Treating mange in the wild

[Vandercook]

I'm curious about mange in the "wild", here in our neighbourhood of Toronto, Canada. We have many many black and grey squirrels affected. Is it possible as people who feed a few squirrels off the porch to help the little guys?
Is it ethical? Helpful? We really enjoy the wild squirrels, birds and other fauna inhabiting our part of the city.

[island rehabber]

vandercook, I agree with Gammas Baby you can successfully treat mange in wild squirrels with ivermectin. It can be given on a pecan or walnut and the squirrels seem to not mind the taste. :dono Ivermectin does come in many strengths and forms so let us know what you have available and we can help you with dosage. BTW -- the pill or tablet form does not seem to work very well for mange. Liquid is the best.

[Vandercook]

Thanks for the response. We will try to get some photographs of our squirrels to show what we think is mange. One black squirrel is missing an ear, it appears to have been scratched or rubbed off. There is a balding patch extending down behind his left ear, that looks like it's been chewed or nibbled. The little gray squirrel is developing baldness behind the head on his "shoulders" or the nape of his neck. I definitely will not proceed with any treatment without discussing it here. I am delighted to have joined this board! What a help. Thanks again. Will post here soon, tomorrow if I get a shot of the little guys. Thanks.

[rippie-n-lilgirlsmom]

http://www.squirrelsandmore.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=product.display&product_id=1561
Ivermectin can be purchased here and one of the rehabbers can pm you with instructions how to dose it!

[Vandercook]

Thanks for the link to the medication. Here is a photo of the black squirrel with the affected area showing. The ear closest, looks like it's missing from any other angle. It's more or less stuck down.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/21534012@N03/2294414653/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/21534012@N03/2294414653/

[pamela lee]

HI and :Welcome , You could PM squirrelfriend she lives in Toronto and has treated several squirrels with mange. It's just a thought. Good luck finding help. Thank you for taking the time to care.

[squirrelfriend]

PM me your phone # and I will call you.

How is the squirrels over all health other than the apperance of mange?

[squirrelfriend]

It is difficult to tell from the photo. Squirrels do shed in this type of pattern. The ear part sounds like p[ossible mange. How is the skn around the eyes? The skin on the back bald part, is it crusty looking or normal looking smooth skin? Can you see scabs anywhere? If so where? Lots of scratching?

[squirrelfriend]

here are some sample pics of what mange loos like. Mange can cause the "calliflower ear" look. Tilty has that too. It is caused by all the scratching. Long term scratching causes a lot of scarring and the ear ends up permanently misshapen. It does not harm the hearing unless there is an infection.

I got Tilty a year ago. He is doing fine now. WHen I got him he couldn't even stand up. Now he has a little hop in his step when he runs around. You can read about him in the Grey squirrel forum under the title Mr. Tilty.

[squirrelfriend]

note the crustiness of the skin in the photos above.

[rippie-n-lilgirlsmom]

That is mange, I did pm him instructions last night and he will let me know when he gets the meds.
Squirrel friend that would be good if you could contact him.

[Squirrelly]

We have several wilds with mange here also; one case in much worse than the others. I checked out the link that Rippie provided (thanks, Rippie!) :) and see that it's inexpensive. Is it hard to figure out the dosage for a tiny animal like a squirrel? :thinking I see that cattle are mentioned; isn't there a weaker solution available for smaller animals? :thinking Also, how long of a shelf life does Ivermectin have and does it need to be refrigerated? :thinking Thanks in advance....:thankyou

[rippie-n-lilgirlsmom]

Squirrelly if you get that ivermectin (try to get a syringe with a needle for better control) and I will tell you exactly how to dose it...very easy and no your not going to be giving an injection.:D (it dosent need to be kept cold).
:wahoo Those babies need help!
Also dont worry about what it says for cattle this is the same thing I treat mine with.

[Sciurus1]

My friend in Minnesota has seem some with mange in the last two years. Her local Vet gives her the medication free to treat the ones in her yard. She puts it into small mini crunchy peanut butter sandwiches, which she then offers to the ones who have this disease. It seems to work pretty good she says.

[Squirrelly]

I have given 5 squirrels with mange their first dose of Ivermectin. :thumbsup Is it routine to give them all a second dose (in 10-14 days)? So far, they all look about the same (not worse) as before the treatment. (It's been just one week since the first three were dosed.)

I will have the same question once the time comes around for a 3rd dose....it that routine as well, or does this dose depend on their progress, and if they're still scratching and/or losing fur?

:thankyou in advance for your guidance....:) :bowdown :grouphug

[rippie-n-lilgirlsmom]

:wave123 you can give them the 3rd dose. With so many having it ..it is a good idea.
We dont actually know how many or who is nesting together.
My guys hair started to regrow in about 10 days..I believe by the 3 week he was fully covered again with 2 doses.

[Squirrelly]

:wave123 Thank you Rippie! I'll follow your advice.....:thumbsup :)

[Squirrelly]

:thankyou Gamma's Baby....:grouphug :D

[emjaysea]

So, my mangy squirrel, "Patchy" has a rough and dark look to the areas where he scratches. I've not seen the exact thing in any of the images I look at online. He's a brownish red squirrel living in Michigan. It started on both sides, just behind his armpits, and that's where it looks darkest. The top of his head is now getting bald, and it's not as dark there. He scratches at it all the time, when he's not filling his cake hole. Sound like mange to you??? Hope so, I just bought the ivectem (or however that's spelled) from the link found at the beginning of this thread--$6.50 and 2.5ml. I understand from this thread that pecans or walnuts work well. I've got Patchy taking peanuts from me--not from my hand, nor would I try, but he'll hide around the base of the pine tree there and watch me as I put them on the ground, and then come on back out when I back off twenty feet or so, so I'm hopeful this will be a resounding success. Any advice is much appreciated, like dosing instructions.
Thanks,
mjc

[emjaysea]

Judging from images online, I'd say it's a Fox Squirrel. Whatever's indigenous to the lower peninsula of Michigan...they all look the same to me.

[emjaysea]

Also, I'd say it's a medium sized squirrel.

[Apple Corps]

I sent you a pm - can you tell us what is on the Ivermectin bottle regarding its strength ?

[Apple Corps]

We've PMd - I am going to call Chris tomorrow and get the product info and we'll be ready to



NUKE the MANGE

[emjaysea]

INDEED!!!
Patchy needs help, and with the help of this forum, I'm just the guy to help him out! ;-) (if that makes any sense at all...)

And, I must say, I don't do this for any reason other than I feel bad for the little guy, but the side bonus is I'm earning unexpected points with my wife, too! Listen up, guys! :-P

Thanks for all your assistance, it's truly appreciated.
mjc

[emjaysea]

INDEED!!!
Patchy needs help, and with the help of this forum, I'm just the guy to help him out! ;-) (if that makes any sense at all...)

And, I must say, I don't do this for any reason other than I feel bad for the little guy, but the side bonus is I'm earning unexpected points with my wife, too! Listen up, guys! :-P

Thanks for all your assistance, it's truly appreciated.
mjc

Sorry, didn't mean for my Indeed to be larger than your nuke the mange...unfamiliar with the controls, am I...

[rippie-n-lilgirlsmom]

AC did you get the info? I can help with dosage if needed.

[Apple Corps]

AC did you get the info? I can help with dosage if needed.

rippie - I am waiting to get a reply from Chris as to what strength Ivermectin she sent so we can calculate the dosage.

[rippie-n-lilgirlsmom]

AC she sells all 1%

[Apple Corps]

rippie and I just PMd & rippie will post the treatment dose - wonder if it arrived yet ??

[rippie-n-lilgirlsmom]

I pm'd the dosage & instuctions.:thankyou

[Apple Corps]

Helpful are you & rippie to & Gamma & ......... :jump :jump

[emjaysea]

Hopefully someone is still following this thread: there's been some implication that one could put the required dosage on a single pecan or walnut. My dosage instructions are 1 ml, three times, once every 10 days. But when I tried to put one ml on a pecan, I found I needed about five pecans (shelled, so I suppose it's half a pecan). Does that sound right, or am I doing it wrong? I do have a syringe marked mL, and google tells me that's another way of saying ml, so I think I'm doing it right, just want more confirmation.
Thanks,
mjc

[emjaysea]

Hopefully someone is still following this thread: there's been some implication that one could put the required dosage on a single pecan or walnut. My dosage instructions are 1 ml, three times, once every 10 days. But when I tried to put one ml on a pecan, I found I needed about five pecans (shelled, so I suppose it's half a pecan). Does that sound right, or am I doing it wrong? I do have a syringe marked mL, and google tells me that's another way of saying ml, so I think I'm doing it right, just want more confirmation.
Thanks,
mjc

Apple Corps helped me straighten this out. 1/100'th of a CC is the prescribed amount for a 1% dilution of Ivermectin and a 1 lb squirrel. About the size of a pin head. Thanks.

[rippie-n-lilgirlsmom]

Hopefully someone is still following this thread: there's been some implication that one could put the required dosage on a single pecan or walnut. My dosage instructions are 1 ml, three times, once every 10 days. But when I tried to put one ml on a pecan, I found I needed about five pecans (shelled, so I suppose it's half a pecan). Does that sound right, or am I doing it wrong? I do have a syringe marked mL:eek:
Oh Lordy no, Thank you AC. Yes pin head thats it!:thumbsup Let us know how it goes?

[Apple Corps]

All for the love of fuzzers and helping each other out :D

With some luck - Ivermectin will start to work its magic quickly and some improvement may be seen within - 7 days maybe ????


mjs

[Apple Corps]

By now some improvement should be showing - any news???

[JLM27]

I gave 1 drop Ivermectin to Pookie last Tuesday evening in a strength of 1 drop of 1% ivermection to 12 drops of PG. (I don't have a syringe to measure pinheads so I used an eyedropper.) Pookie seems to have more energy and leaves her nest more now and the patches have not increased, but they are looking somewhat scabbier than they were before. I don't know if this means she is getting better or worse. Attached are some pictures I took several weeks ago and then tonite. She has had a bad left eye and a torn ear since I've known her. In fact, her eye looks better now. Can someone comment on whether this is mange or does she have a fungus?:thinking

[JLM27]

Clarification: the next to last photo was taken a couple of weeks ago. Sorry to be such a worry wart.

[Apple Corps]

jlm27 - that looks like the many many pics of mange that I have seen.

Also: http://thesquirrelboard.com/forums/showthread.php?p=169288

Lastly - have you given the second dose yet??

[rippie-n-lilgirlsmom]

Its mange and mange will affect the eyes, making it difficult for them to see well.

[JLM27]

jlm27 - that looks like the many many pics of mange that I have seen.

Also: http://thesquirrelboard.com/forums/showthread.php?p=169288

Lastly - have you given the second dose yet??

I thought I should not give the second dose for 10 - 12 days. THat wouldn't be until next weekend, right? Anyway, I'm leaving in an hour for Atlanta, so I can't do it until next weekend.:tilt

Also, Pookie Pie has had a bad left eye since she was little. It gets better, then it gets watery and puffy. Then it gets better again. That is, the condition predates any obvious mange. Most of her mange spots look better and little fuzzy fur is growing in. She is still bald under her right arm though, but it doesn't look sore.

[Speigle]

Hi

I was so thankful to find the squirrel board.

We have a squirrel with mange in our back yard. We buy large bags of raw peanut and feed them every day. At first my husband called him the old man because we thought he was just old. He started looking worse and I thought he might have mange. I saw your comments about the Ivermectin so we got some. We cracked a peanut shell on one end and I put some on the peanut inside with a tooth pick. We gave this to the squirrel 3 days in a row. On the last day which was yesterday I gave him two medicated peanuts.

Today he is starting to look better. He looked just terrible. His fir was almost gone and he had a swollen eye and lump on his nose. The eye looks much better today and his skin is not so red except that he has some very sore looking spots.

Do you have any suggestions? Also is there something that I can give him to help his skin heal faster?

Thank you so much!

[rippie-n-lilgirlsmom]

OH!! Only give one application, (the size of a pin drop)then two weeks later you can give another.
3 days in a row could be deadly! Ivermectin is very potent.
Put it on a pecan or wallnut, rather than a peanut, its more easily controlled what amount he will eat.
It just takes time for the skin to heal, nothing really you can do put out pleanty of fresh water they drink a lot with mange.
Please keep us updated on your guy, thanks for caring enough to help the fellow.

[Speigle]

I sure hope I haven't overdosed. I was desperate and didn't know where to get answers. I was sure he wasn't going to make it if I didn't do something. We used the white cream Ivermectin that is used for horses and just a small spot on a peanut. Is this the same Ivermectin that everyone is using. I will post a picture as soon as I can.

Little old man is still doing well.

[rippie-n-lilgirlsmom]

No that is even more potent that the Ivermectin we use.
The one I recomend is from Chris's squirrel store.

[Speigle]

My little old man is doing much better. Bouncing all over the back yard and is getting his hair back. I have another on who has it just on the top of his head. We have given him some of the medication.

[Speigle]

I need help posting pictures. They're too big.

Thank you!!!!!

[Apple Corps]

Speigle - have you received the info you needed?

You should see improvement w/i a week.

Would you please tell us EXACTLY what is on the tube? We can help better with more info on what you are giving him.

Thank you so much for helping this lil fuzzer - he has to be suffering.

[Laura22]

I have a wild squirrel in the backyard in the suburbs of Toronto, who I think may be suffering from mange. He is a friendly squirrel and will come sit on my lap etc. He disappeared for awhile this winter, and when he came back he had a slight limp. He was also having trouble opening hard nuts (almonds, walnuts).This was a few weeks ago and the limp seems to have disappeared, but now he seems to have lost the fur on his head. It also looks like it has scabbed. I have attached a photo. Is this what mange looks like, or is it possible that he got in a fight? If he does have mange, what should I do?

[lockout]

Just want to confirm that ivermectin in horse dewormer is okay for treating mange?
I read online that a dosage about the size of a half-grain of rice is suitable for an average guy, followed up a couple of weeks later with another.
Its the only source of Ivermectin that seems readily available in Toronto. I found a horse supply place that will sell a tube for $21.00, and online, some single- use (for horses) tubes of apple flavored goo available on ebay for about $5.00.
(Finding someone who will ship to Canada is the next step.)
Vets won't perscribe without seeing the animal.
Regards
Paul

[Pointy Tale]

Hi Paul:
Hang on a second ok! I'm not a rehabber and I know that Ivermectin is a strong medicine.
I'm a slow typer so bare with me please and I'll try to be right back.

Hi, I’m trying to see if a rehabber is online to help you with dosing. I assume you want to treat a wild squirrel, like a grey?

If that is true, (I have used a liquid form From Chris’s Squirrels & More (http://www.squirrelsandmore.com) and it’s like the size of a pin drop—Chris is also is a rehabber and can advise about the proper dose as well), but is all depends upon the strength, do you know the strength of the horse dewormer?

Hmmm, we have other Canadian members as well. Do you have a picture of the guy you want to treat, always helps the rehabbers

[lockout]

I saw that source in an earler post, but he charges 36.00 for a bottle, and I don't know how much to ship because his toll free number won't work up here, and has also had some problems - outside of his control - with international shipments.
The ebay sellers have products in the 1.87 percent range, and as I said, under ten bucks shipped, which is less of a hit if customs confiscates it.
The horse dewormer is also available sort-of locally, if I take a long drive out to the boonies.
I'll try and take a pic of my guy when he comes around for his dinner seating.

He's a grey. (Black actually.) 99 percent of Toronto squirels are black, which always surprises American visitors, but supposedly the same species, from what I understand.

[Pointy Tale]

Lockout—
Yes, the % is very important about treating with ivermectin. I can’t find my bottle at the moment to know the percentage. If you could hang tight or pop back in later this afternoon (that would be better because I have to step out for a bit), I will do some research myself or try to find someone who can provide that direction to you. Is that OK with you? Wow—I don’t have any black squirrels, pretty neat. I'll be back later, OK, I promise, so please check back with me, OK.

[Pointy Tale]

Lockout—
Ok—here’s what I’ve come up with. I’m not a rehabber, so what I’m telling you is based on my experience and what I’ve read here, OK! In my situation, I used 1% liquid solution and put the size of a pin—head onto a nut and dosed the sick squirrel, then about 14 days later I did the same.

I see that your strength is a bit higher that what I’ve used, so perhaps a bit less is required, not sure.

This is the best thread about the dosing that I could find so far.

The Squirrel Board > Help Needed! > Emergency (Life Threatening) Help Needed > Mange in South Dakota (http://thesquirrelboard.com/forums/showthread.php?t=17642&highlight=mange+south+dakota)

Check out Post # 26 (http://thesquirrelboard.com/forums/showpost.php?p=402774&postcount=26) on page 2 (http://thesquirrelboard.com/forums/showthread.php?t=17642&page=2&highlight=mange+south+dakota)

As you will see we have a member Ontario Rehabber (http://thesquirrelboard.com/forums/member.php?u=4836), who posted in that thread and may be in your area and you always send a PM to get detailed dosing.

[dollsized]

Hi guys. Joined this site so I can get some advice on a squirrel that I suspect has mange.

This is a grey squirrel that's been visiting my fire escape for the last week or so. I always leave out leftover bread, crackers or other foods the birds might be interested in, and recently this little guy has been coming by and eating it.

No complaints, because he comes by and sunbathes too, haha. But I noticed he's always scratching himself a lot, and upon further examination of his fur up-close, it looks like something is wrong.

Picture 1 (http://i935.photobucket.com/albums/ad197/eden_gal/M1150006.jpg)
Picture 2 (http://i935.photobucket.com/albums/ad197/eden_gal/M1150005.jpg)

Where the fur is missing, the skin looks very dry.

If this is indeed mange, would this (http://www.squirrelsandmore.com/product/1562/propylene-glycol.htm) be the proper medicine I can buy for him?

[Pointy Tale]

Dollsized—Hi! Welcome to The Squirrel Board. I am Not a rehabber, I did see your pictures and they appear to me a squirrel watcher as mange. Yes Chris’s Squirrel’s & More is an Excellent Source, but I’m not sure if that is the right product. I would like to suggest that you call their phone and get the correct Ivermectin. I believe Chris is also a rehabber, so explain that you want the product for a squirrel and the dosing. She is super nice and extremely helpful. It is a VERY SMALL AMOUNT, like a pin drop or something and the second dose within 14-21 days. I’m sure a TSB rehabber will be here soon to help, but wanted to get you started in the meantime.
Good luck and let us know how your friend is doing.

http://i935.photobucket.com/albums/ad197/eden_gal/M1150006.jpg
http://i935.photobucket.com/albums/ad197/eden_gal/M1150005.jpg

[astra]

www.henryspets.com sells Ivermectin tablets that I personally used to treat my wilds with success.
You crush one tablet, dissolve it in the tiniest amount of water (just enough to make sort of a mushy crushed tablet, but not running), then, mix it in a bit of nut butter and put that mixture on a piece of bread. Repeat once a week for 3 weeks, make sure that it is exactly one week, neither less no more (e.g., if you start on Monday, the next dose should be next MOnday, not Sunday or Sat).
You could also put the crushed mushy tablet on a piece of nut, but I find that mixing it with nut butter (not too much, but just enough to hold the crushed tablet) and putting it on a piece of bread works better. First, because stuff tends to run or fall of a piece of nut. And second, because wild squirrels (to my surprise) tend to go for the nut, not the butter (they may end up discarding the butter and eat just the nut).

You could also get ivermectin paste (for horses) - at tractor supply stores, or horse supply stores. Can be called Panomec, Bimectin.
I know ppl who successfully used it:

When you get the paste, squeeze the entire contents into a plastic container and mix it well (because sometimes, the liquid part of it tends to separate inside the tube).
Put a dose the size of an uncooked rice grain on a nut and give it to the squirrel. Again, repeat once a week for three weeks.

I also know some people who do not squeeze the contents of the tube, and do it differently. But the squeezing method above works.

Hope, this helps.

[Mara]

Hi all. I have a chipmunk with mange on its tail. Can you buy the inver stuff at the pet store? F notncan someone tell me where and how to use it. Thanks!!!

[CritterMom]

No, it is used to treat horses and most places like Petco don't have horse stuff. A farm store, Tractor Supply, or any place that sells riding stuff should have the 1.87% ivermectin. You can also order it online from Tractorsupply.com.

You will see reference in this thread to a little bit the size of a grain of dry rice, which is a very tiny bit. You would use LESS THAN HALF of that for a chipmunk. It is dosed at 7 day intervals, so if you dosed today, you would do it again next Monday and again the following Monday. It does not kill eggs, so this is timed to allow hatching but no egg laying so you get all of them.

[TubeDriver]

Just to repeat, you want the tube of 1.87% Ivermectin paste. Use just enough to fill this "O". Ivermectin is very toxic so it is better to give too little compared with the danger of giving too much.

Give this amount on a nut treat and then repeat in 7-10 days. Finally, you can repeat a third and final time in an additional 7-10 days.
:thumbsup

[Mara]

Thanks - I have purchased some Ivermectin 1.87 from Amazon.ca and have called a local vet. I hope to have the Ivermectin Friday. I am hoping the local vet will let me buy it so I have it today, unfortunately two of them that are in the office right now won't sell it unless you bring the animal in for weighing even though I told them it is a wild chipmunk and I told them I spoke with a rehabber and told them how much I was going to give - good grief! I am hoping the vet I know will be in later on and let me buy some. Like letting mange run through the wild animals is a better option, please, sigh. :peek1:grouphug

[Sardoc]

Is it possible to treat for mange (with ivermectin or anything else) if you are unable to pick out the affected critter? I live in Eastern NC, my backyard borders on woods and we have many squirrels that visit and get their food regularly. We have noticed a few with rather ugly looking patches on their sides and from what I have been able to research online, it appears to be mange. The treatment seems to be a very specific amount of ivermectin given several times over a month period of time. If you have many squirrels and no way to get the needed meds to the specific animal, can you put the medication on a larger amount of food that all will get? Thanks, Jeff (I am grasping at straws for a way to help my little friends):help

[DarkLies212]

Hi Jeff! I don't have an answer for you as medication goes right over my head. Just stopping by to say thank you for caring and I hope someone answers you soon!

[astra]

Is it possible to treat for mange (with ivermectin or anything else) if you are unable to pick out the affected critter? I live in Eastern NC, my backyard borders on woods and we have many squirrels that visit and get their food regularly. We have noticed a few with rather ugly looking patches on their sides and from what I have been able to research online, it appears to be mange. The treatment seems to be a very specific amount of ivermectin given several times over a month period of time. If you have many squirrels and no way to get the needed meds to the specific animal, can you put the medication on a larger amount of food that all will get? Thanks, Jeff (I am grasping at straws for a way to help my little friends):help

Thank you for caring, Jeff.
But no, you cannot do that.
First off, for the medication - ivermectin - to be effective, it needs to be administered in a regular timed manner, otherwise - it will be useless.

BUT most importantly, randomly putting nuts with ivermectin will literally result in fatalities. Ivermectin is very potent and extremely toxic - fatal - when overdosed. So, just putting out a bunch of nuts with ivermectin will result in several squirrels eating a few servings of ivermectin and it will be fatal.

So, no, unless you can treat each squirrel individually, there is no way to treat them with ivermectin en masse.

I may have missed when you explained it - but if these sqs are regular at your place, and/or regular at the park where you go, it is possible to treat each individually:
1) Prep. as many nuts as there are sqs whom you want to treat;
2) when they show up, give each nut to a specific squirrel, ensuring that no other squirrel, especially not the one who has already received his/her dose, can intercept it;
3) repeat the same for three weeks (once a week).

But if there is absolutely now way for you to treat them individually - just give them good food and support them that way. Mange is often caused by stress and weakened immune system, so boosting their immune system with good food can help. Good food will include good tree nuts - almonds, hazelnuts, walnuts, even pecans (no cashews, no pistachios, no pine nuts), fruit (peeled apple, banana, watermelon, berries - rasp, blueb, strawb; mango pieces peeled), avocado meat - no skin and no pit b/c they are toxic, to name a few.
You can also "doctor" rodent block to make it more palatable for the wilds.
www.henryspets.com - they sell Wild Bites - nutritious block intended specifically for wild squirrels

Although sometimes when mange has progressed too far, it will go away only with medication.

[Gladbutterfly]

Thanks for the response. We will try to get some photographs of our squirrels to show what we think is mange. One black squirrel is missing an ear, it appears to have been scratched or rubbed off. There is a balding patch extending down behind his left ear, that looks like it's been chewed or nibbled. The little gray squirrel is developing baldness behind the head on his "shoulders" or the nape of his neck. I definitely will not proceed with any treatment without discussing it here. I am delighted to have joined this board! What a help. Thanks again. Will post here soon, tomorrow if I get a shot of the little guys. Thanks.

Are you sure the fur loss is not the “landing strip” that gets produced by male squirrels in mating with females? Also, this time of year, pregnant females remove their “jackets” to line their breeding nests. When I first noticed it a couple years ago, I thought it was mange too, but I called Ministry of Natural Resources and found out that it likely wasn’t mange. The fur grew back as the year progressed, and I’ve seen the same pattern for several years now.

[Mel1959]

Glad butterfly, this is a very old thread...2016. Thank you for responding and :Welcome to TSB.