# Daylight Hedgehog



## ilovecornsnakes (Apr 4, 2008)

i've found a hedgehog out on the road in daylight and very small. i picked it up and put it in a dark box with a shallow bowl of rain water and another bowl with slugs, worms, mealworms then (when it ate them) a bit of cat food while i looked online for what to do (local vets are always busy this time and i can't drive to take it to one).
I've called TigglyWinkles (still looking for local rescue) and they've said i'm doing the right thing, though suggested news paper / scrunched towel bedding too, but i live too far away for physical help.
Given it's not got open cuts and is eating and rescue centers will be over run soon i might keep an eye on it here so it has one to one care for the winter if i can't find a local place that can do better than just food bed and watching it. i'll take it to a vet at first chance but until then it's safe, warm and fed.


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## ilovecornsnakes (Apr 4, 2008)

gained weight over night, but is just a full tummy but does anyone have any ideas for things i might have missed in my short term care?

S/He is on chicken and turkey cat food and meal/morio worms, rain water to keep damage from chlorine ect to a minimum and on newspaper and a (was) clean kitchen towel in a warm dark ventilated box. i'm having boiled egg for tea so i'm gonna mash a bit up for the hog as a treat. s/he's still only 212g so not large enough to release and i still don't have the phone number for the local rescue and don't trust RSPCA so much.


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## vgorst (Sep 27, 2011)

For a hedgie that small was usually provide goats milk/esbillac and some mixed with mince all mashed up. We also provide kitten biscuits but hedgies very rarely bother with the dry food. I would avoid giving slugs/snails as they carry lungworm (bad news for hedgies!) but mealworms or worms are good. I'm sure she'll appreciate the egg! 

We haven't found a problem with normal tap water but if you're more comfortable with rain water then keep with that 

I would be cautious about vets. Wildlife vets are few and far between and some try to treat them like domestic hedgehogs.

Her setup sounds fine, you can also provide her strips of newspaper in her hide box as it seems to make them feel more comfortable and just leave her alone as much as possible.


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## feorag (Jul 31, 2007)

Yes, definitely avoid the slugs/snails. worms are great, as are mealworms.

At that weight, it is certainly too small to get through hibernation, so I definitely wouldn't release - they need to be a minimum of 500g to survive hibernation. 

You can either keep it warm over winter to prevent it hibernating and then release it next spring/summer - hedgehogs can be hard released (just taken somewhere suitable and released), they're just about the only mammal that you can actually release this way.

Or you can continue trying to contact a wildlife rescue and ask them if they can take it on.


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## ilovecornsnakes (Apr 4, 2008)

Just called a taxi to the vets given mum couldn't take me till monday and i hadn't seen its feet as it always curled up.
P.T.S.
Missing back leg and open infected wound on the belly.
The infection might have been able to be treated but with the missing leg it would have had to stay in a sanctuary for life and my garden isn't secure so no good.

i'll put out the treats for the other wild hogs in the area.



feorag said:


> Yes, definitely avoid the slugs/snails. worms are great, as are mealworms.
> 
> At that weight, it is certainly too small to get through hibernation, so I definitely wouldn't release - they need to be a minimum of 500g to survive hibernation.
> 
> ...


i had read the lung worms bit before and stopped after the first night. if it had been ok i would have kept it warm till proper weight on cat food mealies ect.


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## vgorst (Sep 27, 2011)

Such a sad ending  I'm glad you got it to the vets, poor thing must have been suffering


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## feorag (Jul 31, 2007)

I agree - sad ending to the story, but at least it had a peaceful end, as I'm sure it must have been in pain. :sad:


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## ilovecornsnakes (Apr 4, 2008)

i bought a few foods after research as treats, looks like the wild hoggies in the back garden get the mashed boiled egg ect now, i've put it out down at the bottom where there's a few trundle past every so often.


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## feorag (Jul 31, 2007)

Always good to have stuff handy when the weather makes it difficult for hedgies to find a natural food supply. Long dry periods send the worms deep underground and hedgies struggle to find food - that's when they turn to eating slugs and snails 

So putting out food at times like that is a good idea.


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## Shell195 (May 31, 2007)

Rescues are now releasing hogs with a missing back leg as they manage really well, weve got 2 in with 3 legs at the minute. Its been a really bad year for hogs and we are still getting litters of babies in 
To find your nearest carer for future hogs look on here British Hedgehog Preservation Society - Hedgehog Carers


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## EVIEMAY (Mar 6, 2008)

Sorry you did not have a happy outcome with your little rescue 

Well done for trying though


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