Wildlifeonline - Caring for Hedgehogs

Hedgehogs are nocturnal and if one is found in daylight, this is usually indicative that something is wrong.

Nest disturbance is an exception, as is being seen out in the early light mornings and evenings during mid-summer. A nursing female may occasionally be seen out during daylight in search of food and water before returning to her nest to suckle her young, but this is relatively infrequent. Nonetheless, daytime activity outside a few hours preceding dusk and proceeding dawn should be considered abnormal. Additionally, it should be noted that hedgehogs seen out and about at night during the winter are not necessarily a cause for concern. Hedgehogs will periodically rouse from hibernation and some may leave the hibernaculum to search for food or even build a new nest. Such hedgehogs should only be rescued if they appear sickly or moribund.

Hedgehogs do not come out during the day to lie in the sun – this is most definitely a sign of a very sick hedgehog trying to keep itself warm. Many seen out during daylight are likely to be orphaned, injured, poisoned or cold and starving; your help is essential. Staggering and poor muscle co-ordination may mean an internal injury, but it could also indicate hypothermia. If suffering with hypothermia, the hedgehog will be unable to eat, drink or curl up and so it is crucial that the casualty is kept warm.

If you’re unable to take the casualty to your nearest hedgehog carer, wildlife centre or vet immediately (most wildlife centres offer a 24hr rescue service and some vets treat wildlife for free), there are some immediate steps you can take to care for the hedgehog(s) in the interim. That which follows is in no way intended as a substitute for seeking veterinary or other professional help and advice. Indeed, in many cases, injured hedgehogs will require treatment from a qualified vet as cases of broken limbs, serious cuts, parasite infection, diarrhoea and alopecia (loss of spines/fur) are not uncommon ailments and require specialist treatment. Those that have been hit by cars, or survived an encounter with a lawn mower or strimmer will need urgent hospitalisation.

N.B. Gloves should be worn when handling hedgehogs. This is for your protection as much as theirs. Hedgehogs have sharp spines and, in exceptionally rare cases -- e.g. when they are in severe pain -- they may bite.

EXTERNAL PARASITES

Most hedgehogs will have the odd tick or two (Ixodes hexagonus & I. ricinus) on them, which will drop off having gorged on their host’s blood; they’ll then wait for their next host to wander past. Ticks are debilitating and should be removed. Painting the ticks with cooking or olive oil causes them to suffocate and they will eventually lose their grip and fall off – this method can sometimes take up to 48hrs. Be careful not to get too much oil on the hedgehog’s tummy area, as this is where their sweat glands are and a coating of oil on this area can cause them to overheat. Alternatively, you can use tweezers to gently grip the tick’s body and turn it anti-clockwise until it lets go. DO NOT just pull ticks off; you might leave the head and mouth parts embedded in the hedgehog's flesh, which may then turn septic. By far, the most effective, safest and effortless means of removing ticks is with a proper tick remover, e.g. O’Tom Tick Twister®, available in most pet stores, vets and online.

Fleas are not debilitating and are host-specific (i.e. the fleas, Archaeopsylla erinacei, will only live on hedgehogs), but if you wish to remove them, Johnson’s Insecticidal Powder for Small Animals® is a safe and effective treatment. DO NOT use sprays or cat/dog flea treatments.

What is an Autumn Orphan/Juvenile?
Autumn juvenile hedgehogs are ones that are old enough to be away from their mothers but too small to hibernate. Autumn orphan hedgehogs are ones that are not old enough to be away from their mother and likely haven’t been fully weaned. They can be found as early as September, although most are encountered during late November. Some will struggle on and the occasional one can be found from December through until April. (The season will vary slightly depending whether you live in the south or north and depending on the weather.) Young hedgehogs can, and will, hibernate at 450g (1 lb) or less, but are unlikely to survive. It is preferable for them to weigh 600g+ (1 lb 5 oz) in order to hibernate successfully and be in sufficiently good condition to survive post hibernation.

Towards the end of October, or if bad weather is expected, the BHPS recommend that any hedgehogs weighing under 350g (12oz) should be rescued, whether they are out during the night or day. The minimum weight recommendation for intervention varies around the country and is therefore guidance only. One factor accounting for such a variation is geographical, i.e. winter generally arrives earlier (and is colder) in the north, so southern hedgehogs have a little longer to build up their fat reserves than their northern counterparts.

In October, small hedgehogs seen away from your garden, e.g. crossing the road at night, may also benefit from rescue as they may not have the readily available supply of food that the ones visiting your garden may receive.

Many autumn orphans/juveniles will have lungworms that, in turn, can cause breathing difficulties/secondary infections. Those already showing signs of problems, i.e. out in the day, will be most at risk and are likely to have the highest worm burdens. Symptoms may include restlessness, lack of appetite, no weight gain even when eating, coughing and rapid breathing. These will need worming and antibiotics and so should be passed to a hedgehog carer, who can arrange veterinary treatment.

It is also important to note that the stress of captivity can kill a hedgehog, so if in doubt, please contact your nearest hedgehog carer or the British Hedgehog Preservation Society for further advice.

It is also worth noting that many adult hedgehogs are also underweight prior to hibernation. Just because they may look big, doesn’t necessarily mean they are heavy enough to hibernate. The simplest method to determine this would be to weigh them, but if you don’t have access to weighing scales, as a rule of thumb, a hedgehog should look wider than longer when it is curled into a ball. If it looks very much longer than wider, it is underweight. If the hedgehog is uncurled, and the back end tapers to a point, rather than a nice round shape, the hedgehog is underweight. These hedgehogs would fare better if taken into care, if only for a short time, to gain some much needed weight before releasing.

Where to Over-winter an Autumn Orphan/Juvenile
Autumn orphan/juveniles are initially best cared for indoors, but once they reach about 600g, if it’s too late to release them back into the wild (see Important Note above), they can be introduced to a cooler temperature -- by being moved into a shed, outhouse, or garage, etc. -- at which to continue their over-wintering. They will, of course, still need continuous feeding and monitoring.

If over-wintering directly in a shed, outhouse, garage, etc., and weighing less than 450g, they may require additional heating in part of their bed area, to prevent them going into hibernation, until they’ve reached 600g. This is best provided by an electric heat pad (see above – available from Spike's World and other online suppliers). Heating can be also be provided by a Pet Snuggle Safe, or a reptile heat mat. Hot water bottles (covered with a towel) can be used, but they would need to be changed every few hours to ensure continued heat, otherwise will they have the reverse effect and may freeze! It is important when using an additional heat source to ensure there’s enough room for the hedgehog to move away to a cooler part of their sleeping area if it gets too hot.

Types of Enclosure
A rabbit hutch (or similar) would be the perfect dwelling for over-wintering a hedgehog(s). Line with newspaper and provide fleece blankets, old towels, or plenty of hay/straw, in the sleeping area for bedding. If a rabbit hutch (or similar) is not available, the basics needed to over-winter a juvenile are a HIGH-SIDED large box (hedgehogs are adept at climbing!). As with a hutch, line the box with newspaper and provide fleece blankets, old towel or hay/straw for bedding. A cardboard box (e.g. wine box size), with entrance hole cut out, lined with newspaper and a fleece blanket, old towel or hay/straw for added bedding, makes for a perfect snug and cosy nestbox within any enclosure being used for overwinter a hedgehog.

Fleece blankets are useful because they are soft, don’t snag (as towels can) and can be washed more easily and dry more quickly than regular towels. Soiled bedding and newspaper will need to be replaced daily.

Feeding Autumn Juveniles
Regular food and water are essential. One should also bear in mind that hedgehogs have no table manners and will wade and climb into bowls; consequently, heavy based, shallow bowls and dishes are highly recommended.

In the beginning, food should be available 24/7 until a nocturnal routine is established, after which their main food should be served at dusk every day. They can have mashed up, meat based dog or cat food (or if very young, puppy or kitten food) mixed with a little cereal (Weetabix® or bran) to give it some bulk. Once settled in, hoglets will eat approx 100g of food per night, eventually increasing to about 200g per night, so if their bowls have been licked clean by the morning, they haven’t been fed enough and should be offered more the next night. As a rule of thumb, there should be a little food left in their bowls every morning to gauge they’ve had enough to eat.

They should also be given meat based cat/kitten biscuits, which are good for their teeth, and help to remove plaque (these biscuits can be left out for them 24/7 as they may often wander out for a quick snack or a drink of water before you’ve arrived with their main evening meal).

In order to keep their diet varied and interesting, other foods can be fed alongside their main diet. These can include occasional treats of: sultanas; small pieces of fruit (apple, pear, banana, grapes); a little grated cheddar cheese; scrambled egg (no milk or salt added); light fruitcake; plain biscuits; sunflower hearts/seed; crushed or chopped unsalted peanuts; cooked chicken; raw beef/chicken mince; live mealworms; and dried mealworms. It is important to give them fresh water daily, especially if dry biscuits are eaten.

Vitamin supplements, such as SA37® for pets, or children’s Abidec® vitamin drops (or similar) sprinkled on their food will aid optimum health.

They may also need worming. Autumn juveniles/orphans frequently present with a heavier worm burden than summer juveniles/orphans. Panacur for Small Animals® is the preferred safe choice for worming hedgehogs. It is available in paste, suspension or granule form, all of which can be mixed into their food. Follow the instructions on the label for dosage. Panacur® can be purchased without prescription from any vets or online.

The Importance of Regular Weighing
Weigh the hedgehog on its arrival and keep a daily record of its weight initially, preferably at the same time each day, as it can be difficult to tell whether it is eating, or just walking through the food. Not only will this enable you to chart their growth, but -- if you are over-wintering more than one together -- will alert you if there is a ‘bully’ present. If you notice that one particular hedgehog is gaining weight far quicker than the other(s), this one should be separated immediately as bullying can result in death from starvation/dehydration for the weaker hedgehogs. In order to tell them apart, you can ‘mark’ the spines of each hedgehog with a small spot of nail varnish, water-soluble paint, or Tipp-Ex®.

Hibernation During Over-wintering
Once your hedgehog has reached a safe weight for hibernation, let it decide when it wants to hibernate. It will wind down slowly; it will eat less and less and empty its bowels completely (pre- and post-hibernation stools are often dark green in colour, or ‘stained’ green). When you’re certain your hedgehog has gone into hibernation, DO NOT DISTURB it, don’t attempt to wake it or clean out his nest box: leave him be. Continue to leave dried food and fresh water out for it, for the occasional times (if any) it may rouse from its deep sleep.

When and How To Release Hedgehogs

If the hoglets were from a May/June/July litter, and are going to be released during the warmer summer months, they can be released when they reach around 450g (1lb) in weight, as they should be able to put on the additional fat reserves in time for the onset of hibernation. However, if the hoglets were from an August/September litter (autumn juveniles), and are thus likely to be released during the autumn or early winter, they should not be released unless they weigh at least 600g. Below this weight, they will need to be over-wintered by the carer because they won’t have sufficient fat reserves to survive hibernation.

Let the wild hedgehogs outside be your guide. If they are awake and around, it is time for yours to go. However, some males may start to become very restless and try to escape from their box. If this happens, once they are up to weight, release them at the earliest opportunity otherwise they may become very stressed and could die.

When releasing a hedgehog, choose a place that is 'hedgehog-friendly' (i.e. already inhabited by hedgehogs, with no badgers or crop-spraying in the vicinity), such as parkland, big gardens, organic farmland, and cemeteries where there are plenty of bushes, nesting materials (grasses, leaves, etc) and insects. A warm, muggy evening is the best time for the release, as this will ensure that there is plenty of natural food around. Leaving supplementary food out for a week or so at the release site may help the hedgehog adapt to its new environment, although don’t be surprised to find the hedgehog ignores your after care service!

Hedgehogs are very adept at digging, so -- unless the pen is to be placed on level, paved/concreted ground -- some modifications are needed in order to prevent them tunnelling out. Plastic mesh tacked to the bottom of the run covered with a couple of inches of soil and some dried leaves (so hedgehogs will not get caught on mesh while walking about) works well. To ensure the hedgehog house and food is kept dry, cover that section of the run with some roofing felt (or similar). Lastly, for the final phase of release, cut a small section -- approx 5"x5" (13 x 13 cm) -- from one of the mesh side panels, to use as an exit/entrance door; this should be boarded up with a sheet of wood/bricks, etc., prior to actual release. Once the hedgehog is ready for final release, remove the boarded entrance and leave it open in case the hedgehog wants to return for board and lodgings.

The youngsters will stand a better chance of survival if they have not been handled more than is necessary and retain their suspicion of humans (i.e. roll into their defensive ball when approached).

CARING FOR UNWEANED HOGLETS
Reproduced, with minor amendments, from the British Hedgehog Preservation Society's website with permission

When They Are Found
Hoglets may be found abandoned in May, June or July, when the first litters are generally born, and in August/September, when the second litters appear. The average size of a litter is four to five, and they appear after a five-week pregnancy. If you find one or two, the area should be searched as there may be others, either still in the nest or nearby.

Why They Are Found
If the mother is disturbed after the birth, she may desert her litter. Many more hoglets are made orphans because their mother is killed or injured. If they#re from a very late litter, they may also be made orphans simply because the mother has gone into hibernation!

Where They Are Found
Favourite nesting sites of hedgehogs are under a garden shed, in a hedgerow, pile of garden debris or a compost heap. You may hear their distressed, shrill, bird-like piping.

What To Do When You Find One
Abandoned hoglets are vulnerable creatures and are often found in a poor state. For survival, human help is needed quickly, and generally, two things are needed urgently: warmth and food. However, before these are administered the hoglets should be closely checked for external parasites.

Obvious major injuries and breathing difficulties necessitate an urgent visit to your vet.

How To Reduce Stress
Wild animals suffer stress in an unnatural environment and hedgehogs are no exception. The hoglets will need to be in a quiet, calm atmosphere and handled only when necessary.

How To Provide Warmth
It is important to note that hoglets will refuse any food until they are warm to the touch, so warmth is absolutely vital. The hoglets should be kept in a temperature of no less than 24°C (75°F) by using a well-wrapped hot water bottle (ensure the opening is concealed to prevent a tiny youngster getting trapped), a heat lamp or an electric heated pad..

The hoglets can be placed in a cardboard box or similar (a cat basket is ideal), lined with plenty of newspaper and an old jumper, towels, or a fleecy hat for bedding. From the beginning, a 'surrogate mum' in the form of a clean piece of towelling, an old (clean) sock, soft toy or small slipper to bury into, can give a feeling of security and comfort.

Hygiene
It is important that the hoglets, their bedding and feeding equipment are kept scrupulously clean. The bedding should be changed regularly and the feeding equipment sterilised. After dealing with each hoglet, hands should be thoroughly washed.

How To Feed The Hoglets
Weigh the hoglets regularly and chart their growth. Marking them with a spot of nail varnish on their prickles will help to tell them apart.

Esbilac is the most widely used powdered milk substitute to rear hoglets, but goats’ milk, sheep’s milk, and Cimicat have all been used successfully to rear hoglets too. Detailed below are the feeding guideline endorsed by the British Hedgehog Preservation Society for rearing hoglets with goats’ milk:

One Week Old - weighs about 28-56gms (1-2oz) and 50-l00mm (2-4") in length. These tiny hoglets have no teeth and their eyes and ears will be closed. They will need to be fed every two to three hours on 1-2mls Goats' milk diluted 2:1 with water, and vitamin drops added (Abidec® for children is widely used); or Goats' colostrum. A plastic pipette, icc syringe or doll's feeding bottle can be used to feed them with. Each hoglet should be held on its back in the hand and fed slowly, taking care not to get milk up its nose or in its lungs.

After feeding it is important that you massage each hoglet's tummy with a brush or tissue - mum would do this in the wild to stimulate bladder and bowel movements (very young hedgehogs cannot do this for themselves, unaided). Droppings, on arrival, should be bright green, but on a diet of goats' milk should change to pale greenish/blue. Carefully clean the hoglet's mouth, face and tummy with damp cotton wool and gently massage with baby oil, especially insi de the back legs and around the tail area.

Two Weeks Old - weighs about 56-85gms (2-3oz) and 70-130 mm (3-5") in length. Eyes will probably still be closed but could open soon. Ear holes begin to appear. Feeding should be increased to 3-5ml every 3-4 hours. After feeding clean and toilet as before.

Three Weeks Old - Weighs about 85-113gms (3-4oz). Eyes now open and teeth beginning to appear. Can now be encouraged to lap milk from a shallow dish. When lapping successfully, liquidized puppy food and milk could be offered. Hand feeds should continue. After feeding clean and toilet as before.

Four Weeks Old - Weighs about 113-170gms (4-6oz). Now looks like a mini-adult hedgehog. Gradually decrease the milk in the liquidized puppy food and eventually give the puppy food on its own, but mashed. Droppings will now become brown, firm and smelly. When the hoglet is no longer taking milk, offer a dish of water (would now be accompanying mum on foraging trips if still in the wild). When the hoglet is weaned worming should be considered. Panacur powder (available from your vet or online) is recommended: 110mg/500gm sprinkled on food over three meals, and then repeat in two weeks. After feeding clean as before but toileting can be reduced and stopped altogether when the hoglet copes unaided.

Five Weeks Old - Weighs about 190-225gms (7-8oz). Should now be eating twice daily: a dish of mashed or liquidized puppy food with added vitamins and cereal. New flavours can be experimented with, such as chicken, lightly scrambled egg, a little grated cheese, banana. Heat will not now be necessary in the summer but adequate bedding should be provided.

Six-to-Seven Weeks Old - Weighs about 225-310gms (8-11oz). Now eating one tablespoon of mashed puppy food and cereal twice daily with added vitamins and minerals, and a dish of water.

Eight Weeks Old - Weighs about 350gms (12oz). Should now be eating adult cat or dog food twice daily, and given a vitamin and mineral supplement once weekly. Foraging expeditions in the garden can be undertaken. Shredded newspaper, straw or paper tissues can be given for nesting materials to encourage the youngster(s) to build their own nests.

Self-Anointing
When you start introducing new flavours to the hoglet's diet, it may carry out the strange behaviour known as self-anointing. The hoglet will flick frothy saliva over its spines, contorting itself into awkward positions so that it can reach every part of its spiny coat. The procedure can last from just a few minutes to an hour or so and will stop suddenly. It is not known why hedgehogs do this although many theories have been put forward. It seems to be triggered by strange smells and tastes.

Determining the Sex of your Orphaned Hoglet(s)
Male and female hoglets both have tails, with the anus at the base of their bodies. They also both have an umbilicus (belly button). There the similarity ends. The male's penis is underneath the umbilicus whereas the female's vulva is just above the anus. In very young hoglets it can be difficult to tell the difference as the male's penis is nearer to the anus at birth. It moves forward as the hoglet grows.

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Please be aware that the foregoing weights, ages and amounts are approximate and for use only as a guideline. Like all young mammals, each hoglet's development will vary individually. For very comprehensive online instructions on rearing orphaned and baby hedgehogs, please visit Epping Forest Hedgehog Rescue.

The Perils of Self-Diagnosis
Wherever possible, a professional diagnosis should be sought. The reason for this is pretty straight forward: some symptoms can have more than one possible cause, thereby potentially complicating treatment. The table below has been compiled to explain what we mean. As you can see, hyperactivity, for example, can be a sign of a heavy worm infestation, an infection, dehydration or stress - each potential cause has a different, specific treatment. So, if a hyperactive hedgehog were diagnosed with dehydration when it actually had a lungworm infection, rehydrating fluids wouldn't solve the problem and may waste valuable time. Remember too that these are likely causes and not an exhaustive list of possible causes. A coughing hedgehog, for example, is likely to be suffering from either a lungworm infection (active or residual) or pneumonia. Coughing can, however, also stem from nest fouling -- if a hedgehog defecates in its nest, the faeces can often cause the hedgehog to cough --, dust on bedding hay/straw, or from being in an environment that's too dry. The moral here is simple: if you think that the hedgehog needs medical treatment, take it to a qualified animal welfare centre or veterinary surgeon.

Something to Remember
Finally, it is very gratifying to be able to release a healthy young hedgehog or litter back into the wild. However, if they were found sometime after desertion by their mother, they may be very weak and ill. You should not blame yourself if, after providing extensive care, you lose one or more of the litter. Indeed, in The New Hedgehog Book, Pat Morris notes that if the hoglet(s) you’re caring for have yet to open their eyes (i.e. are less than 12 days old), there is little hope for them unless you’re either very lucky or you’re able to get them to a rescue centre; hoglets with a set of brown spines (i.e. about three weeks old) have better odds. Dr. Morris writes that it is important to remember that hoglets are very vulnerable until they’re about six to eight weeks old, so it should not be a surprise if they die; in the wild, at least 20% do so before they reach this age. The crucial point for you to remember is that, even if the worst happens and they don’t survive, your help gave them a fighting chance and it should not put you off trying to help others in the same situation.