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Hedgehog Coughing….is it a bad sign?
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Hi all,
I’ve currently got two hoglets nesting together in my garden. There was a larger one who has recently left, who I am assuming was the mother hedgehog who has now left the hoglets to fend for themselves.
When feeding them this evening, I could hear a coughing noise coming from the nest. It wasn’t persistent, and stopped after a few moments.
Should I be concerned? I’ve read that this could be a sign of the hog being sick, but I’ve also read this could just be due to a dusty nest etc.
Apologies if anyone has asked this before.
If anyone has any advice it would be greatly appreciated!
Dani
Hogs often cough, expecially when in the nest and it’s perfectly normal. But it can also be a sign of lungworm/illness
If it’s just a little cough, like you or I would do to clear our airways then I wouldn’t worry, but if it sounded more like a heavy smokers cough then you’d be advised to contact your nearest carer.
Note that if they are sharing a nest and one is sick the other will need treating too
That’s great, thank you Stef!
I will definitely keep an eye on them and listen out for the noise.
It is something I’d heard before, about 2 weeks ago, when the mother hog was nesting too – when the hoglets were much smaller. They seem to be thriving now and are still growing/putting on weight so it doesn’t seem as if there is an illness, but will definitely contact a carer if my concerns continue!
Do you know of the best place to find my nearest carer should I need one?
BHPS on 01584 890801
RSPCA will also have a list of carers
Your local vet will nearly always know of someone
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