Unit 9, Lower Soldridge Business Park, Soldridge Road
GU34 5JF Medstead, Hampshire
Hours 08:00 - 20:00
Frequent wounds are a hedgehog bitten by a dog,
a hedgehog injured by a lawnmower or a garden tool,
a hedgehog being trapped in garden netting,
a hedgehog injured by a garden strimmer.
Usually, we can tell if a wound is infected by the bad smell it gives off.
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Putting the hedgehog on white kitchen roll and letting it walk will often reveal any bleeding by leaving red marks.
Watch out for Fly eggs on wounds as they are really dangerous.
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If you suspect or see any white marks on the hedgehog please see the section on fly eggs for more information and seek expert help immediately. These are really dangerous to a hedgehog.
If a recovery by the authorities might take a long time, you can gently disinfect the wound with a good disinfectant, trying to gently clean it in the best way you can.
We advise using Betadine solution 10% because it also has a protective action against flies.
An injured hedgehog is usually in a state of stress.
It should be placed in a large high sided box and kept in a quiet place pending recovery by the authorities.
To protect it from flies you can cover the box with a veil or a piece of an old sheet.
Important
Please don't provide a heat source to an injured hedgehog, especially in the presence of eggs or fly larvae.
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A hedgehog should always be taken to a vet even in the case of small injuries.
Usually, they will treat infections with antibiotics.
Needless to say, if a wounded hedgehog is found, the speed of delivery to a vet can save the animal's life.
Leaving wounds untreated can cause death quickly.
In the event of serious injuries, we should always evaluate whether the hedgehog could ever live independently, either in the wild or in a protected sanctuary.
The loss of one or more front legs,
irreparable damage to the sense of smell or the neurological system all really severe injuries.
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In these cases, out of love and respect for the poor animal, the veterinarian will have to decide whether or not to perform euthanasia, saving it from a life of suffering.
