Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center
The following hematological and chemistry values were derived from blood samples taken from swift foxes (Vulpes velox) live trapped in Wyoming during the month of August in 1995 and 1996. Twenty foxes were sampled in 1995 and seven foxes in 1996, with a combined sex ratio of nine males and eighteen females. Foxes were both mature (>1 year) and young of the year. The animals were held from 2 to 23 days in outdoor facilities at the Broadmoor East Veterinary Clinic, Cheyenne, Wyoming during which time they had physical exams, prophylactic deworming with Ivomec1, treatment for ectoparasites with Sectrol2, vaccinated with Vanguard CVL3, and Imrab4 and were permanently identified with ear tattoos. Animals were fed a diet of a dry commercial dog food. Foxes were transferred to the Animal Health Center at the Calgary Zoo where they were examined again and blood samples obtained either by cephalic or jugular venipuncture within three days of arrival. The samples were submitted within twelve hours to a reference veterinary laboratory (Central Laboratory for Veterinarians, Langley, British Columbia, V3A 1H9) for hematology (Coulter Model S-4) and serum biochemistries, including electrolytes (Monarch Chemistry System).