Injured Hedgehog

[Emily]

The night before last, I heard noises that sounded like squealing coming from my front garden but I didn’t think that much of it because it sounded like a bird. So then last night I went outside to put my camera trap and hedgehog food out, when I found there was a hedgehog sat drinking from my pond. I was thrilled as we had only installed the pond last winter so I was happy to know that there was wildlife like hedgehogs going towards the pond. I then noticed when it walked away, that there was a patch on its side that was missing a lot of spines. I looked closer and saw that there were a lot of small bugs crawling around on the hedgehogs skin and that it smelt really bad. There wasn’t any blood it just looked infected or diseased.

You could also tell by the way it was walking that it was struggling like when getting down a small ledge from the path to the grass it would roll off and stumble rather than just simply stemping down as they normally would.

I gave it some hedgehog food and it ate it all fine and had previously been drinking out of the pond so I don’t think it was anything extremely serious or internally wrong.

I looked it up online and it said to put it in a box with some blankets, food and water and to call the vet or the Hedgehog Preservation Society but by this time I was inside and the hedgehog had wandered off so I said that if the hedgehog returned tonight that I would do that but I didn’t see the hedgehog around so now I’m not really sure what to do.

Any advice would be highly appreciated, Thanks.

[5sandown]

This hog has an infected would which is a serious problem. It needs to be caught and taken to a rescue centre or a vets who specialise in wildlife as soon as possible. Good luck

[stef]

The bugs you saw were probably maggots. Unfortunately unless removed very quickly they will eat their way into the hog and it’s doomed.
The smell was infection
It’s unlikely you will see it again, but if you do please take it straight to your nearest vet – don’t mess around trying to find a carer

[Mollymoos]

I had this and managed to get the hog off to a kind volunteer in Birmingham by taxi! Hope they are ok xx

[stef]

Well done

[Mollymoos]

Really sad update the hog named Charlie has been found to have a missing foot and damaged front one, off to vets tomorrow with kind volunteer really hope their is a chance 😥😥

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