Disease and mortality in captive wild dogs (Lycaon pictus)

A retrospective survey on the causes of disease and death in captive wild dogs (Lycaon pictus) (n = 87) presented for examination and investigation from 1983 to 1995, revealed that 50 were less than a week old, 13 were between a week and 1 year of age, 7 were less than 5 years old, and 6 were older than 5 years. The age of 11 adult dogs could not be determined. The cause of death could not be determined in the majority of neonates but 37 probably died of exposure and 13 of septicaemia and pulmonary lesions. Various causes of trauma, including aggression and siblicide, were diagnosed in 13 wild dogs. Lesions of the lungs, kidneys, heart, pancreas, uterus, intestines and skin were diagnosed respectively in 4, 6, 3, 3, 5, 5 and 2 of the cases. An aberrant behavioural pattern was diagnosed in a hand-reared wild dog.