Signs of Illness:
- Seen in daylight. Lethargic. Wobbly. “Sunbathing”. Coughing. Exposed and curled up. Raspy breath. Collapsed on its side. Limping or dragging a leg. Has Ticks (see below). Found entangled. Found in a pond/drain. Abandoned hoglet.
- Bleeding. Has flies around it. Has fly eggs or maggots. Found burnt.
What you must do:
- Poorly Hedgehogs get cold even in the sun.… Place a hot water bottle at one end of a high sided container, and cover with a towel to avoid burning the Hedgehog. Using thorn proof gloves or other protection, place the Hedgehog next to the heat source, giving it enough room to move away once it has warmed. Do not give food or water.
- If the Hedgehog is bleeding, has flies around it or has fly eggs/maggots, do NOT give a heat source as this encourages faster bleeding and the eggs to hatch.
Now take immediately to your nearest rescue to save its life.
Other rescues can be found via the following directories, or contact your local vet
Or type into Facebook searchbar “Hedgehog rescue near me” or “Wildlife rescue near me”
If you do not have a nearby rescue, please take the Hedgehog to your nearest vet.
Ticks: An ecological survey of wild Hedgehogs has shown that the fecal odour of Hedgehogs varies between sick and healthy Hedgehogs, with ticks being attracted to the odour of sick Hedgehogs, but not healthy ones, making the level of tick burden an idicator of the general health of a Hedgehog
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