Injured Fox Paws?

[KarlParker]

Anyone one here have any idea what could be wrong with this fox's paws?

I saw "limpy" 2-3 weeks ago but it lost me in some maize cover crop. I caught up with it again this week and when I picked it up its front two paws looked awful, open wounds with what looked like smashed up bone inside.

If they have been open wounds for 3 weeks I would have thought they would look more infected Fox was a healthy size and was moving well but with a fair limp

 

[Cyres]

RTA
D

 

[75]

Is that the top of it's paws / front of feet rather than pads?

I'm thinking RTA or a poorly placed shot (which it's then licked / kept clean).

Either way, a good one to shot, that must have been in some pain.

 

[KarlParker]

Is that the top of it's paws / front of feet rather than pads?

I'm thinking RTA or a poorly placed shot (which it's then licked / kept clean).

Either way, a good one to shot, that must have been in some pain.

Yes, that the top of its paws, Pads would be on the far side

 

[Smellydog]

Poor bugger, glad you ended it

 

[paulst]

Well done getting that one, as has been said it must have been in pain. I’ve shot a few lame ones and always feel sorry for them. Try explaining that to an “anti”

 

[gr cz527]

How bizzare. You would think an RTA would be difficult to cause that as they never really have both paws out in front at same time. Almost like a guillotine has been dropped on them. Good you ended its pain.

 

[snoozlecracker]

My guess is barbed wire. I was instructed to run two strings of barbed under my mesh foldout when constructing pens. I declined.
I’ve 15k volt fences around the perimeter of the pens and they’re well constructed. I’m a killer not a monster, if I lost the odd bird to a fox I can take it. So can my gaffer everything has to eat.
I was told the purpose of the barb is too rip the paws to shreds if they try digging in and save on expensive energisers…..
I know and I’m happy dealing with predators but I’m not going to injury them deliberately.

Edited to add, any other damage to the legs? Or just front pads? I have a “limpy ” seen twice on my shoot and I know next door run barbed.

T.

 

[snoozlecracker]

Ah just re read the post and realise I thought the image was in the opposite orientation. Some kind of trap perhaps? If it’s smashed bone? Though that could be damage from moving on broken feet. Well done for ending it’s suffering

 

[kevtherev]

Been trying to scrat under a wire fence or hen coop etc they are quite persistent when they start.
Had a few get in Larsen traps here over years chew them to feck.

 

[Bo Diddley]

Some kind of trap perhaps?

My thoughts. ^^

 

[KarlParker]

They do use wire larsen traps on the estate, could have got its front paws stuck I suppose

Could be an RTA but almost like it would have had to lay out flat with just its front paws on the road No other obvious damage well a little damage from the 90gr .243 round

Had another one a couple of months ago that looked like it had been stuck in wire, not sure how it cut so deep and managed to get away with the limb still but the damage was clearly a wire of some description

 

[Pelyma]

If it was an RTA I would have thought the claws would be broken a scuffed?

 

[finnbear270]

That pic looks like a wire cut, if stuck in a snare it may have tried to chew its way free.

 

[jb1]

@snoozlecracker

Reading this post and looking at the images makes me feel sorry for the poor Fox's. I've shot over 150 some years without feeling like i do going through this. We shoot and kill Deer, Fox's and other quarry but cruelty and seeing suffering to animals is upsetting.

But that's a good thing isn't it ?

​

 

[snoozlecracker]

@snoozlecracker

Reading this post and looking at the images makes me feel sorry for the poor Fox's. I've shot over 150 some years without feeling like i do going through this. We shoot and kill Deer, Fox's and other quarry but cruelty and seeing suffering to animals is upsetting.

But that's a good thing isn't it ?

​

Absolutely it’s a good thing!
I’d rather be around animals than people. I suspect a sizeable percentage of people on here feel the same way. I greatly enjoy seeing my regular critters on my rounds, whether that’s due to me raising them or tasked with removing them.
But I do that as ethically and respectfully as possible and don’t go having a poke at something just because.

During storm Amy we had a racer blow in with a damaged wing and in pretty poor condition. ( it has to be a racing pigeon as it’s happy to be handled no leg ring though)
Now I kill everyday and could have marked its card. But I’ve been feeding it and caring for it and it’s very much on the mend.
We’ve named it after the gaffer due to it flapping about but not listening

T.

 

[Klenchblaize]

@snoozlecracker

Reading this post and looking at the images makes me feel sorry for the poor Fox's. I've shot over 150 some years without feeling like i do going through this. We shoot and kill Deer, Fox's and other quarry but cruelty and seeing suffering to animals is upsetting.

But that's a good thing isn't it ?

​

Spot on. I hate to see road kill of any critter. Can only think this is informed and compounded by what I perceive as the apparent disinterest/indifference of passing vehicles - read humanity.

I often stop and place vehicle struck foxes and deer in the long grass.

K

 

[Faust]

Anyone one here have any idea what could be wrong with this fox's paws?

I saw "limpy" 2-3 weeks ago but it lost me in some maize cover crop. I caught up with it again this week and when I picked it up its front two paws looked awful, open wounds with what looked like smashed up bone inside.

If they have been open wounds for 3 weeks I would have thought they would look more infected Fox was a healthy size and was moving well but with a fair limp

View attachment 444350

That looks very similar to 'fly strike' as in sheep.

 

[finnbear270]

Wire cut that.

 

[Faust]

View attachment 444949 Wire cut that.

Agreed with that one.