Injured Hedgehog

[Godiva57]

I have a trail cam set up to watch the hedgehogs visiting my garden each night. Last night it captured a video of one which is having real difficulties in walking. It appears to be a rear leg injury.

Im not quite sure what to do, because I’ve no idea where they live and they come for food from dusk and keep coming back throughout the night.

Has anyone any suggestions what i can do at all? Did think about calling a hedgehog rescue somewhere but i live in a city and don’t have a car to be able to take the hedgehog anywhere, that’s if i were able to rescue him.

Any suggestions at all??

Thank you

[Nic]

Hi Godiva57

Yes, the best idea is to ring your nearest hog rescues. You can get contact details of your nearest ones by ringing 01584 890801 (as shown below left) and take their advice. I think they have volunteers out of office hours. Hopefully someone would be able to collect the hog if you don’t have a car.

There is more information here: https://www.britishhedgehogs.org.uk/found-a-hedgehog/

Hopefully you will be able to catch the hog when it comes for food and put it into a high sided box or pet carrier until you find someone who can help. If you don’t have a towel you could use torn up strips of paper which the hog could burrow in. Don’t forget to provide food and water.

Good luck – I hope all goes well.

[Godiva57]

Thanks for the advice. I’ll try and sit hidden for a while tonight and see if he comes. Last night the camera captured him just before 11pm. So fingers crossed i can catch him and get him help.

[scoobysue]

I went through this a couple of years ago, saw a hog dragging his back leg and was struggling to walk so caught him and put him in a box with food and water, next day i did ring a Hedgehog center who were not helpful at all and told me to take it to a vet who don’t charge for wild animals from the public, but they would them ?????? I did take it to a vet who were lovely but they kept an eye on him for a couple of days and then rang me up but sadly his injury’s were quite bad and had to put him to sleep, but at least they tried to help. Good luck in catching him tonight, i was a bit hesitant but wear gloves and it will be fine let me know how it goes Sue.

[Nic]

Hi scoobysue

It sounds as if you and that particular hog were unlucky. But well done for trying to help it.

In general, I would advise contacting a hog carer/rehabilitator first. They are often more specialised with hogs – whereas vets have to know about lots of different animals (and some will apparently charge). But also hog carers/rehabilitators will sometimes spend more time in saving hogs than vets are able to do. But hog carers/rehabilitors (and probably vets) do vary from one to another (i.e. some may be particularly busy at the time, etc.) so if you don’t get much help from one it might be worth trying a different one.

[scoobysue]

I rang about 3 centers .1 was too far away and i think if vets were not interested they would not have kept him for the time they did, so i don’t see how you come to that conclusion and i didn’t have a car and would not come and pick him up. If i did have an injured hog again i would ring a hog rehab center first though but not easy to get help i could teel hog was suffering and i was quite distressed.

[Godiva57]

It is upsetting to see him dragging leg and really struggling to walk. It looks like I’m going to have a long night waiting up for him, just hope he comes now and that i can manage to catch him. If im successful I’ll call the hedgehog society tomorrow and see if someone is local to me who is able to pick him up from me in Coventry.

Its worrying im really fond of my little hedgehogs.

[scoobysue]

Hope everything goes well and he is looked after, i love hogs as well fingers crossed for you .

[Nic]

I think you may have misinterpreted what I said, scoobysue. I was not suggesting that ‘vets were not interested’ – I would expect vets to be interested in any and all animals – only that hog carers/rehabilitators (especially the more experienced ones) may be more specialised with hedgehogs in particular and (to repeat myself) In general, I would advise contacting a hog carer/rehabilitator first. However, in the circumstances which you found yourself – having had no luck with any of the centres you tried – of course contacting the vet was the best thing to do. An experienced carer/rehabilitator should also be able to advise if the hog needs to go to a vet.

BHPS also recommend (link included in post above) that if a hog is in pain/in need of urgent help and it isn’t possible to contact/get it to a carer/rehabilitator to take it to a vet.

That second paragraph was really aimed towards helping anyone else who finds a sick/injured hog – often people will read posts and not necessarily say anything. But, yes, it is always very distressing finding a sick or injured hog and having trouble getting help for it, as I very well know – which is partly why I do my best to help other people to help the hogs.

Sadly, despite all our best efforts, things don’t always turn out as we would have liked them to and that is sad. But the main thing is that you saved the hog you rescued from any more pain and that is important.

[Nic]

Hi Godiva57

I would be inclined to try to contact a carer/rehabilitator tonight, just in case you find that the hog is badly injured and needs more urgent care. That way you will be in a better position to know whether it’s possible for someone to collect it tonight if you manage to catch it. They might also be able to give you further advice about how to keep the hog overnight if necessary. It’s always easier talking to someone than communicating over the forum.

Yes, it is worrying, but all we can do is our best and hope that it is good enough.

Good luck. Let us know how you get on.

[Godiva57]

I sat out for two nights in the hope i could see him and pick him up and get him cared but, but both nights he was a no show, i got soaked!

Last night with so much rain i decided not to get wet for a third night, and low and behold he came first at 10.15pm and the trail cam picked times him coming back at 3.30am this morning, so I’ll try again tonight, its really not easy sitting out of the way listening in the dark with a small torch trying to work out if there’s a hedgehog about and if it’s the one injured. Anyone have any tips on the best way to look out for them in the dark whilst not scaring them?

[Nic]

Hi Godiva57

That’s real dedication!

Although sounds typical hog perversely not turn up when you are waiting for it and then turns up as soon as you aren’t!

But seriously, in these circumstances, I normally leave an outside light on so that you can see the hog arriving. In the past I have sat (wrapped up, as it gets quite cold sitting still at night, even in the summer) with my feet off the ground, on a footstool. That way the hogs will sometimes walk right under you, not realising you’re there. But other times I have been waiting indoors (my feeding area is visible from the house) and then quickly nipped out and hoped the hog hadn’t gone too far. (If the hog has a bad leg, maybe it won’t be able to move so quickly?) Having a box (with something to burrow under) ready nearby to put the hog in is useful.

Although one of the most seriously injured hogs turned up during the day (without previous warning) and was not in a fit state to move too quickly. But it might be a good idea to keep an eye during daylight as well, if you can, just in case.

Good luck, but remember you can only do your best. Some hogs are very clever at avoiding being caught, which is really frustrating when you are trying to help them.

[Mags63]

hi Godiva57

I am guessing you are in England. Would the RSPCA be able to help https://www.rspca.org.uk/adviceandwelfare/wildlife – their website does give some advice about wildlife and a contact number if you are unable to reach a local rehabilitator

Up here where I live in North of Scotland, the nearest specialist hedgehog rescue centre is around 50 miles away, but the Scottish SPCA will come – if their local centre cannot treat a wild animal, they will take it to the national wildlife rescue centre. Last November, before I knew there was a local hog rescue in the Highlands, I called out the SSPCA when I found an underweight hog ‘sunbathing’ in my garden in the middle of the day.

[scoobysue]

Hello Godiva was just wondering how you got on with the rescue of your injured Hog, hope you managed to catch him .

[Godiva57]

Thanks for asking Scoobysue, was meaning to give an update. For the last few days he’s been coming regularly in fact he’s usually the first one to go into the feeding station. I sat out the other night and he was in there for 55mins chomping away at the biscuits, usually they are inside eating for 10-15 minutes.

Ive been watching him on the camera and also when ive been sat out and have been in two minds about catching him, because he is walking better, not perfect but more of a hobble/bit of a limp now, and as he’s coming regularly every night and having a proper feed, i decided I’d leave him. I hope I’ve done the right thing. I just thought it must be very stressful for them being captured taken away etc and as he seems to do a half decent hobbley run, when he needs to and is eating really well, it would be the better option to take.

Hope that’s the right approach

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