Mary Cummins Wildlife Rehabilitation Animal Advocates News Los Angeles California: fox

Showing posts with label fox. Show all posts

Monday, June 19, 2017

Fox puppies offered for sale on Craigslist are now in a sanctuary thanks to Fish & Wildlife! - Mary Cummins, Animal Advocates

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We generally skim the animals for sale on Craigslist checking for illegal exotic and wildlife sales. If you want to own an exotic animal or wildlife, you need special permits from Fish & Wildlife. They can only be used for educational purposes. You need at least two years of experience handling the animals under someone else's permits first. You then have to go through a long and expensive process to get your exhibiting permits. Because this is all a huge hassle and the desire to own a unique animal is high, people buy them on the black Craigslist market without permits.

Back in May 2017 I saw fox pups offered for sale on craigslist. Above is the ad. I reported it to the appropriate warden then I flagged the ad and it was removed. Two days later and the seller reposted the ad. Two women forward the ad to me. I forwarded that to the warden. These two animal loving people wanted to stop the sale and get the fox puppies to a sanctuary. Among all of us, I won't say how, we managed to drag the selling process out long enough for the warden to take the puppy/puppies from the illegal vendor. The vendor is a young guy living here in Los Angeles. We were able to track him down through identifying markers he left in communications.

The warden went on vacation so I hadn't heard what happened to the fox pups. Earlier today a volunteer with The Nature of Wildworks posted pics of herself holding the puppy on Facebook. One fox pup now named Michael J Fox aka Mikey is now at Molly Hogan's The Nature of Wildworks. I'm so happy the fox pup ended up in good hands. As for the vendor I don't know what actions Fish & Wildlife took against him. There are still penalties for selling wildlife or exotics without proper permits. Below are some pics of the fox pups the vendor sent to us.

Article continues below.

Below is a pic of the fox today. He's a little bigger.

This pet fox craze was started by a March 2011 National Geographic magazine article titled. "Designing the Perfect Pet." It was about research done by Russian scientists to find out how we domesticated wolves. They experimented on foxes. They would test the foxes for tameness. They would only breed the tamest of the foxes. The wild foxes were sold to fox fur farms. This continued for a few generations. Ultimately the foxes were as tame as dogs. They could be a house pet. They also noticed changes in the fox. Their ears drooped a little. They had different coloring.

More great follow up news! This is from The Nature of Wildworks email.

“Meet Mikey ( short for Michael J ! ), our new 9-week-old red fox pup.

The Nature of Wildworks, fox

Excuse me. Did you say Red Fox? He doesn't look red, does he? And he's not going to turn red later. Red foxes come in different colors like red, brown, black, and silver but they all have one thing in common-- a white tip on the end of their tail. Well, maybe more than one thing. As puppies, or "kits" as they are also called, they are about as cute as it gets and as adults they're absolutely beautiful.

The Nature of Wildworks, fox

And apparently a fox is a fox is a fox. When red foxes first meet, even though they weren't raised together and have never seen each other before, they literally almost die of excitement overload, fluffy white-tipped tails wagging in a blur and making their fox happiness noise, which I can't even pretend to describe. This is exactly what happened when Mikey fox met Fire fox.

The Nature of Wildworks, fox

Fire is our sweet adult female red fox and she loves everyone. Every person, every animal. I always say she has no appropriate relationships because when walked on a leash she rolls over on her back wagging her tail and whining in front of the mountain lion cage. "Come play with me, Pirate." Not a good idea, Fire. Fire loves Australian Shepherds and was raised by our Aussie dog Hopi. When Hopi passed away Fire moved on to love again with Aussie dog, Star, as her new playmate.

How did we get Mikey? Where did he come from? The foxes were in Sacramento but we met halfway in Bakersfield and there I got the whole crazy backstory. The following is from the Animal Advocates Blog, (Mary Cummings, who initially reported the ad. mmmaryinla@aol.com)

"We generally skim the animals for sale on Craigslist checking for illegal exotic and wildlife sales. If you want to own an exotic animal or wildlife, you need special permits from Fish & Wildlife. They can only be used for educational purposes. You need at least two years of experience handling the animals under someone else's permits first. You then have to go through a long and expensive process to get your exhibiting permits. Because this is all a huge hassle and the desire to own a unique animal is high, people buy them on the black Craigslist market without permits.

Back in May 2017 I saw fox pups offered for sale on craigslist. Above is the ad. I reported it to the appropriate warden then I flagged the ad and it was removed. Two days later and the seller re-posted the ad. Two women forward the ad to me. I forwarded that to the warden. These two animal loving people wanted to stop the sale and get the fox puppies to a sanctuary. Among all of us, I won't say how, we managed to drag the selling process out long enough for the warden to take the puppy/puppies from the illegal vendor. The vendor is a young guy living here in Los Angeles. We were able to track him down through identifying markers he left in communications.

The warden went on vacation so I hadn't heard what happened to the fox pups. Earlier today a volunteer with The Nature of Wildworks posted pics of herself holding the puppy on Facebook. One fox pup now named Michael J Fox aka Mikey is now at Molly Hogan's The Nature of Wildworks. I'm so happy the fox pup ended up in good hands. As for the vendor I don't know what actions Fish & Wildlife took against him. There are still penalties for selling wildlife or exotics without proper permits."

Well, it was a normal day at the wildlife center for me. Just minding my own business answering one rescue call after another, usually regarding an orphaned or injured squirrel or opossum, when a call from Fish and Wildlife came in. "We have a litter of foxes. Can you take one?" Yes! One of them was particularly friendly and I said, "Then he's the one for us. He'll be a perfect education animal for our outreach programs."

Mikey slept in his carrier the entire way home and who could blame him. But nothing like a red fox mom substitute to make you sit up in bed. Upon first sighting the tail wagging and whining began and hasn't stopped since. The first day it was pretty cute because Fire has a swing which is her favorite spot in the enclosure. In her old age she now spends much of the day napping and relaxing on her personal hammock and Mikey , uncoordinated puppy that he is, couldn't quite figure out how to get up there with her. It was making him crazy. But on the second day he had devised a plan and could walk from the shelf along the midline metal bar of the enclosure and then "jump". Fire growls a little at this invasion of her private island but she's an understanding mom and Mikey has now won his place at the top.

I was right, by the way, when I guessed he would be good at outreach. His first program was last Saturday at the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles where he wowed everyone posing (and napping on stage) as a modern day dire wolf. We're happy in every way to have him with us. Right now...and for a lifetime.

If you'd like to meet Mikey up close and personal you can enjoy a private tour of the wildlife center, sign up for our on-site class "Clicker training with a fox" or schedule your own personal outreach educational program.

To sponsor Mikey please visit: Sponsor Mikey!

To learn more visit www.natureofwildworks.org

(Photo credits to Terry Matkins and Lorie Zerweck)”

Mary Cummins of Animal Advocates is a wildlife rehabilitator licensed by the California Department of Fish and Game and the USDA. Mary Cummins is also a licensed real estate appraiser in Los Angeles, California.

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Mary Cummins

Mary Cummins of Cummins Real Estate Services has been in real estate since 1983, over 35 years. She is licensed by the Bureau of Real Estate Appraisers. Mary Cummins was an agent and broker licensed with the California Department of Real Estate selling residential income, commercial buildings, raw land and homes for Merrill Lynch Realty in Beverly Hills and Westside Properties in Los Angeles before concentrating on appraisals. Mary Cummins currently provides real estate appraisals, expert witness testimony, historical research, legal real estate research for mortgage brokers, banks, lawyers, factors, insurance companies, financial consultants and private individuals. Mary Cummins was born and raised in Southern California. Cummins attended Beverly Hills Good Shepherd Catholic School and Beverly Hills High School. Besides being on the Dean's list, Mary Cummins was a top ten national swimmer and competed on the men's water polo team. Mary Cummins began college at the age of 15 attending the University of Southern California on scholarship, majoring in Psychology/Sociology. http://www.animaladvocates.us http://www.facebook.com/AnimalAdvocatesUSA

Sunday, July 24, 2016

Coyotes, foxes, bobcats with mange, missing fur, mites in California - How to treat, care, diagnose - Mary Cummins Animal Advocates

Coyotes, foxes, bobcats with mange in California

animal advocates, mary cummins, mange, coyote, fox, los angeles, california, how to treat

Here in Southern California Animal Advocates gets a few calls a day about foxes, coyotes and bobcats with mange. They will be missing fur and scratching themselves. We even get calls about raccoons, skunks, opossums and squirrels with mange

There are two types of mange i.e., demodectic and sarcoptic. Demodectic mange is caused by a compromised immune system from eating poisoned animals. The demodex sp mite is always present in the animal. The mites get out of control if the immune system is compromised from eating animals that have eaten anti-coagulant rodenticide used to kill mice, rats, gophers and ground squirrels. This also causes sores and injuries to not heal like this coyote below.

animal advocates, mary cummins, mange, coyote, fox, los angeles, california, how to trea

The treatment for demodectic mange is supportive care and Ivermectin. Extreme cases may need dips, baths and antibiotics. Generally wildlife with demodectic mange are still ambulatory and can't be caught easily. The mange should resolve over time if they stop eating poisoned animals. We generally can't catch them for treatment unless they have an injury and are down. The best way a member of the public can help animals with demodectic mange is to not poison mice, rats, gophers or ground squirrels. Even if we could trap them, treat them they will get mites again if they continue to eat the poisoned animals.

Here is a good infographic about anticoagulant bait and mange in wildlife.

Below is a bald coyote with mange and an injured foot walking around Griffith Park. He sits next to the poison bait stations waiting to get a gopher or ground squirrel as it emerges from the bait station. He eats leftover food from the park visitors who use the BBQs.

The other type of mange is sarcoptic. The skin is infected with the microscopic parasitic mite sarcoptes scabei. It causes extreme itchiness, redness, skin scales and infection. It is contagious. This type of mange is treated with baths, dips, drugs and supportive care. It's possible to treat mild cases with three rounds of Revolution. First to kill live mites, second to kill mites that hatch after the first dos and one more just to be safe.

Sarcoptic mange, Mary Cummins, Animal Advocates, dog, coyote, fox, bobcat, wildlife, mites, ivermectin

coyote, bobcat, fox, dog mange mites sarcoptic demodectic treatment ivermectin drug medication

We get a lot of calls for bald, emaciated coyotes. Adult coyotes weigh 30-35 pounds. They naturally appear thin because they have long legs. When they lose their fur they look even thinner. If you can see ribs, spine, they are too thin. Native grey foxes weigh eight to 15 lbs. Non-native red foxes weigh five to 30 lbs.

If the animal with mange is ambulatory, they will be almost impossible to catch to treat. We can't get them in Hav-a-Hart box traps. Only humane snares work but now all snares are illegal in Los Angeles. While we can rodeo lasso, know how to use nets, but coyotes are too fast and quick.

Again, the best thing someone can do is not poison animals. Cities and counties still poison animals especially in areas such as Griffith Park. Griffith Park is regulated by the park system. The only thing one can do in this situation is to petition to stop the poisoning in the park.

We are not a veterinarian. This is just FYI. Contact your veterinarian for veterinary advice. We don't want you to treat wildlife. We advise against it but we know people will still do it no matter what anyone says.

Ivermectin comes in oral, topical and injectable. The easiest way to treat wildlife with mange in the wild is with Ivermectin oral. Ivermectin is prescription medication for dogs. One can legally use horse ivermectin off label for certain animals. It is over the counter for farm animals such as horses, cows, swine. You can find a tube of Ivermectin paste 1.87% at the Red Barn or any farm or feed store, Drs Fosters & Smith for $2-10. This is a paste form for a horse up to 1,250 lbs. Read the package. Every brand is different.

http://redbarn1.com/catalog/product/91211/iverchoice-ivermectin-paste-1.87-equine-wormer#.V5UoDPkrLIU

http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod_display.cfm?pcatid=16121&cmpid=06cseYY&gclid=CKK_-aX9jM4CFU9gfgodxHsJ2g

We are not veterinarians. We do not give veterinary advice. We are not telling anyone to do this. We give dog dosage for coyote, fox, dogs. Certain breeds of dogs such as Collies, Collie mixes, are hypersensitive. Do not give this to sensitive breeds. Pitbullls, labradors, german shepherds are fine with this medication. Those are generally the dogs we find feral roaming the streets as strays. This is only for animals you can't catch and get to the vet.

"Dosage using Ivermectin Paste 1.87% for treatment of demodectic mange in dogs:

30-40 lbs 1 weight marking CUT IN HALF
84 pounds and above: 1 weight marking
Calculations: Dosage is 300 to 600 mcg/kg of body weight. Each tube of ivermectin 1.87% contains 113.7 mg (113,700 mcg) of ivermectin; each weight marking on the syringe delivers 22,740 mcg ivermectin, enough to treat dogs weighing 38 to 76 kg (84 to 176 pounds)." The dosage to treat mange with Ivermectin is higher than the dosage to treat heartworms and other parasites.

One doesn't want to give too much. It will make the animal sluggish for a couple of days. If you give way too much, i.e. 4x normal dose, you could make them very ill and kill them. If more than one person is giving Ivermectin, it's very easy to kill the animal with an overdose. This information is only here because people will give Ivermectin even if we tell them not to do so. This articles mentions the correct dosage and warns about the danger of over dosing.

One can measure with oral syringes. The medication is very bitter. They fortunately now sell an apple flavored version. Still, one can put it inside a cooked meatball mixed with bacon. Coyotes, foxes are very attracted to the smell. This will guarantee that they eat it instantly. One can inject the paste into the middle of the meatball after the meatball is cooked and cooled to room temperature. One should never support feeding wildlife. Medicating wildlife is a different situation. Only wildlife rehabilitators and veterinarians can treat wildlife. It's a felony to harass, harm or kill wildlife.

Bi-State Wildlife also offers help with coyotes with mange.Here is their information.

https://www.ahnow.org/resources/BiStateMangeMailer.pdf

Another friend Bettina is using Bravecto to treat mange in coyotes. This is safer than Ivermectin. They use Bravecto for dogs and dose at 22-44 lbs.

Mary Cummins of Animal Advocates is a wildlife rehabilitator licensed by the California Department of Fish and Game and the USDA. Mary Cummins is also a licensed real estate appraiser in Los Angeles, California.

Mary Cummins

Mary Cummins Animal Advocates Los Angeles California Wildlife Rehabilitation Real Estate

Monday, June 19, 2017

Sunday, July 24, 2016

Coyotes, foxes, bobcats with mange in California