (7) weeks to twelve (12) weeks! Start weaning at seven (7) weeks. Example: Formula at 8am, Mush Mouse at 2pm and formula at 9pm. By the time they are 12 weeks old, they should be weaned. BUT - - - - not ALL babies are the same!! Pay attention to how the baby acts. THEY will tell YOU when it is time to drop the milk formula. Add chopped mice with the Mush Mouse. Stool consistency is very informative in infants. A BLACK solid stool indicates the stomach is empty.
A Dark Yellow stool is normal for babies ingesting milk formula. A Light Yellow or White stool could indicate severe diarrhea. Take the animal OFF food and go to electrolytes. Mush Mouse Instructions Take a mouse. Cut off all four legs and the tail. Cut between the two back legs then skin the mouse. Throw away the skin, legs and the tail. Put the body in a freezer bag and, with a hammer, crush all bones (head, teeth, back, etc.). Take it out of the bag and cut it into bite size pieces (with scissors, a cleaver, etc.). References: Marcum, D. Mammal Rehabilitation: The Basics, 1982 Fowler, M, Care of Orphaned Wild Animals Veterinary Clinics of North America: Small Animal Practices, 1979 9(3): 448-471
Gray Fox by Cheryl Millham, Exec. Dir., Lake Tahoe Wildlife Care, Inc. The Gray Fox is monogamous and they mate in early spring. Their gestation period is 53 to 60 days with a litter size ranging from one (1) to ten (10), with four (4) being the average litter. Birth weight for a Gray Fox will range between 86 and 100 grams (approximately 3 4 ounces). They have short, dark fur and their eyes are closed with their ears down. Their eyes will open between 10 and 12 days of age. Kits start moving around when their eyes open. At three (3) weeks, they are very active. At five (5) to six (6) weeks kits are emerging from the den and should weigh between 500 and 600 grams (one pound is 454 grams). Kits are weaned between seven (7) and nine (9) weeks of age. Kits start hunting with parent at three (3) months of age and by four (4) months, they are able to forage on their own. Before you can consider releasing the fox into the wild, they need to show they have the ability to hunt and catch and kill live prey.
Diet Foxes not only eat meat (mice, rats, rabbits, voles and birds), but they are fruit eaters also. Begin introducing Stone fruit (peaches, nectarines, pears and apricots) and apples. They will climb fruit trees with great ease to get these treats! Housing Since foxes are climbers, it is necessary to have different platforms for them to climb to as they develop their motor skills. The den should be small (they do not seem to like dog igloos due to too much open space above their head) or dog houses. LTWC took the bottom portion of a size 150 plastic airline pet carrier, turned it upside down, then screwed the side flanges to a wooden platform (using the screw holes already drilled in the cage), allowing the foxes to go in and come out of the area where the cage door would be positioned. All five of the foxes we had slept in that set up every night! Also in the cage, put in some log stumps of different heights and logs for them to run along and climb, helping with balance. Photo of Gray Fox outside ½ plastic Airline Pet Carrier (upside down).
The Play Area of LTWC s Bear Cage, where five Gray Foxes were raised during the 2016 year (16 d x 12 w x 14 h). Deworming Deworm - - - only if foxes need it. It is safe, but, DO NOT vaccinate for: Feline Panleukopenia Canine Distemper ParvoVirus Gray Foxes were in a study and ALL thirty (30) of the foxes that were vaccinated with a modified live virus canine distemper, vaccine of avian and Canine Cell origin to determine the efficacy of such vaccines in Gray Foxes. ALL thirty (30) died within seventeen (17) days! The five (5) control foxes that received no vaccine - - - - remained healthy! Release
At around five (5) months of age, the Gray Fox kits are ready for release. LTWC releases their foxes near the end of August or by mid-september to allow them time to acclimate themselves to their new surroundings before winter. Release sites should have good cover with rocks, down trees, a water source and necessary food. References: Evans, R. H., 1985 Rearing Orphaned Wildlife Miller, E. A. 2012 Minimum Standards for Wildlife Rehabilitation Henke, S. Effects of Modified Live Virus Canine Distemper Vaccines in Gray Fox Journal of Wildlife Rehabilitation, Spring 1997, Vol. 20, No. 2 Grant, K. Hand-Rearing Gray Fox Wildlife Rehabilitation Bulletin, Fall 2011, Volume 29, #2
Bobcats by Cheryl Millham, Exec. Dir., Lake Tahoe Wildlife Care, Inc. Estrus (when a female is in heat) occurs in female bobcats once or twice a year, with the peak in January-February. A second estrus may occur in August thru September, especially for first year females that did not conceive earlier in the year, or females who lost their first litter. Females are fertile for less than a week during estrus periods. A bobcat is a lightly spotted cat, spots being darkest on younger cats, fading with age. The coat may be red-brown shading through yellow-buff to champagne. The belly and inside of the legs are white or light buff color. The ears are slightly tufted with black hairs and the back of the ears are rimmed in black around distinct white spots. The short, bobbed tail, usually has 5 or 6 incomplete black rings near the tip. The underside of the tip of the tail is white. Chin whiskers, or a facial ruff, is present on both males and females. Litters of two (2) to seven (7) (with an average of 3), are born after 60 63 days of gestation. Kittens are born well-furred and spotted with tightly sealed eyes and ears. Kittens are 6 8 inches in body length at birth and can weigh 6 10 ounces. Diet The female takes sole responsibility for rearing the young. The formula we use at LTWC to raise the babies is Esbilac, 1-part powder to 2 parts water. Use the preemie nipple and the 4-ounce Pet Ag bottle. (Refer to the paper on Caring for Foxes, Bobcats & Coyotes). Always position young babies on their stomachs when feeding. This is a natural position for them. Do NOT feed them when they are on their backs! Kittens eyes open at 8 10 days and they are fully mobile by two (2) weeks of age! Weaning is complete at 6 weeks of age and they start hunting with the mom at around 3 months of age. They all stay together until fall, at which point the babies should be 6 9 months of age.
Be sure to wear light cotton gloves when bottle feeding young kittens. The young cannot retract their claws and will surely shred your hands! Once the kittens are weaned, they can be moved outdoors. Housing The minimum standard cage requirements for bobcats are shown in the chart below. Disclaimer: The Guidelines above are MINIMUM! As an example, the indoor cage LTWC uses for bobcats is 18 x 12 x 13 (h), minus a 3 x 3 entry area. When we do get in bobcats, it is normally one, two or three. However, several years ago, we did have seven and there was enough room for all of them to get along, have their own space and eat in isolation. The cage should have a secure top with a double (security) door system to prevent escapes. When you start adding furnishings, do not have them leaning on the sides! That just gives the bobcat a running start to try and climb or jump out! There should be logs, stumps and rocks, in addition to a small house. And, if you can, add in platforms of various heights. The den area should be small and, if possible, give them two options, so they can choose which one they like best. Since bobcats urinate and defecate in water, you should have two (2) large cat litter pans in the cage. The bobcat(s) will decide
which one is their potty pan. Always keep that one full to the top, as they stand on the rim to urinate and you don t want it to turn over as they are doing their business! Bobcats can practice their play maneuvers with knotted ropes suspended from the top of the cage. At LTWC, we have a car tire hanging from the top of the cage and, from a rope, a whole bunch of feathers for them to bat at. The cage has two ramps. One to get from the floor up to the first platform (6 high) and the second to get to the upper platform (9 high). At the top platform, there is a window for them to look out over the outside compound. The platforms are about three feet wide, made of 4 to 6 logs bolted together. The outside coyote pen we have has been used for bobcats as well - - - IF we don t have any coyotes. The size of that cage is 30 long by 15 wide with a 4 x 6 entryway (security area). The pen needs to be decorated differently for bobcats than it is for coyotes. (Photo) Release Prior to release, the bobcats should be able to show that they are able to hunt AND kill prey efficiently. Release can begin at 4 months of age for bobcats that demonstrate the necessary skills for survival. At four (4) month, they should weigh between six (6) and eight (8) pounds (2.5kg). We do not vaccinate our bobcats because the Killed Virus Vaccine is not available anymore and the Modified Live Cat Vaccine killed one of our bobcats many years ago. Of the three bobcats we had that year, the other two received total supportive care and they both survived and were released. My personal recommendation is to NOT vaccinate bobcats! Bobcats carry the usual load of internal and external parasites: ascarids, tapeworms, whipworms, hookworms, mange mites, ear mites, fleas and ticks. Fecal samples from all animals should be checked upon intake and appropriate
measures taken to eliminate existing internal parasites. Your veterinarian should be the one to tell you what drugs to use. Ivermectin can be used for treating ear mites as well as internal and external parasites. A dosage of 0.1cc/10 pounds body weight of 1% Bovine injectable Ivermectin may be used. Coccidiosis caused by protozoan parasites of the genus Eimeria is a common problem in bobcats. Again - - your vet should be the one to prescribe your medications. References: Fowler, M, 1986a, Carnivora. In Zoo and Wild Animal Medicine, 2nd edition. Hanes, P. C. 1992, Raising Hell, Raising Bobcats. Proceedings of the IWRC Conference, Under our Wings White, J. 1992, Basic Wildlife Rehabilitation, 1AB Miller, E., 2012, 4 th edition, Minimum Standards for Wildlife Rehabilitation
Coyotes by Cheryl Millham, Exec. Dir., Lake Tahoe Wildlife Care, Inc. The coyote is known by the Navajo and other American Indians of the southwest as God s Dog or Talking Dog. A family unit or pack consists of three (3) to eight (8) animals with the average of six (6). The pack is led by the Alpha male and female who control and maintain the territory. They are the ONLY ones in the pack that breed! Under the Alpha pair are the Subordinates, Beta and Omega. They are generally born into the family in previous years and remain for a year or two. The Beta s and Omega s help defend the territories and help feed the pups as well as the nursing mother. The females in the family don t breed or even ovulate unless something happens to the Alpha female. Then - - - ALL the females breed! When a young coyote is brought into your center, the first thing to do is to check its teeth. If they have all their teeth, they are eating! If you know where the den is - - - go put it back! At LTWC, we make it a point of recording every call of an active coyote den site. When people bring in a pup, we find out exactly where they picked it up (pups are very dumb and allow people to pick them up very easily) and take it back to the den. Breeding The Alpha female is only in estrus for one week! Breeding takes place in February and the pups are generally born in April and May. Gestation for coyotes is 58 to 63 days. An average litter size is four (4) to six (6) pups. Usually, only two (2) survive to reach adulthood. Coyote pups open their eyes at ten (10 to fourteen (14) days. Tooth eruption is a useful reference for determining the age of pups. The first incisors appear at twelve (12) days. The first Canines appear at sixteen (16) days and the second Premolars appear at 21 days. Diet Coyote pups require milk until they are at least four (4) to six (6) weeks old.
Mush mouse in introduced at least at four (4) weeks of age in place of one (1) formula feeding. If that is tolerated, at six (6) weeks of age, start introducing chopped mice and rabbits. Also, fresh road kill squirrels. Housing To prevent imprinting, coyotes must not be raised alone. Every effort should be taken to locate other orphaned coyotes with which to raise them. The pups should be housed outside by at least six (6) weeks to eight (8) weeks of age, IF weather permits. As soon as you get a stool sample, have your vet test it for tapeworms. Coyotes can get two species of worms: echinococcus granutosis and echinococcus multilocutans. Due to the zoonotic potential and serious health effects of tapeworm, great care must be taken when handling coyote feces. Coyotes are also susceptible to sarcoplic mange. Signs are; hair loss (which can lead to open sores), fungal infections, bacterial infections, dehydration and starvation. Coyote mange may pose a health risk to other species including domestic dogs and humans. The minimum standard cage requirements for bobcats are shown in the chart below. LTWC s Coyote Pen is 15 wide x 30 long. The 10 high center posts have a snow saucer on top to keep a net raised during summer months.
Release Pups can be released at six (6) to nine (9) months of age, depending on climate and food availability. Coyotes are classed as Carnivores, but are omnivorous and are excellent opportunists. Their scat has been analyzed for years and has shown that at certain times of the year berries and insects constitute a huge portion of their diet. They also eat vegetables and fruit! However, the coyote diet is mostly small mice. Other prey species include: Ground Squirrels, Muskrats, fawns, rabbits, frogs, birds and just about anything they can catch. Analysis of stomach contents in feces in urban coyotes revealed small rodents as the principle food augmented by rabbits, waterfown, cats, small dogs, human food and, of course, human garbage! Outdoor caging is very specific for coyotes because they are great diggers and jumpers! Which makes them great Escape artists! LTWC has an outside cage with a dirt floor and the majority of the coyotes dig a den to suit themselves. Four (4) foot wide Hardware Cloth is used around the perimeter of the cage to keep the coyotes from digging out. What you see in this picture is about 12 inches of the Hardware Cloth above ground. The other three feet (kind of like an iceberg) is below ground. Vocalization The coyote is one of the few wild animals whose vocalizations are commonly heard. Understanding some of the coyote sounds is fun! Howling Communication with others in the area. Also, an announcement that I am here and this is my area. Other males are invited to stay away, but, females are welcome to follow the sound of my voice. Please answer and let me know where you are so we don t have any unwanted conflicts. Yelping A celebration or criticism within a small group of coyotes. Often heard during play among pups or young animals.
Bark The scientific name for coyotes means Barking dog, Canis latrans. The bark is thought to be a threat display when a coyote is protecting a den or a kill. Huffing Is usually used for calling pups without making a great deal of noise. Coyotes can be released in the fall of the year as long as there is good ground cover, food & water and away from people and houses! References: Millham, C, 2013, Facts and Myths about Coyotes Fox, C, 2005, Coyotes in our Midst www.desertusa.com/june96/du_cycot