Deer Team Leaders:
Cathy Garner
Nadia Arnold

What constitutes a true emergency?

• Open bleeding wounds
• Shallow, labored or noisy breathing
• Convulsions
• Head trauma
• Burns

If the fawn has any of the above, immediately seek veterinary care.

Newborn fawns have a wet umbilicus. You will need to swab that entire area with iodine so that it dries out faster and prevents infection.
Very young fawns, up to two weeks of age, have white spots that stick up above their brown coat and they look like white bumps. The entire fawn will be very shiny if it is newborn. The umbilical cord does not fall off for sometimes up to 4 weeks.

If you see a fawn alone

When most people see a fawn in the wilderness they think the fawn has been abandoned by its mother. That is rarely the case.

Mother is almost always very close by. You may not see her, but she can probably see, smell, and hear you from her hiding place.

Usually she will not come out of hiding – even to protect her fawn!

 
10-day-old fawn

Many people want to do a “good deed” and “save Bambi,” but in most cases the fawn is fine where it is.

If you encounter a fawn and are absolutely positive that it needs help, then and only then should you remove the fawn from its location. Should you find yourself in that situation, call Fresno Wildlife Rehabilitation Service for help.

While you are waiting for help to arrive, aim to keep the fawn in a quiet, dark, warm place where it will be safe.

If you transported the fawn to your home, it may be placed in a bathroom or laundry room area. Fawns tend to seek small corners (behind a toilet) where they feel safe and hidden from a predator's view.

If you have a heating pad, wrap it in several layers of towels and keep it's temperature at the "LOW" setting.

DO NOT FEED THE FAWN!!!
Absolutely no feeding should take place because what you may feed it will most likely make it very ill.

Can you offer it water?

It is never wise to try to transport a fawn by yourself. This task is best handled by at least two people: one to drive the vehicle and the other to hold the fawn firmly and keep it quiet and warm.

If handled correctly, a fawn will seem to fold up” on your lap. If the fawn strongly resists, you may try to calm it down by putting a covering (towel, shirt, jacket) over its eyes.