Silver-black fox

The silver-black fox is a genetically mutated species of the red fox. It belongs to the carnivorous family Canidae and originated in Alaska and eastern Siberia in North America. After more than 100 years of artificial breeding and domestication, it has become the main breed of precious fur animals raised by people. The silver-black fox has black and white fur, with a layer of misty needle-like hair. It is the main accessory for modern winter fur clothing. The silver-black fox, blue fox, and red fox hybrid offspring include the silver-black fox, blue silver fox (commonly known as blue frost fox), crystal fox, golden island fox, and agate fox. They combine the advantages of the silver-black fox, blue fox, and red fox, with fine and upright needle-like hair, short and flat, uniform distribution of silver fur, and gorgeous colors. It is one of the main high-end fur products in the market.

In North America, the silver fox is mainly distributed in the Northwest. In the 19th century, silver foxes were sometimes brought to Labrador, the Magdalen Islands, the Appalachian Mountains in Pennsylvania, and New York State. Silver foxes can also be occasionally seen in Nova Scotia. Although hunters hope to catch silver foxes, they can only catch 4-5 foxes at most in a season. Silver foxes account for about 8% of the red fox population in Canada.

In the former Soviet Union, silver foxes mainly inhabit the areas between forests and permafrost, especially in the mountainous regions of Siberia and the Caucasus. They rarely appear in plains and deserts.

The silver-black fox is a genetically mutated species of the red fox. It belongs to the carnivorous family Canidae and originated in Alaska and eastern Siberia in North America. After more than 100 years of artificial breeding and domestication.

Suggested for enthusiasts to keep, the fox's sweat glands are underdeveloped, like dogs, and regulate body temperature by panting and rapid breathing on hot days. Therefore, breeders should pay attention to changes in environmental temperature and prevent foxes from heat stroke during hot summers. The silver-black fox molts once a year, starting from March to April. The molting process begins from the front to the back, starting with the head, then the neck, front limbs, buttocks, and tail, and is mostly completed by July to August. Along with the shedding, new fur also begins to grow. New guard hairs start growing at the end of July, following the same sequence as the shedding. The underfur starts to grow in large quantities, and the fur color is darker in summer than in winter. The silver-black fox's fur matures later than the blue fox's fur, usually in mid-December, and only becomes completely white and mature after heavy snowfall.

1. Canine Distemper

Canine distemper is a contagious disease that many carnivores can get. It is most easily transmitted during infancy and has a high incidence and mortality rate. After being infected with distemper, silver-black foxes and Arctic foxes will experience a continuous rise in body temperature for two to three days. Symptoms include refusal or reduced appetite, vomiting, and regular discharge of transparent liquid from the nose, which can sometimes become mucous or purulent rhinitis.

After being infected with distemper, it is important to distinguish it from other diseases such as paratyphoid fever, brucellosis, and viral enteritis. To prevent distemper, vaccination is necessary and infected foxes should be isolated. There is no specific treatment for distemper, only symptomatic treatments with other medications are available.

2. Rabies

Rabies is a disease that affects both humans and animals and is characterized by central nervous system disorders. All mammals, including foxes, can get infected. After being infected with rabies, foxes go through three stages: the prodromal stage, the excitatory stage, and the paralytic stage. In the prodromal stage, foxes show short periods of depression and weak movement. In the excitatory stage, they become highly agitated, biting and tearing objects, refusing food and water, and experiencing muscle spasms and eventually death. Silver-black foxes typically have a disease course of 3 to 6 days.

Since rabies is a severe disease, there is currently no treatment available. Infected fox carcasses should be disposed of properly and the relevant authorities should be notified to prevent other foxes from escaping or being bitten. If someone is bitten, the rabies vaccine should be administered within eight days.

3. Pasteurellosis

Pasteurellosis is an acute bacterial infectious disease that damages visceral organs and the central nervous system. Silver-black foxes and Arctic foxes are most susceptible to infection. The bacteria enter the body through feed and water. If there is a deficiency of vitamins or an occurrence of helminthiasis, the susceptibility to this disease increases.

Treatment for pasteurellosis involves symptomatic treatment, with the addition of neomycin to the feed three times a day. To prevent the infection of other foxes, infected foxes should be isolated, the fox farm should be disinfected, and the ground should be cleaned and disinfected with bleaching powder. Measures should also be taken to prevent rodents and wild birds from entering the fox farm. Additionally, bacteria tests should be conducted on sheep and pig products. If the bacteria are found, the products should not be fed to the foxes.

4. Brucellosis

Brucellosis is an acute septic infectious disease that mostly occurs in fur animals and is characterized by sepsis and hemorrhage of visceral organs. The source of infection is the consumption of livestock and poultry products contaminated with Brucella, as well as other feeds and drinking water that are contaminated by Brucella. The infection primarily occurs through the digestive tract, respiratory tract, and skin and mucous membranes, without showing any obvious seasonality.

In clinical cases, the disease course of silver-black foxes is between 12 and 72 hours. After onset, the mortality rate is high. Infected silver-black foxes show loss of appetite, depression, vomiting, diarrhea, and rapid weight loss. When the nervous system is affected, there are spasms and intense chewing movements, along with an increase in body temperature.

Treatment for brucellosis involves symptomatic treatment with antibiotics and sulfa drugs, as well as muscle injections of penicillin and streptomycin. Suspected feeds should be eliminated from the feed and fresh easily digestible feeds, such as liver, milk, and eggs, should be provided to improve resistance. Poultry by-products that test positive for Brucella should be eliminated to prevent any sources of contamination.

5. Anthrax

After being infected with anthrax, foxes develop an acute, febrile, septic disease characterized by splenomegaly and serosanguineous hemorrhage in the subcutaneous and serous connective tissues. Although this bacteria is highly harmful, it can be quickly killed by disinfecting products. The disease can occur throughout the year, with more cases in fox cubs during the summer. It can spread in fox farms for a long time, so timely prevention and control measures are necessary.

To prevent anthrax infection, anthrax antiserum should be used for vaccination. The recommended dosage for adult silver-black foxes and Arctic foxes is 20-30 ml, and for juvenile foxes is 10-15 ml. Antibacterial agents such as penicillin can be used, with a dosage of 20-30 thousand units for adult silver-black foxes and Arctic foxes. Fox farmers should strictly adhere to protection protocols to prevent infection in the fox population.

6. Leptospirosis

After being infected with leptospirosis, the mortality rate of silver-black foxes can reach 100%. If foxes eat contaminated feed or drinking water, they will directly be infected with the disease. In clinical cases, infected foxes show symptoms such as refusal to eat, vomiting, diarrhea, depression, and increased heart rate. Death occurs approximately two to three months after infection. To prevent leptospirosis, early prevention using leptospirosis serum is necessary. If the effect of one injection is not good, two to three injections can be administered. Symptomatic treatment includes the use of laxatives, cardiac drugs, intravenous glucose solution, and intramuscular injections of streptomycin.

The silver-black fox has a smaller appetite compared to the blue fox and the raccoon dog. It goes into heat once a year and usually gives birth to 4 to 6 offspring, which is fewer than the blue fox and the raccoon dog. The silver-black fox has a more aggressive nature than the blue fox, and during captive breeding, those that are difficult to tame are gradually eliminated. Through domestication, some silver-black foxes can be held in one's arms and easily bond with humans. Finnish scientists have observed and proved through experiments that well-domesticated silver-black foxes with no fear of humans have a higher birth rate and higher offspring survival rate. The lifespan of a fox is 8 to 10 years, and they can reach reproductive age by 8 years. The optimal breeding period is between 2 to 5 years, and those older than 5 years should be eliminated.

The fur of the silver-black fox is relatively dense and can easily get dirty, so we need to regularly clean its fur. If the fur is too long, we need to comb it every day. Foxes may shed their fur after eating high-salt food, so feeding them low-salt feed and avoiding greasy food can help alleviate this issue.