Mange caused by Sarcoptes scabiei mites causes suffering and disfigurement in urban foxes. Treatment programmes have dramatically improved welfare for affected animals.
Foxes with untreated sarcoptic mange experience intense pruritus, progressive skin thickening, secondary bacterial infection, and eventual death. The condition causes months of suffering before death. Treatment programmes using medicated baits have demonstrated high efficacy in treating mange in individual foxes without the need for capture.