Gills hog blog number 11

Overwintering hedgehogs.

One issue for rescues is the problem of hedgehogs who are fit but not big enough to be released during winter months. The Palace becomes full of healthy individuals and there is no room for sick ones. Occasionally i welcome temporary fosterers to care for the hogs until they can be released in Spring.

Can anyone foster?  

First and foremost the person must love and respect wildlife. These are wild animals and should not be disturbed unnecessarily. They are nocturnal, so apart from cleaning them out  daily and perhaps weighing them, they will not be seen.
You must be able to provide food and water every day for up to six months.

You will need.....

• Somewhere quiet for the hog to live. No TV's ,radios, loud bangs, screaming children or unnecessary disturbance.
• To keep domestic animals away. Hedgehogs need to be frightened of cats and dogs in the wild.
• Suitable accommodation. A hutch, cage, shed or plastic box. (hedgehogs are great climbers). 
• Adequate bedding. Shredded paper (torn up newspaper is fine) dust free hay or fleeces. It is extremely important that they can bury themselves.
• Heat may be needed. A small heat pad is adequate (advice will be given).
• Suitable food which is meaty dog or cat food and biscuits. Absolutely no treats and nothing you have dug up in the garden (snails and worms carry the parasites that kill hedgehogs).
• Weighing scales to keep a check on progress.
• Rubber gloves for cleaning and handling are a must.
• Cleaning solution which is safe for hogs ( I use F10 which is available online).
• To be prepared to return the hog if you have any concerns.

I will never give out a sick hedgehog knowingly and will always be available for advice or support.

Please be aware that hedgehogs are messy and smelly and carry diseases that can be passed to humans. They are definitely NOT pets and my aim is always to return them to the wild. Children should not handle them unsupervised and it is extremely important that the hedgehog is not disturbed to show visitors or friends. This causes extreme stress which can lead to illness. 

Rescue, rehabilitate, release.

Gill Dixon runs Pricklington Palace Hedgehog rescue here in Howden. Purely voluntarily and single handily. Please visit  www.facebook.com/pricklingtonpalace/ to support her work. Donations via www.paypal.me/Dixon1829

Hog blog 6 extraordinary behaviour

Gills Hog Blog number 6

Tales from Pricklington Palace.

Extraordinary and curious behaviour.

Our knowledge of hedgehog behaviour is woefully poor and far from complete but one bizarre behaviour that has been observed by most people who spend any time at all with hedgehogs is the practice of self- anointing.

This when a hedgehog produces a mass of frothy saliva which it then 'spits' onto its back and flanks with an unmistakable twist of the head and flick of the tongue. the seemingly frenzied animal may really contort its body to reach the less accessible areas with saliva.
The activity can be brief but may also last up to an hour and during the time the hedgehog is highly absorbed in the activity and is difficult to distract from it. Lindemann (1951) observed that only healthy animals participate and that it is common to all species.

A number of researchers have produced theories about what triggers this behaviour, the most likely being that it is in response to an unusual or particularly strong odour. having said that the list of substances reported to trigger self-anointing is truly mind boggling and ranges from acrid pungent items, to perfumes but includes something as innocuous as distilled water!

The interesting thing is that no one truly knows what the behaviour is for. Perhaps the odour camouflages the hedgehogs own smell as they seem to take a sample of the odorous substances and mix it with the saliva before plastering it all over their spines. some suggest that it conditions the spines and is part of grooming. Perhaps it makes the hog repellent to predators, or perhaps they simple enjoy the activity, rather like ones pet dog rolling in a cowpat the moment you let it off the lead!!!!

   

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

A day in the Life of Pricklington Palace.

Gills Hog Blog Number 7, or a Post from the Palace.

A day in the life of Pricklngton Palace.

There is no 'typical' day in the Palace. Hedgehogs come and go. Some are released and some do not survive, such is the nature of rescue. My day today started at 02.30 nipping outside to the Intensive care incubator to give some fluids to a very poorly hedgehog who has undergone surgery for an extensive maggot infested strimmer injury. I had to do this by injection as this one is not able to take anything orally right now. He was very emaciated and weak so has a lot to conquer if he is to survive. This one I have named Duffy as he came from South Duffield. One of those that pulls on the heart strings. I really hope he makes it after everything he has been through.

I went back to bed to get up at 0600 to repeat the process. I cleaned out the other hutches and weighed those residents whilst I was there. One required its second treatment for a very common (but deadly) internal parasite. Easily done and he can be left undisturbed until tomorrow. The others were a quick weigh, clean out and back to their beds.

Last night  a big male hog with an unseen wound was admitted. He was very uncooperative but had some strength which can only be a good thing.. Lots of maggots around and I spent three hours cleaning those out but he has a nasty offensive discharge around his ear/neck and so I will drop him at the vets as soon as it opens. I was able to administer an antibiotic and some multivitamins and a painkiller so hopefully they will be doing some good and he has eaten well  so that's a great sign. I have called this one Captain as he is from Hook. A great find by a friend as it happens.

The funniest thing happened though whilst I was attending to him in that I felt something brush my ankle. With a slight reflex of horror (was it a rat?!) I looked down to see a tiny hedgehog who had such an attitude. If it had been a human I think it would have shouted 'Burger and chips and make it snappy!!' It had come in through the hole we leave for our cat! A self admission!!! He ate hungrily and spat and hissed at me but is now tucked up , full of vitamins and I'll wait for a faecal specimen. Ony 340 grams so seriously underweight. Called this one 'STRUT' and I speak his name in capitals and handle him with care.

The vets have called and Captain has done well (thank you End Cottage team). A great job by them and back to my care for what i hope will be a full recovery. The discharge is a nasty ear infection.

Another strimmer injury which is extensive but healthy looking so if this one has some fight left it will eventually make it back outside to the wild where it belongs. 

I continued my 4hrly fluids for Duffy but sadly he passed away at 2300hrs. All too much, too late for this wee chap. He was warm and comfy at the end though.  Little strut has a massive infestation of  Capillaria (an intestinal nematode). Treatment started and his attitude and appetite should see him make a full recovery.

Night all!!!!

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

Gills Hog Blog Number 8, or a Post from the Palace.

The decline of the hedgehog.


I am only too aware that when curled a hedgehog becomes an impenetrable ball. You would think that they are safe from predators and predicaments, but alas that is not the case.

It is forecast that we will lose many of our favourite mammals within the next decade.  The idea of this really saddens me  as hedgehogs  we know for certain  were firmly established in Britain by the middle Pleistocene period about 2 million years ago.

Hedgehogs do have a few natural predators . Foxes, badgers, stoats, mink and even rats are said to take some hedgehogs but by far the greatest risk to hedgehogs is man.

Here is a list of some of the things that are a danger to hedgehogs

• Litter
• Fencing
• Ponds
• Pesticides and poisons (lack of insects).
• Intensive farming
• Lack of habitat
• Machinery/tools/strimmers
• Domestic dogs
• Uncovered drains
• Pot holes
• Motor vehicles
• Ignorance
• Cruelty.

The fragmentation of hedgehogs is a huge factor. Hedgehogs travel up to 2 or more miles a night in their efforts to find enough food but increasingly they are stuck in or out of gardens, Just a small (CD sized hole) in a fence would solve this problem. I am also extremely sad to report that they are still used as footballs in parks and playgrounds and rarely survive such a terrible ordeal!

So the major threat to this wonderful species is man and all the things listed are so easy to obliterate or rectify....by man!

Hedgehogs are experts at getting into trouble. If they can get stuck in it or fall into or over it, it they will. If you want to help them, think outside the box. Look at everything inside out and upside down. And just remember, even when your garden is completely hazard free and there is no possible way a hedgehog can get into trouble, they'll invent a new way.

   

Rescue, rehabilitate, release.

Gill Dixon runs Pricklington Palace Hedgehog rescue here in Howden. Purely voluntarily and single handily. Please visit  www.facebook.com/pricklingtonpalace/ to support her work. Donations via www.paypal.me/Dixon1829

I have found a hedgehog. What should I do?

Gills Hog Blog number 9.

I have found a hedgehog. What should I do?


Hedgehogs get into trouble, health wise for all manner of reasons, but it is fair to say that if you see a hedgehog out in the day it is in trouble (even if it looks fine). The one exception to that is a lactating female who may be out collecting fresh nest material. She will be moving with purpose. June and October are the the significant months for hedgehog births.

If you find a hedgehog who you suspect is ill or injured...

• Do place it in a high sided box or one with a lid. Hedgehogs can climb and will try to escape. 

• Do use gloves or a towel when handling the hogs. Spines are sharp and hedgehogs do carry a number of  zoonotic diseases i.e that can be transferred to humans.

• Do keep the hog warm (even when the ambient temperature seems warm they will get cold if ill) Use a  hot water bottle covered with a towel or a plastic/glass bottle filled with hot water and wrapped with a sock. Or a microwavable heat pad.

• Do offer a drink of water with a sprinkling of sugar or honey in it.

• Do put a towel, fleece or some clean shredded paper in the box. Somewhere for the hedgehog to hide really reduces stress and increases their chance of survival.

• Do put the box somewhere quiet and resist the temptation to show the little creature to everyone that enquires. It will be VERY frightened.

• Do not give cows milk or bread.

• Do not watch it for days thinking its cute or will get better. Hedgehogs go down hill rapidly.

• Do not think it is sunbathing (they don't).

• Do not put it in a cold garage and hope for the best.

• Do not dig up worms or find snails for it (they carry parasites that kill hedgehogs).

Hedgehogs are now in sharp decline and we must do what we can to help them.

Call your nearest rescue (that's me on 07756657992)  or the British Hedgehog preservation Society on 01584 890 801 

If you get no joy, take to your nearest vet. There is no charge.

Rescue, rehabilitate, release.

Gill Dixon runs Pricklington Palace Hedgehog rescue here in Howden. Purely voluntarily and single handily. Please visit  www.facebook.com/pricklingtonpalace/ to support her work. Donations via www.paypal.me/Dixon1829

Dyspraxia Awareness week 2018

Lets raise the roof for Dyspraxia/DCD. October 7-13th.

Each year the Dyspraxia Foundation has a focused awareness week. This year is particularly special because the Charity also celebrates its 30 year anniversary, which is no mean feat for a small but national Charity that relies entirely on its membership fees and voluntary contributions for survival. That means a huge shout of THANKYOU is due to each and every member, fundraiser and ofcourse the army of volunteers who give of their time to raise awareness and support those with dyspraxia/DCD and the Charity who carries them at its heart.

It would be true to say that each and every day is an opportunity to raise awareness of this still largely misunderstood but surprisingly common condition, but a week dedicated to that focuses attention, evokes interest and highlights an important issue that is meaningful to those with dyspraxia and those that support and love them.
This year, the Charity has chosen to focus on  those of secondary school age. It will be concentrating  on mental health and will be sharing some startling results from a recent survey relating to mental health issues.

A most exciting piece of news is that Dr Who which starts on Sunday 7th at 18.45hrs  (the very first night of our awareness week) will introduce a new character who has dyspraxia. Be sure to tune in and see what that means for Ryan, one of the new Doctors trusted companions. .

This really is something of a coup. 25 years ago when I first got involved in raising awareness with the Foundation there was not even one book dedicated to the condition, and now someone with the condition will feature on a legendary and long running television production. Amazing!!!!
Indeed dyspraxia is beginning to break through in other productions. The popular Channel 4 series Ackley Bridge also introduced a character this year and there are others in the pipeline.
But it is not just on television, the Dyspraxia Foundation is making its mark with MP's who can effect change and with whom they have forged some worthwhile relationships, alongside some collaborative projects with other Charities.

Awareness week enables us to publish a press release and already there has been lots of interest from BBC radio and commercial radio channels keen to talk about the condition and share information. We will be launching new information sheets to add to our already extensive range which are free to download here https://dyspraxiafoundation.org.uk/about-dyspraxia/information-sheets/

The Foundation has appointed its first Ambassador (your truly) and will be appointing two new Youth Champions from our wonderfully successful and pro active Youth Group who will also be publishing a book of their positive stories. Find them on Facebook  at https://www.facebook.com/groups/DyspraxiaFoundationYouth/

There is far too much to mention in a blog but I would strongly recommend that you follow the Foundation on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/dyspraxiafoundation/
and twitter @DYSPRAXIAFTDN for all the latest news and stories as they happen.

   

 
So much has been achieved, but there is so much more yet to do and that is where YOU come in. Could you do something to raise awareness and much needed funding? A coffee morning, raffle, cake stall, pub quiz, tombola, sponsored event? There is lots of information free to download from our website, so you can raise awareness whilst having fun. www.dyspraxiafoundation.org.uk Even by wearing one of our badges you can open up a conversation.

Dyspraxia is important, more awareness is needed so that people with the condition can reach their potential and be supported to live and work successfully. Let's all shout about it next week and raise the roof for DYSPRAXIA.

Dyspraxia/DCD is a lifelong condition affecting gross and fine motor coordination in adults and children. In addition many may experience difficulties with organisational skills, memory, processing speed and, in some cases speech.