hedgehog constant scratching

[pargarth]

Hi I am new to Hedgehog street. had 2 hedgehogs in my garden last year. I built 2 boxes which have been home over winter, they have just started to come out but one is constantly scratching. Is there anything I can do to relieve the problem. He was scratching before he went into hibernation. I do have camera footage but not sure how to attach. Thanks.

[stef]

If it’s not losing it’s prickles – ie ringworm or mites then you need to leave it alone. You can get it checked over by your nearest carer.
It is illegal to just treat a wild animal if it doesn’t have anything really wrong with it. Hogs carry their own fleas and also get ticks as a normal thing so they do scratch a lot anyway.
It would be an idea to clear out the boxes while they are out and sterilize with boiling water to kill off any ticks, then leave out fresh bedding for them to use – but only do this if you are sure they aren’t in residence

[Bethany Craker]

Yes you are right that if it loses it’s spines it could be mange or have ringworm with mange they may have mites irritating them so it’s important you keep an eye out

It is NOT illegal so ignore them I am a student at a wildlife hospital and they would rather you be safe then sorry, maybe give them a call before calling someone out or take it to a local rescue and they will happily give advise by email, social media or phone

Scratching is a behaviour that can be triggered by many things they may just have an itch but do keep an eye, ticks are normal yes if their is 1 or 2 but they will lay eggs which they can in bed into the skin they feed on hedgehogs blood to grow as they get bigger they will drink more and more and eventually the hedgehog won’t be able to survive as viral blood supply won’t get to the organs.. so keep an eye if you do notice any ticks you can’t miss them they are big lumps usally white

As I said If in doubt PLEASE immediately call a local wildlife hospital for advise as it could be life or death and they need urgent treatment if they have ticks, mites or mange

[Bethany Craker]

Another sign or symptom to look for in mange is look to see if their is like a white powder type substance on their skin or spine including by the face and ears as that is a sign of mange mites

Sometimes if you look closely you can see them wriggle but they mostly burrow under the skin causing irritation

[Nic]

Hi Bethany Craker

I think you have misunderstood what Stef said. She isn’t saying that you shouldn’t take a hedgehog to a carer/rehabilitator if it needs help, only that people with no experience should not treat wild animals themselves. Stef is an experienced carer/rehabilitator and knows what she is talking about. You could learn a lot from what she advises if you only allowed yourself to. It is not appropriate to tell people to ignore advice from Stef in favour of yourself – as you say, still a student.

I appreciate that you are trying to help the hedgehogs, but you are not helping them by telling people to ignore advice from someone more experienced than yourself. Perhaps you need to slow down a bit.

[stef]

Thanks Nic I appreciate this.
It’s nice to see someone join the forum who is so keen, but you are right, there are many very experienced people here – yourself included, that can be learnt from.

[Nic]

You’re welcome, Stef. You are right, it’s good to have someone new and enthusiastic on the forum and I can understand how eager people can become in an attempt to help the hogs. Also, easy for that eagerness to get a bit carried away with itself.

So , Bethany Craker, I hope you will continue to contribute. My advice would be to take a bit of time to find out who people are – i.e. who talks good sense, etc. On a Forum such as this, you may find you need to earn respect, it doesn’t always come automatically, but it’s also about respecting others – remember that everyone here wants to help the hogs. How you get the message across can be as important as actually having the knowledge. Having said that, I suspect you have something to contribute and the hogs need all the help they can get!

[Author]

Posts