General Observation Methods for Fox Diseases
Fox raisers generally need to pay attention to abnormal changes in foxes during management, promptly discover sick foxes, and provide timely treatment. The general observation methods for fox disease onset are:
1. Overall observation
Overall observation mainly includes changes in body condition and nutrition, posture and movement, temperament, fur, and mental state.
1. Body condition and nutrition: After a fox becomes ill, its nutritional body condition begins to decline. Some rapidly become emaciated, such as with acute diarrhea; some gradually become emaciated, mostly seen in chronic diseases.
2. Posture and movement: Incorrect or abnormal posture is an important manifestation of disease onset, such as lying down and being unable to rise, forced standing, and forced movement. These are symptoms of disease onset.
3. Fur: The fur of a healthy fox is glossy, and the hair grows normally. When disease occurs, the fur becomes messy and dull, with uneven lengths, as well as abnormal phenomena such as hair loss, shedding, curly hair, and pigment changes.
4. Mental state: Sick foxes mostly show listlessness and depression, but those suffering from rabies etc. show frenzy and restlessness.
2. Appetite and drinking
Sick foxes mostly show poor appetite in the early stage. As the condition worsens, refusal to eat occurs; some show hyperactivity. When foxes develop diarrhea, lobar pneumonia, and other conditions, sick foxes refuse to eat but their thirst increases.
3. Observation of fecal characteristics
When constipation occurs, the stool is dry and hard; when diarrhea occurs, the stool is thin; with hemorrhagic enteritis, the stool contains blood; with catarrhal gastroenteritis, the stool is thin and contains incompletely digested feed and sloughed intestinal mucosal epithelium, sometimes mixed with blood, namely purulent stool and bloody stool, with a foul odor.
4. Body temperature examination
The normal body temperature of foxes is 38.8-39.6°C. Any temperature exceeding the normal range is a symptom of disease onset. Elevated body temperature is called fever. An increase of 1°C above normal body temperature is mild fever, an increase of 2°C is mild fever, and an increase of 3°C or more is high fever. A body temperature lower than normal is called hypothermia, such as in feed poisoning and severe blood loss. The method for measuring body temperature is: one person restrains the animal or mechanical restraint is used. First shake the mercury column of the thermometer back to its original position, apply lubricant, and then slowly insert it through the anus. Generally, measure 1-3 times daily, and the specific frequency can be determined according to the condition. When proctitis is present, vaginal temperature can be measured.
5. Examination of visible mucous membranes
Generally refers to examination of mucous membranes of the anus, vagina, oral cavity, etc. Paleness is caused by anemia; redness is caused by congestion; yellow staining is a sign of jaundice, mostly seen in liver disease; cyanosis is caused by an increase in the amount of reduced hemoglobin in the blood, mostly seen in diseases such as heart failure and major circulatory disorders.
6. Observation of respiratory movements
The respiratory rate of foxes is 21-30 breaths/min, the intervals between breaths are consistent, and breathing is thoracoabdominal, with left-right symmetry, and breathing appears very smooth. If the respiratory rate, rhythm, breathing pattern, etc. change, then difficulty in breathing occurs.
7. Examination of coughing and nasal discharge
Coughing is often caused by colds, pneumonia, bronchitis, etc. The appearance of large amounts of nasal discharge is often caused by canine distemper and infectious rhinitis.
8. Observation of urination
Foxes have a fixed or regular posture for urination and urinate at fixed locations. If straining and restlessness occur during urination, with the hind limbs and rear abdomen resting on the cage wire, it is caused by pain during urination, mostly seen in diseases such as urethral stones and cystitis. Urinary incontinence is mostly seen in canine distemper. Decreased urination frequency is mostly seen in diseases such as nephritis, vomiting, and diarrhea.
9. Observation of movement
If incoordination of movement is found, such as static ataxia, swaying, weakness of the limbs, joint flexion, limbs spread apart, or affected limbs dragging behind due to excessively low or high muscle tension, or abdominal muscle tension and hardening, as well as motor paralysis, etc., all reflect that pathological changes have occurred in the nervous system.