Gills logs and blogs.

Tales from the Palace.

Gills Hog Blog Number 4

First Aid.

Spring is here and creatures are stirring. Hedgehogs are out and about, building nests and trying to put on the weight hey have lost over hibernation. It's a great time to put out some cat biscuits or wet food and a saucer of water (not bread and milk which WILL kill them!)

Pricklington Palace is all spic and span and ready for the inevitable admissions which occur usually when man and hedgehog come into contact with each other.

If you find a hedgehog out and about during daylight hours it will almost certainly be in trouble. The exception to that rule is a nursing mum who may be out trying to  find food or nesting materials. She will be bright eyed and moving with purpose (please leave her alone). You may disturb a nest of hoglets...don't touch them (mum will eat them if she smells humans on them). Try and repair the damage and stand back and watch. Mum should return and will probably move the nest. 
Tiny hoglets out and about on their own are probably orphans and need immediate help.

Don't watch a hedgehog out in the daylight for days on end until it is so sick it can't be saved. Intervene, or give me a call for advice (07910129914).

First things first.
The most important thing in times of trouble is warmth and fluids. Put on a pair of gloves or handle the hog through a towel . Pop it into a steep sided box with some straw or an old towel to hide under and a covered hot water bottle or old drinks bottle with a sock on. Offer some water (add a little sugar if you like) and if the hog is active a little wet meaty cat food. Place it somewhere quiet and dark and avoid showing it to everyone who asks.

Take them to your nearest vet or rescue centre (Me!!!).
Vets will administer first aid free of charge so don't worry about a fee and they will then call me to collect the hog.

Common 'ailments'.

Flystrike.
Little clusters of creamy rice like matter is fly eggs. They tend to be seen in the soft areas (eyes/ears/mouth/anus). Hedgehogs who are dying exude a scent that is irresistible to flies and they gather on them to lay their eggs. The eggs hatch quickly and the maggots will eat the hedgehog alive. Every single last egg must be removed (there will be thousands). A hedgehog with this will need intensive care and it is not a 'DIY' scenario. Please act quickly and get the hog to a rescue or vet.

Ticks.
A hedgehog can cope with a few of these but it doesn't take many to debilitate a small hedgehog. Removal is an art form as it is very easy to leave the mouth parts in place and cause abscesses to form. If you are not sure how to remove them please take to someone who is. There are special tools for the job.

Mites and Ringworm.
I have put these together as the effects are very similar. Beware, Ringworm is highly infectious to humans and household pets. This needs specialist attention.

Fleas
Hedgehogs do occasionally become infested with fleas nut usually will only have a few. They are species specific (Archaeopsylla erinacei) so cannot live on humans, cats or dogs. Do not be tempted to treat them with your domestic pets flea killer. It will cause death to the hedgehog.

Internal parasites
Hedgehogs host a  variety of internal parasites which when they are stressed or compromised (by captivity for instance) will multiply.These can only be seen via a microscope in a faecal sample.Every hedgehog who comes into The Palace is checked for internal parasites at least three times. Different worms require different medications. Some are a nuisance and others are life threatening.

Injuries.
hedgehogs often come into rescues due to attacks by domestic dogs or with injuries from strimmers, spades or lawnmowers or having ingested poisons. Please be careful when you start your gardening and if you are going to light a  bonfire please check for hedgehogs first. I will spare you the images of those unlucky creatures who have suffered these injuries as they are not pretty.Hedgehogs are resilient creatures and with the right support they can overcome huge issues.


A note: hedgehogs are wild animals, that do not like human intervention. They look cute and rarely bite but that does not mean that they want to be handled and petted. Please if you find a hedgehog who you think is in trouble, contain it and call a rescue for advice. 

Why not leave a wildlife corridor around your garden (an area of long unended grass) .

The British Hedgehog Preservation Society can be called on 01584 890801


A quick 'diagnosis' chart can be found at 
http://www.hedgehog-rescue.org.uk/diagnosis.php

    Please let someone with experience check a hedgehog over in the first instance.

Rescue, rehabilitate, release. 

Gill Dixon runs Pricklington Palace Hedgehog rescue here in Howden. Purely voluntarily and single handedly. Please visit  www.facebook.com/pricklingtonpalace/ to support her work. 

Donations via www.paypal.me/Dixon1829