Hedgehog's damaged eye

[pattie may]

I have a hedgehog that visits my garden on a regular basis. When it came last night it's left eye was nearly closed and it was watery.

Do both sexes of hedgehog get into fights?

Could the eye have been damaged in a fight?

Any other ideas how the eye could have been damaged?

[valleyforge]

Hi Pattie May,

Hedgehogs aren't particularly aggressive and rarely fight ... they're not especially sociable outside of the breeding season, so just tend to avoid each other.

If rivalry arises over a shared food supply for instance, the less dominant will just keep its distance until the other hog has departed.

Because of the hedgehog's defense system, it is unlikely that they could inflict injury to each other.

For a minor eye injury, I'd tend to suspect something more natural like accidental penetration by a foreign body (thorn, grit, grass seed) occasioned
from digging or just through navigating the undergrowth. Or fly-strike, where flies have laid eggs around the eyes ... these or any small maggots will have to be picked off with rounded tweezers.

Try and examine the eye if possible and rinse it with a warm, weak saline solution.

[wildliferescuer]

I second everything that valleyforge has said but would add:
It is often difficult to examine hedgehogs because they will curl up, making it impossible to see the face. They usually have to be anaesthetised in order to carry out a thorough examination, which obviously your local vet or wildlife centre would have to do.
It may be that this is an old, healed injury, in which case I would advise re-releasing the hedgehog as it is obviously coping well with the disability.
If it is an injury needing attention your nearest wildlife rescue centre should be able to help.

[pattie may]

I've managed to catch her. She stood still and I picked her up. She was a bit huffy at first but I have managed to bathe her eye using a cotton bud and water. She is quite young and tiny. Last year's baby I think. Not old and wrinkly at all. Will keep an eye on her for a few days and see how she gets on.

[pattie may]

Hedgehog came a little later tonight but her eye looks a lot better.

[Malx]

Originally Posted by pattie may

Hedgehog came a little later tonight but her eye looks a lot better.

Good news. Do you think your action helped, or was it just time which sorted it?

How are things this week?

[pattie may]

Hi Malx,

Harriet seems much better. Her eye is nearly three quarters open now. She came vey early last night and ate twice at the dish of food. She ate her favourites - mealworms, nibbles and the sultanas from the hedgehog food.

When I went out to put more food on the dish I heard huffing from the nearby bushes. Under a fern there were two hedgehogs having a dance! I think Harriet was the one doing all the huffing. They moved around my garden and I could still hear the huffing at midnight.

[Malx]

All good news. Still can't believe you're familiar enough with your wards that you can apply Optrex on a daily basis!! My "Fatso" sprints every time he sees me!

These mealworms seem to be useful for all animals, pretty much. Are they as expensive as I've found?
Also, (probably a stupid question,) do you buy them live or dead? I've seen adverts for live ones, but presumably that's impractical for everyone concerned?
I've seen some huge prices - can you get them for a reasonable price and freeze them ready for defrosting?
I suspect my "Fatso" will get a bit bored of chicken in time, so I'm looking for alternative food sources.


On a separate note, every Hedgehog House building plan I've come across seems to mention their soft feet. Is this really an issue, or is it just being over-sensitive?
My poor lad probably has to walk 50 feet over tarmac each night, so do you think I need to be catering for his soft feet?

Many thanks.

[pattie may]

Hi Malx,

I have only picked Harriet up a couple of times. I haven't managed to check her eye for the last couple of nights as it has been raining and I have put the food undecover. A plastic box, without the lid, placed upside down with a hole cut out either end. This way the food stays dry.

I am very happy that the hedgehogs don't seem to mind me. I stood very close and shone a light over them when they were doing their dance the other night.

The mealworms I use are dried mealworms. I bought them from a garden centre last year. I bought them for the robin. When I see him in the garden I put a few out but by the time he comes back another bird has pinched them. I bought a 200 gram tub for £9.99 and got another tub free. I only put out about a dozen every night. I've just started to use the second tub.

I've considered buying the live ones but not sure how long I can keep them alive. Also if I put them out for the hedgehogs they may have crawled off before the hedgehogs arrive.

The hedgehog who arrived last night didn't eat the mealworms just the dired nibbles and some of the CJ. Perhaps it's a different one? Every scrap of food was gone this morning.

A male hedgehog can walk up to 3 miles every night and a female about two so I wouldn't worry about Fatso's feet. I've seem articles that say don't put a hedgehog on a wire bottomed cage. My hedgehog house is made of plywood and covered over with a plastic sheet and a large piece of metal to keep it waterproof. It sits on wooden runners so it's off the ground too. Not occupied at the moment.

[Malx]

Thanks again, Pattie.

I have been looking out for an old bit of carpet or underlay to put on the tarmac, but won't bother now. Personally I have no shame, but I wouldn't blame the neighbours if they complained about scraps of old threadbare carpet spread out on the path...

Will look out for mealworms next time I'm in a shop other than Fortnum & Mason's of course!