MEDICAL CARE

When we are called to pick up an injured or sick hedgehog,we will try to ascertain the extent of any illness or injury over the telephone,and then a full examination will be held when we get the animal back here to Prickly`s Patch.

With our"Hog Ambulance",we are able to respond quickly when we hear of a sick or injured animal

Kerry(left),and Jeanette administer medication

Kerry assesses a new arrival,before it is housed in our hospital facility.

New arrivals may need treatment for ticks.

With Jeanette and Neil`s experience of rehabilitating Hedgehogs since 1996,and Kerry`s training as a Veterinary Nurse,we are able to give the hedgehogs the best possible chance of being returned to the wild.

Many Hedgehogs have passed through our hands,and a high number of these have required medical attention.Some have been hit by cars,some have been injured by gardening equipment, some poisoned by slug-pellets or other chemicals,and sadly some have been the victims of cruelty.We have had Hedgehogs brought to us that have been used as a football.We can hardly imagine the pain and distress that this has caused.

In the beginning,we started by keeping Hedgehogs in boxes in the house,but now,thanks to donations and fundraising we are a little more organised! We now have Hedgehogs housed in much more suitable containers,in heated outbuildings :it all helps the`hogs`in their recovery.

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We have had Hedgehogs brought into us that have been burnt,kicked or trapped.Most stories have a happy ending,and where possible we like to release them back to the area in which they were found.We have a re-homing programme,and many people have adopted a rescued Hedgehog through us.

Our facilities include an incubator(left),which helps with very sick or very small Hedgehogs. This poor Hedgehog (right),was found by a lady,who misguidedly thought that putting athlete`s foot powder on a sore on it`s head,would help it.By the time it came to us it was badly infested with maggots!

These two Hedgehogs(left and right)show the types of injuries that they can have when they arrive.

This young hog hadn`t passed anything for days,and sadly died as a result.

We work closely with local vets and wildlife organisations,who often refer people to us when they find a sick or injured animal.
We are great believers in the use of Homeopathy,and have had excellent results using Homeopathic medicine to treat our sick Hedgehogs.We do not advise that you replace Veterinary treatment with Homeopathy,just that we have found it to be very beneficial.If you have any questions we will be pleased to answer them,or contact your own vet or animal welfare organisation for advice.

JULY 22ND 2002