TICK’s
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Hello
I have (at least) two younger hedgehogs who are still regularly eating the provided hedgehog food and looking like they are growing to a good size (though not weighed yet) … and at least 3+ active nests in the garden.
Last night I noticed one (at least) seemed to have quite a few Ticks around its face… I am always a bit loathe to stress them out by picking up/bringing in etc when they appear to be eating and behaving normally in the garden BUT should I be trying to get them each in and try (Im terribly squeamish though) to remove the tick’s before they go in to hibernation… (Im in E Sussex and its still warmish here most nights so I think they will be up and about for a couple more weeks at least. ThanksIf it’s got an increasing number of ticks then it’s probably wisest to get it checked over by your nearest carer as they can be an early indicator of an unwell hog
Removing ticks can cause infections in a hog. There are a few antibiotic creams available you can get on Amazon that are a good idea to put on the area after removing said bug.
If you are going to remove them yourself then it is best as a two-man job. I find it easier to place them in warm water to prevent them from curling up (if the hog is nervous), and then remove the ticks with eye-lash tweezers.
You need to pull them straight out, and as close to the tick’s head as possible, no wiggling around of the tick or it will hurt the hog. Also, never squish a tick. Ticks carry all sorts of bacteria and nasties.
If you’re nervous or squeamish, have a professional do it for you. It’s not worth hurting the hedgehog on a practice run.
Good luck!
Edit: Please make sure the hedgehog is nice and dry before releasing them again, especially in the cooler weather.
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
It’s better to get ticks pulled out by a wildlife hospital ect as they will do it in a way that will prevent other complications aswell as provide oral medication which is needed to prevent more returning also gets rid of anything thx ticks left behind such as eggs
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