Handling hedgehogs

[PaulM]

I have been feeding hedgehogs for over a year in a feeding station on our patio. Everyday I clean the feeding bowls and put new food out for them.

My question is should I be wearing gloves when handling food bowls due to the risk of infection ?
So far I have just been very careful with my hand hygiene and washed my hands thoroughly with soap and then used a hand sanitizer product.

One hedgehog with three babies has lung worm and since yesterday I have been giving her medicine and then I have used thick gardening gloves when handling her and afterwards washed and sanitized my hands.

I wonder how you who are more experiences hedgehog advocats procede when feeding/handling your hedgehogs.

Is there a major risk of being infected by some zoonotic disease when feeding hedgehogs?

How do you best clean away the feces they leave wherever they please – sometimes even in the food bowl ? I try to scrape it up best I can with a gardening knife.

[Nic]

Hi PaulM

Sorry your question seems to have slipped through the net.

I think it is largely down to personal preference. I have never heard of anyone catching anything from the hedgehogs from food bowls, etc. but obviously if you are dealing with worms or the like it makes sense to be more careful. Personally, I would wash my hands after handling any animals’ food bowls and it sounds to me as if you are being pretty thorough.

I am not qualified to comment from the caring for sick/injured hedgehogs point of view and maybe someone who is, will comment, if they think there are any more precautions you should take.

With regard to the poos. If a hedgehog has done them in a food bowl then I would wash the bowl carefully afterwards. If hedgehogs are eating a natural diet, their poos don’t normally need scraping, as such. But again, personally I wouldn’t pick them up without gloves, although I’m sure some people probably do. I normally just scoop them up with some appropriate implement.

I hope the hedgehog with worms responded well to treatment and that she and all her offspring are doing well.

[Author]

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