Hi
Hedgehogs carry internal parasites as a norm. They pick them up from the food that they eat normally.
They can cope perfectly well with them, unless they become ill in which case the balance can go out of sync. This can also be caused by stress of captivity.
It is often the reason a hog comes in looking apparently well and people think it’s ok to keep them and then they become ill after a short period and die. For this reason ALL hogs brought in for overwintering should be checked over by a carer and monitored regularly.
If you keep hogs together and one has a parasite load then you always need to treat both.
Hedgehogs carry zoonotic diseases that we can catch, however you only need normal basic hygiene in place. You do not need to go overboard sterilising equipment etc ( unless dealing with tiny hoglets )
It makes sense not to cross contaminate animal and human food dishes as a norm
