hedgehog in garden

[joanne79]

last night i found a small hedgehog in my garden,after looking up info i gave it a small bowl of water and some cat biscuits and made a small box with some hay inside for shelter..this morning i found it had made its way inside an old rabbit hutch in my garden and had made its bedding with some spare hay..was wondering if this would be an ideal home for him or to take him/her down to the vale as i live on a busy road (but peaceful and quite backgarden)? thanks

[HedgehogRescue]

Hi there. You did the right thing. If he was out at night then he's probably OK and may just have been booted out by mum but it's difficult to tell.

Can you weigh him? If you can get the weight in Grams and he's over 450g then just let him get on with it. As long as there is food and water for him he'll be fine.

If he's less than that it depends how much less. If he's a tiny, under 200g then yes, he'll probably need help as he's a bit small to be on his own unless mum and the nest are nearby. 200g - 450g then it's a tough call as he may be able to cope but may not, in that case give Vale a call and ask them what they think.

[joanne79]

thanks for that ill try and weigh him today..i must specify as the "vale"is a local country park,but if his mother is nearby then i shall let him be. i was very surprised how noisy he was and was watching from the window how he ate a slug..must admit i was pleasently surprised that he stayed that night in the hutch and hope he pops back for a visit...also as the cats keep eating the biscuits i have left him with a weetabix is this suitable for his diet? thanks x

[wizzo]

Hi Joanne and welcome to WAB!!

[HedgehogRescue]

Originally Posted by joanne79

thanks for that ill try and weigh him today..i must specify as the "vale"is a local country park,but if his mother is nearby then i shall let him be. i was very surprised how noisy he was and was watching from the window how he ate a slug..must admit i was pleasently surprised that he stayed that night in the hutch and hope he pops back for a visit...also as the cats keep eating the biscuits i have left him with a weetabix is this suitable for his diet? thanks x

Noisy? Was he peeping? If so he was distressed or hungry.

Food no, for little ones like that give cat meat or kitten biscuits, preferably no gravy and absolutely no milk, just water. If he's still about and peeping grab him and keep him in something he can't escape from and feed him up, he'll need a little nest to hide in, fleece makes a great nest and easily washed. If you can get someone to look him over first to make sure no injury, ticks or fly strike then it's all to the good.

If you can't get hold of anyone and need some advice, got to my web site to get my number and give me a call.

Sorry, thought you meant Vale Wildlife Rescue.

[tobyy]

hope the little chap is ok.

[joanne79]

he seems fine and has been back every night since has his biscuits then goes for a wander aroung the garden. am a bit concerned as he scratches for a very long time is this normal behaviour for a hedgehog?? many thanks jo x

[HedgehogRescue]

He may well have fleas, mange, mites or ticks but it's also possible if he's very small that he's growing new spines. The only way you can tell is to grab him and check.

Don't worry about fleas. Hog fleas are specific to hedgehogs, they can't live on anything else. Mange and mites need to be treated and are catching so wear gloves just in case. Ticks need to be removed using the correct method so they don't cause infection.

Do not under any circumstances try using cat or dog flea sprays, you'll kill the hog. Frontline in particular is lethal to them if they breathe in the fumes. We use Johnson's small animal insecticidal powder which is puffed on away from the face and then the surplus blown off.

Ticks you need a proper tick remover so you don't stress the tick and cause it to regurgitate the stomach contents into the hog. Many people advise picking them off but don't. You can end up leaving the mouth parts embedded causing infection or you could get bitten yourself.

Mange and mites need specialist treatment and you'd need to get him to a rescue.