Wild fox survives with help of Stephenville veterinarian

CANADA -- At death’s door 12 days ago, Dr. Jessica Boyd, a veterinarian who operates out of West Coast Veterinarian Services in Stephenville, discovered the young adult male fox in a shelter where she keeps her horses in the community of Noel’s Pond.

“I was surprised when he came over to me instead of running away,” she said of the fox and their first meeting.

The animal was slumped over and seemed weak, so she used a blanket to pick him up, fearing that her horse may have kicked him instinctively to protect itself. It was the first fox she had ever handled and going under the assumption he was injured, she moved with caution.

Being a veterinarian it was easy for her to take Felix to her clinic. The first thing she did was carry out a normal physical exam and quickly learned that he was undernourished and, in her opinion, starving to death.

She started giving him fluids to rehydrate him and has been feeding him a dog recovery formula used for critically ill dogs and cats, which also proved to be an appropriate diet for a starving fox.

Boyd said when she first brought him to the clinic he weighed 7.85 pounds and when he was weighed on Sunday, he was up to  9.06 pounds, a 15 per cent bodyweight increase in 10 days.

She said he’s doing well and she is very happy with his progress.

Boyd said there is no plan to release him into the wild in this area because with his low body weight and less than ideal fat reserves; in her opinion he wouldn’t make it without having a place to hunt easily.

“I don’t think he would survive,” she said. “Another issue is that where he’s so tame, he’s at risk of getting himself into trouble.”

The veterinarian clinic is not really set up to keep him long term, so Boyd contacted the Salmonier Nature Park on the Avalon Peninsula, who agreed to take Felix.

He is currently awaiting transportation to the nature park in the next couple of days, weather permitting.

Boyd said the park will decide whether he will be rehabilitated and released back into the wild or kept as a permanent resident.

“I hope it ends up that they keep him in the park,” Boyd said.

(The Western Star - January 27, 2015)