Fox saved with dog blood transfusion after found poisoned in North York
A male red fox that was gravely ill due to what appeared to be the effects of rodent poison is now on the mend at the Toronto Wildlife Centre (TWC) after receiving an innovative inter-species blood transfusion.
The animal in question was found stumbling on the road by a passerby on March 27 in North York, near Lawrence Avenue East and Don Mills Road.
Worried that it had been hit by a car, the woman called TWC’s hotline to get the animal some help.
Soon after, the centre’s rescue team arrived at the scene and was able to easily capture the unwell fox, which was behaving in an odd way and seemed to faint after being caught, the North York-based organization relayed in a news release.
The team then rushed the animal to their wildlife rehabilitation facility near Downsview Park for treatment.
The red fox was weak, lethargic, pale, and bleeding from minor wounds and orifices, Nathalie Karvonen, TWC’s CEO, told CP24.com during an interview.
A sick red fox was found on the road in North York on March 27. (TWC photo)
She said that the symptoms it was experiencing pointed to secondary rodent poisoning, meaning that the fox likely ate a rodent that had been poisoned.
Karvonen noted that it’s very difficult to determine exactly what poisonous substance the animal may have ingested, however one of their in-house wildlife veterinarians, Dr. Cameron Berg, was confident in his rodenticide poisoning diagnosis.
She said that he then approached her about trying out a novel treatment method on the severely anemic red fox: a blood transfusion from a dog.
“Foxes are from the same classification as dogs. (Dr. Berg) told me that he thought it was worth trying and I certainly supported him,” Karvonen said.
With her approbation, Berg then transfused less than a bag of dog blood into the sick red fox. The blood was obtained from an emergency veterinary clinic, Karvonen said.
A red fox believed to have ingested rodent poison receives a dog blood transfusion at the Toronto Wildlife Centre. (TWC photo)
In no time, the fox started showing signs of improvement and has been getting better every day since.
“It’s very exciting,” said Karvonen, who has since shared the positive outcome with her contacts at other wildlife rehabilitation organizations.
“It’s the first time we’d done such a procedure.”
At this time, the red fox remains at TWC as it completes a 30-day Vitamin K treatment for rodenticide poisoning, but is expected to be returned back to where it was found in the wild in about a week’s time, she said.
“He’s looking great. He’s eating well. He’s stable. He looks really good,” Karvonen said, adding that the animal is behaving like any red fox would and is “feisty, fearful of people, and eager to get back in the wild.”
“(This fox) is very lucky that he was caught in time.”
A red fox believed to have ingested rodent poison is recovering at the Toronto Wildlife Centre after receiving a dog blood transfusion. (TWC photo)
Toronto Wildlife Centre, which does not receive any government support and is completely reliant on donations to operate, has since shared a short video of the red fox’s unique story.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
NEW 'She was waiting for you': The story of how a B.C. man found his birth mother in England
After his adopted parents died, Dave Rogers set out to learn more about his birth mother. DNA results and a little help from friendly strangers would put him on a path to a small town in England.
Montreal man on the hook for thousands of dollars after a feature on his Tesla caused an accident
A Montreal man is warning Tesla drivers about using the Smart Summon feature after his vehicle hit another in a parking lot.
Italy's white-collar mafia is making a business killing
Italy's mafia rarely dirties its hands with blood these days. Extortion rackets have gone out of fashion and murders are largely frowned upon by the godfathers.
Spike in 'violent rhetoric' since Oct. 7 attack from 'extremist actors,' CSIS warns
The Israel-Hamas war has led to a spike in 'violent rhetoric' from 'extremist actors' that could prompt some in Canada to turn to violence, the Canadian Security Intelligence Service warns.
Actor Bernard Hill, of 'Titanic' and 'Lord of the Rings,' has died at 79
Actor Bernard Hill, who delivered a rousing cry before leading his people into battle in 'The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King' and went down with the ship as the captain in 'Titanic,' has died.
Israeli army tells Palestinians to evacuate parts of Gaza's Rafah ahead of an expected assault
The Israeli army on Monday ordered tens of thousands of Palestinians in Gaza's southern city of Rafah to start evacuating from the area, signalling that a long-promised ground invasion there could be imminent.
Dash cam catches moment suspected drunk driver hits parked car, sends it careening into North Shore flower shop
Police say it’s fortunate no one was injured or killed in a collision at North Vancouver’s Park and Tilford shopping centre Saturday evening that sent one vehicle careening into a flower shop and another into a set of concrete barriers outside a Winners store.
'Love has no boundaries': Sask. couple in their 90s and 80s get married
Eighty-two-year-old Susan Neufeldt and 90-year-old Ulrich Richter are no spring chickens, but their love blossomed over the weekend with their wedding at Pine View Manor just outside of Rosthern.
Ontario family releases statement on infant son, grandparents killed in wrong-way Highway 401 crash
An Ontario family says they are 'reeling' in 'profound grief' after losing their three-month-old son and parents visiting from India in a wrong-way crash on Highway 401 in Whitby last Monday.