i took in a pretty silver back coyote in to taxiderm. though when it came in i noticed and felt that it had what i thought to be collected hair balls all over it..[i thought just from shedding.]well it is do to being so flea infested,these balls on him are collected hair shedding,but also in these balls,and on the hide is flea larva,dandruff and sometime fleas.i don't know how this animal kept going.but let me explain that the fur itself is good and very much can be taxidermed,if i can get the infestment out.now after all of that[though i was trying to explain it's mess]has anyone came across this before and is there a way to get this infestment out of the hair.i know what most of you are saying:throw the damn thing away and that is probably what i will have to do.i am hoping i don't have to.HELP,HELP IF YOU HAVE AN ANSWER.sure will be appreciated.i really don't have time to look through this forum for the answer,should it be here.thanks again.i must do something with this coyote if i'm going to.you can email me with your answer if you have one,as an email answer would be quicker,and i truly need it yesterday.i hope am writing this in the right part of the forum. thanks again. dee
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Those small brown-black specks are eggs. The larva are actually smaller fleas.
If the hair is falling out as you state, I would trash it, sound like mange to me. Not worth risking infecting yourself, spouse, kids, pets.
I hope you have it in your freezer. Let it set there for a few weeks before thawing and skinning. Don't mess with the hair until you're just about ready to mount (even through the tanning if you're doing it yourself.) Then wash the hide in a good soap to cleanse it. After washing, take a bottle of good hair conditioner and saturate the hair with it. Then take a good furriers comb and comb out the clots of fleas. The conditioner will make the hair slicker and the comb will glide through. I use a dual sided furriers comb and then I get all the way down to a flea comb (get them from your Veterinarian). Once combed, rewash in clear water, spin dry, tumble and mount.
thanks to all.many,many,thanks.i will get right on it.yes i am doing it myself and john c. sorry if my email led you to believe the hair was falling out.no it isn't and i don't think it to be mange.i've done taxidermy for a long time and i have never seen anything like this.any way i realy,realy appreciate it.thanks again. dee