Hedgehog been attacked

[Colin]

This morning I fround one of our visiting friends layed out by the backdoor in a very poorly state. It had problems with its front right leg and the spines around this area had the tips bitten off. We took it in doors and gently warmed it up with a hair dryer, gave it some water and a little bit of food then phoned the Warwickshire Hedgehog Rescue. They advised us to take it to the vet which we have done but do not hold out much hope for it. We will phone the vet around 12:00 to find out what I assume will be bad news. Will miss seeing this little one which appeared last year running around the garden.
Does any one have any idea what may have attacked it by bitting off the ends of some of the spines?

[Penny]

Sorry to hear about your poorly hog Colin, fingers crossed it will be ok.
Are you sure it was attacked by another animal and not a strimmer?

[Nic]

So sorry to hear about the hog, Colin. I hope it turned out o.k. at the vet. I thought exactly the same as Penny, re. a strimmer being the culprit, but hope the outcome will be better than you feared.

[Colin]

Just an update to let you know the hedgehog had to be put to sleep by the vet. It had damage to its right front foot, spines and had breathing difficulties. There were no sign of cuts, strimmer damage or bite marks. I checked around the garden but could find nowhere it might have been attacked. My only other thought is that on coming to our garden some one out late saw it and kicked it and it manged to struggle, with its injuries, to our back door where I found it. We took it in warmed it up with a hairdrier gave it some water and cat food, which it struggled to consume, then rang up the Warwickshire Hedgehog Rescue who told us which local vet to take it to.
On a positive note I put the cameras out last night and we still have two hogs visiting, a large one and a small one. There was also a fox pulling worms out of the lawn and eating them. Last spring we had at least 5 hogs visiting so it looks like some are finding their way back, the food I put out must be good.

[Nic]

Hi Colin

So sorry to hear about the hog. All I can say is that a hog once made his way to my garden with strimmer injuries, from I don’t know where. It was one who had visited as a youngster but as he grew older his visits were less frequent. So it is quite possible that the hog came to you for help, because he recognised it is a ‘friendly’ place. You did your very best for the hedgehog and that is all that we can do.

So pleased to hear that you have other hogs visiting and I hope the hogs have a good hog year.

Good luck with them all.

[Author]

Posts