Zoo database

Red fox

Vulpes vulpes

Natural diet Red fox

The red fox is a carnivore that primarily consumes small mammals such as rodents, rabbits, and hares. Opportunistically, they eat birds, insects, carrion and fruit. In urban areas, they may consume garbage and pet food.

Fruits
Fruits
Insects
Insects
Vertebrates
Vertebrates

Feeding advice Red fox

Feed quantity per day

10-20%

Sample percentage calculation

If an animal weighs 5 kg and eats 15% of its body weight, it will get
 
5 x 0.15 = 0.75 kg feed in total per day

Feed composition

70% Meat and whole prey
9% Insects and other invertebrates
1% Supplements
20% Other vegetables

Proportions (fresh product)

0.7 x 0.75 kg = 525 g meat and whole prey
0.09 x 0.75 kg = 68 g insects and other invertebrates
0.01 x 0.75 kg = 8 g supplements
0.2 x 0.75 kg = 150 g other vegetables

Diet Suggestions

Recommended

Variety of prey

Variety of insects

Supplements

In moderation

Variety of vegetables

Not recommended

Fruits

Common diseases

An unbalanced diet may result in one of these more commonly occurring diseases/conditions:

  • Stomach torsion
  • Cystinuria
  • Proliferative gingivitis

Additional advice

  • Divide the “Feed quantity per day” over at least one feeding moment per day.
  • Include at least one fasting day per week and slightly increase the diet portion on the day before.
  • The supplements should be given according to the appropriate dosage that is mentioned on the labelling.
  • To promote the oral health, it is important to offer the soft food first and then the hard food such as bones and skin.
  • Feeding fruits is not recommended because of high sugar levels in cultivated fruits compared to wild fruits (read more about nutritional values of (wild) fruits and vegetables).
  • Stimulate foraging behaviour by hanging, stacking or hiding the feed (read more about feed enrichment and foraging behaviour).