Injured foxes.

[lizzydrippin]

Im not sure I should be asking this question because Im going to have to cope with answers I dont want to hear. Im kinda hoping that maybe one answer at least will make me feel better.
I like to watch foxes late at night and I normally go to a woods nearby and put down a little food. (not enough for them to become dependent on and I never encourage them to get used to me in anyway, I put the food down and then stay out of sight. I know it wouldnt be wise to lead them to think that they can trust humans). There's 4 regular ones that I see often 3 males and one female. Anyway, I saw tonight that the female has broken one of her back legs. It was just hanging stiffly. I know there is little chance of anything being able to be done to help her. The RSPCA will only help if the fox can be caught and contained first and thats not really an option. She seems to be managing to get around still but will she be in awful pain? and what are her chances of surviving?

[Athley]

Hi lizzy

If you key fox rescue into google there are a lot of different centres coming up depending on where you live. It may be a different avenue for you to follow. Unfortunately, the RSPCA don't tend to follow up too well on wildlife.

I'm sorry I don't know about th medical side but contact one of the specialist fox rescue sites even if they are not near you I am sure they will offer you good advice.


Good luck with the lovely animals.

[Noweia]

Sometimes the leg can heal itself and the fox goes on to fight another car!

It probably will be quite painful for her but if she is still managing to move on it then she might be able to survive - if she gets enough to eat.

I work in an animal post mortem room sometimes and we have gotten many foxes with healed fractures that have gone on to live for many years.

[Thunderbird+]

It may be an old fracture thats just set badly and it's chances of survival, now that you've come along are probably 10 times better than they where before!!

That fox must think it has a gaurdian Angel out there, and maybe thats true! Keep up the good work! Tbird+

[Eve]

Awww the poor thing. Keep and eye on her and if she looks like she is struggling then see if you can find a locl group that may help, your local vet may know.

My parents feed their local badgers in their garden and had an injured badger and the local badger group came and managed to get her to vets where she unfortunately had to be put down as she was so badly injured and would have been turned away from the set being injured and wouldn't have been able to fend for herself.

[lizzydrippin]

Well I certainly wasnt expecting so many kind and encouraging answers. Im a complete and utter wimp when it comes to any kind of animal suffering. Some people have said "oh its nice that you care so much", but really its not a simple case of being upset like most people who are animal lovers, I am OTT and its the only thing in the world that makes me feel despair. I am unable to watch any kind of wildlife programmes (because there's always a sad bit somewhere. Its almost like a phobia and something Ive been trying to get to the bottom of for many years. The thing is my life revolves around animal welfare and when everything is hunky dory I get the most incredible highs but obviously there is always the down side (accidents, injury's,illness etc) and I dont cope too well. I mainly put the question on last night because I was needing to do something, anything, not much help to the fox I know. Its taken me all day to look at the answers I knew were there. I was so afraid to read either that the fox would have a painful death, unable to hunt well enough, or that I would be lectured or ridiculed by people who dont like foxes or think it wrong to feed them. Or worse still from people who think they're only good for fox hunting.
So how lovely to get these 4 answers from very kind people who are obviously animal lovers and have sent me such encouraging words. I cant stress to you enough how you have made the difference to my day. Ive got hope now that this fox may be okay. I have left my name and number with a local wildlife rescue who'll hopefully get back to me sometime today. Thanks for your answers and thanks for listening.

[peanut]

lizzydrippin

I too happen to share a passionate love for our four legged friends (wild or not). I have done research papers on the subject of animal abuse and neglect in college and its mind boggling what some people will do to an animal. It took me a long time to do these papers because I had to keep leaving the computer before iI throw it through the wall. I couldn't keep reading some of the stories because I could actually see some of those poor suffering animals in my mind. I'm not trying to start a debate here but the animals were here long before we were. They dont come into our homes and kill us so what gives people the right to think they can go into the animals home to kill them just for "sport".

Anyway, I hope the best for that poor little fox and hope it recovers well enough to survive the situation. It's good to know there are people who truly care about the well being of these animals like you do.

[lizzydrippin]

Thank you Peanut. How on earth did you manage to cope with the stuff you had to read for your research? Its very hard to comprehend how humans can be so cruel. If its to do with animals or babies and young children it makes me feel hopeless about the kind of world we live in. I appreciate there's alot of good in the world and I try to keep things in perspective but its difficult sometimes.
I originally got involved in animal welfare when I worked for a branch of the RSPCA in North East London. Before that I was aware that cruelty towards animals existed but I never fully realised just how much. After a few years it really did my head in and I had to give up. Since then Ive carried on being involved off my own back because I know when I need to pull back abit when I get too emotionally f****d up. These days I mostly take in abandoned cats, get them nuetered/spayed, de-flead,wormed and find good loving homes for them. Its cheered me up no end today to find so many animal lovers on this site (I was always too scared to look before, (I know its wimpish and believe it or not Im a very strong woman in other aspects of my life). Maybe my karma or something? Wish I knew.

[ganesh]

I'm glad you haven't had the fox-hunting lot on yet,and I know exactly how you feel because I also had a deer with a bad leg who visits the garden very often. No organisation wanted to help and to be honest they couldn't anyway. Even if they had come round the chances of finding her at any given moment would have been slim. I still see her occasionally and she is still limping,but she looks well.
I too get very angry about the continuing fox hunting. I have a little group of foxes in my field near my house and a couple of weeks ago,the hunt came and had obviously caught one from the awful noise the dogs made.About 15 dogs then ran through my garden and down the hill,my cats were terrified.
When I reported it to the police they said there was nothing they could do.It saddens me to think that it is continuing after all our efforts (and supposed success) and that there is nothing we can do !
I do hope your fox is not suffering.
xxx

[Athley]

Hi lizzy

You sound like really lovely person pity there are not more like you!!!

Let us know how foxy gets on if you can.

Lots of love xxxx :o)

[lankeela]

Just playing devil's advocate here. What makes you think the 'hunting lot' would not offer useful advice for helping the injured animal?

[ganesh]

Hi Lankeeela,
Just thought they might rush in with' we need to cull foxes' and why is lizzy feeding them type of thing.You don't really think they would care all that much about an injured fox do you when they like to see them ripped apart by their dogs do you? I think Lizzy was suprised by all the sympathetic answers. Not trying to hi-jack the question or anything,just thought I'd mention my story as I hate to see injured animals too.

[peanut]

One more post on this matter for all the animal lovers out there click Here. Click the purple spot where it says "Fund Food For Animals". Do it every day to provide food to a rescued animal.

[lankeela]

Have to disagree ganesh, genuine country loving hunting folk would not wish to see any animal left in distress, if a hunt catches and kills a fox it is killed outright and not left to die a slow lingering death as it would if it were shot or trapped.

[ganesh]

Yes of course they would,but we all know how much 'distress' is caused by the chase-and I've seen that for myself.You can't seriously say that these people love foxes and would be upset if they saw an injured one. Shooting and trapping is just as bad,if not worse I agree,but none of that is necessary,and I am a country-loving,country-dwelling person..

[lankeela]

WelI I can only speak for myself, and although I have hunted for many years until very recently I would do all I could to help any injured animal and would not wish to see a fox left in pain.

[ganesh]

Hunters cannot possibly care about animal 'distress'. I have seen the terror that the fox has whilst being chased and can imagine the pain(though swift I grant you) when being torn apart by a pack of dogs.
I know that 'nature' itself is very cruel and I hate it for instance when cats torture a mouse to death, ,but humans have 'empathy'and normally avoid active cruelty to other animals.
Fox-hunting is not a 'natural ' act and I'm glad that you have stopped,although I assume it is because of the law.
The sentiment on most of these posts have proved that most people do care about the suffering of animals even though most of the time we can't do much about it.

[lizzydrippin]

I must admit that its very dificult to understand how someone who condones fox-hunting can be concerned about a fox being distressed. I know that some fox hunters say that its all to do with culling foxes but I dont think thats true for one minute because why would there be the disgusting ritual of wiping blood on to the young 'first-time' hunters face. It definitely comes across as a very cruel sport and one thats very hard to comprehend is (was?) practised by educated,intelligent people. Ive tried but just cant see how they believe that its okay to cause suffering to any animal simply because they enjoy it (which I find really worrying that they enjoy it so much). Anyway, Im sure there has been many fox-hunting debates on many websites over the years and I normally steer well clear. Im sure anything I can say has been said by many many people who feel its wrong. Ive put my name to many petitions against fox-hunting but Im not that clever with words to carry on an intellectual debate. I feel its wrong from my heart rather than my intellect.
Ganesh- Im happy to hear that you still occasionally see your deer. I just cant imagine how it would feel to hear and know that a fox had been caught. Something like that really would plummet me into the depths of despair. I know I wouldnt be able to handle it and for that reason I would never live anywhere near where there was fox-hunting practised. Athley-Lots of love to you too xxx I havent seen the female fox for the past few nights but we have had alot of snow so maybe she's laying low. I have seen 2 of the males though. I'll let you know when I spot her again. Thanks again everyone for your reassuring words. Im made up that there's so many kind people on the net (yep I know I havent come across the 'not so nice' yet but like I said its only stuff to do with animals that phases me so bring em on!!! )

[ganesh]

Thanks for the support Lizzy, I too wish I didn't have hunting on my doorstep,especially now when it is supposed to have stopped. I enjoy watching the occasional fox in my garden and yes, I was horrified by the noise in the adjacent field which I own. It may have been a rabbit I suppose, and that's sad as well, and I have seen a fox since that hunt so maybe he got away.
Best wishes.xx