BETTY

Rescued Saturday 28 October 2006

Betty, an autumn juvenile, was found wandering in a state of collapse on common land by a lady walking her dog in Walsall, West Midlands. She was very cold on collection. As usual, we dosed her with rid-mite powder and provided a rehydration drink before settling her onto a heat pad. As we didn't have a hutch, or other suitable outside accommodation at the time, Betty spent the first few days with us in a large cardboard box in the living room. On arrival she weighed 110g - very small. It was obvious she would need to over-winter with us. She was soon very active, eating well and gradually increasing her weight. She had very tidy habits and kept her hutch spick and span, using a corner of her sleeping quarters as a toilet. On 4 January 2007 she topped the scales at 655g and went into hibernation. She came out of hibernation on 12 April and weighed 526g. Entered the pre release pen on 24 April before being released to the wild on 1 May 2007 weighing 825g.

MEL

Rescued Sunday 29 October 2006

Mel was found by a young family in the garden of their home in Walsall, West Midlands. The man of the house had been digging for worms for fishing when he discovered Mel under the hedge. We were contacted by his wife during the evening as the hedgehog was still there and seemed to have difficulty in breathing. Mel was obviously very ill - his breathing was extremely laboured, he was 'wheezing', had a runny nose and was covered in fleas and ticks. We suspected he had pneumonia and did not expect him to survive the night.
Back at home we used rid-mite and rehydration fluid, placed him on a heat pad and used eucalyptus oil on his bedding to assist breathing. We also administered Bachs rescue remedy. He weighed 375g when rescued. We were amazed next morning to find he was still alive and immediately made an appointment with our vet. The vet confirmed he had pneumonia and told us the ticks would need to be removed with tweezers as a matter of urgency. After two visits to the surgery and injections of antibiotics, vitamins and treatment for lungworm, Mel made a good recovery. Sheila spent a full day removing the debilitating ticks and stopped counting at 73! He lost a few spines and his skin was in poor condition due to ringworm.  After treatment with tea tree oil and athlete's foot powder he made a full recovery and regrew his lost spines. Mel was a bit of a brute, especially when disturbed, hissing, cursing and head-butting the handler. He was very private and didn't like to uncurl, although he enjoyed being brushed with a toothbrush and tended to relax and pop his head out at such times. He refused to hibernate until 20 February weighing 873g. We were reluctant to release him before he hibernated due to the threat of severe cold snaps. Mel came out of hibernation on 17 April at 732g. He went into the pre-release pen on 19 April but went back into hibernation. We returned him to his 'hospital' hutch until returning him back to the outside pen on 6 May where he stayed until released on 2 June at Baggeridge Country Park. Mel is pictured awaiting treatment.


WOOLLEY

Rescued Saturday 17 November 2006

Found wandering in daylight on common land in Goscote, Walsall, West Midlands. He was in good condition but was underweight to hibernate succesfully. He weighed 250g on pick up. He always had a good appetite and enjoyed banana and the occasional piece of fruit cake. Woolley was a destructive hedgehog. His run was always a mess and his newspaper floor covering torn to shreds! He thought if he stood still he was invisible and continually made a bid for freedom when cleaned out. He was the most reluctant of our hedgehogs to remain captive and could not wait to be released. Woolley was released on Friday 13 April 2007 into a carers open garden in Sutton Coldfield where he has the run of the nearby gardens and golf course. Woolley refused to hibernate and weighed 1283g on release. He is pictured below, eager to leave the pen.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

SUNNY & CHER

Rescued Wednesday 22 November 2006 at Brewood, Staffordshire.

These two were litter mates who had been regularly fed by the finder who was concerned that they were underweight for hibernation and could not over-winter them. They were both in seemingly good condition but Sunny took a turn for the worse, went off her food and had loose, bloody droppings. Initially housed together, we seperated them in order to avoid cross infection. We whisked Sunny off to the vet. After injections of vitamins and antibiotics she made a brilliant recovery. At rescue, Sunny weighed 430g. Cher was 420g on pick up.
Sunny went into hibernation on the 28 December weighing 506g. He woke up on 4 April and weighed 479g. He gradually put on weight and was released at Bumble Hole Nature Reserve, Dudley, on 22 April 2007 weighing 706g.
Cher went into hibernation on 28 December weighing 537g waking up on 10 April at 394g. She put on sufficient weight and was released into a carers open garden on 5 May weighing 818g. She has the free run of nearby fields and gardens. Cher is pictured below.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A third litter mate, 'Friday', found on 24 November died on the day of rescue.

SOOTY

Collected Thursday 30 November

Sooty was found in a very poor 'flat' condition in Sutton Coldfield, West Midlands. Despite all efforts, he died on 2 December 2006.

PUTLEY

Collected Friday 2 February 2007

Putley was noticed lying out in the open in Chelmsley Wood, Birmingham, by a lady on her way to work. On her return, the hedgehog was still in the same position, so she took it indoors and contacted us. On collection, he was wheezing, cold and dragging both back legs behind him. He weighed 297g, nowhere near heavy enough to survive hibernation.
After a short while, we noticed blood on his bedding although there were no obvious injuries. Despite being very weak and dehydrated, he was very reluctant to uncurl to enable a thorough examination. He seemed interested in food and drink so we decided to avoid stressing him further and settled him down for the night.
The following day we took Putley to the vet where he was given a little gas and uncurled to reveal cuts, grazes and swellings to both front legs and his chest. The vet administered antibiotics and pain killer and made an appointment to see him again on Monday evening.
On Saturday evening he seemed to rally, drinking well and moving more comfortably. We were optimistic that he would recover.
Unfortunately, when we checked him on Sunday morning he was stretched out, flat and within minutes had died.
At least he died in warm and comfortable conditions and hopefully pain free. Had he been left unattended we fear he would have frozen to death due to the severe frosts experienced that weekend.

CUTHBERT

Collected on the afternoon of Tuesday 10 April 2007 from Albrighton, Shropshire. Cuthbert was a young male, found in a poor 'flat' condition, lethargic and unresponsive. Died during the night.

SPIKE

Collected on Tuesday 10 April 2007 from Willenhall, near Wolverhampton, West Midlands. Discovered by a man and his two young sons on open ground near to their home. Spike had obvious open infected wounds in his side, from possibly a garden fork, or perhaps a fox attack. He received veterinary treatment the next day, injections of vitamins and antibiotics. The vet suggested if there was no sign of improvement he may need to be put to sleep. Although he seemed to show signs of improvement, eating and drinking, he died on the following night.

SISTER HELEN DAWSON

Collected on Saturday 14 April 2007 (Grand National Day).
This female had suffered serious head injuries when found by a lady walking her dog on open ground in Wednesbury., West Midlands. One eye was closed, the other was prolapsed, (hanging out on a stalk and shrivelled up). She had severe breathing difficulties and bubbles of blood coming from her nose. Her forehead 'ballooned' on breathing, indicating a snapped sinus. We also suspected a fractured jaw. We took her immediately to the vet who administered a pain killing injection and antibiotics. She fought well to survive but died on Sunday 15 April. We gave her the unusual name after the vet, who was named Helen and a nun, named Sister Dawson who had been on the radio that morning as a pundit for the Grand National. Plus, it was a miracle she got through the night.. hence... Sister Helen Dawson.

BIG JOHN

Collected lunchtime, Wednesday 18 April 2007 from Darlaston, West Midlands.
A large male hedgehog, found in the road in daylight in a collapsed state, with evidence of blood on his abdomen though no obvious injury. He was reactive but with a strange odour and we thought at first he may have been laying up in the sun, recovering from a bout of over exuberant courtship. However, when Big John urinated, there was a pool of blood. He was extremely wobbly on his legs. We suspected poisoning by rat poison. The treatment for this is copious amounts of fluid and vitamin K. As the days passed, our hopes faded, until he died on 24 April. Rat poison causes internal bleeding and kidney failure.

BUMBLE

Rescued from the canal in Dudley, West Midlands, by a man whose garden backed onto the tow path on 18 April 2007. We think he was misguided and may have been attempting to drink from the canal following a long dry spell. He was cold and wet and feeling very sorry for himself when we collected him. When we got him back to the 'hospital' he ate well and was sneezing. He soon settled down into his nest on a heat pad. He continued to do well and was released back into the Bumble Hole Nature Reserve, Dudley, on Sunday 22 April 2007 at the same time as 'Sunny'. Bumble weighed 662g on collection and 673g on release. Bumble is pictured below. A hedgehog with attitude!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

IVY

Collected Saturday 21 April 2007 from Coseley, West Midlands. She was found in the road being attacked by a magpie. She was cold, had very laboured breathing and damage to her teeth. We made an emergency appointment with the vet. Unfortunately, the vet said her injuries, (especially to her chest), were so bad, coupled with an advanced lung disease, that the kindest solution was to put her to sleep.

HARRY

Rescued on Monday 23 April 2007. He was found on the 20 April, 'circling' in the road in Dudley, West Midlands, by a local man who took him to recover in his garden. When his condition deteriorated, he contacted us. Harry was lively and reactive but, had odd jumping movements. He had an obvious injury to one eye, which was closed up. He continued to 'circle' to the point of exhaustion. We had to force feed him rehydration and worming fluid. He refused to nest and was very aggressive. We suspected a brain injury of some sort and possible blindness which may account for the 'circling'. Harry would snatch at food on his 'good' side. In an attempt to calm him, we had to resort to securing him in his sleeping quarters during the day, allowing him access to the run during night-time hours.
We drenched his ears in olive oil in case the 'circling was caused by mites in his ear... a common occurence. Happily, he has returned to nocturnal habits, is making a nest and is eating and drinking well. We are hopeful of a full recovery but not sure how well he can see. Weighed 718g on collection and now weighs 753g (6 May).

EMERSON

Collected Saturday 5 May 2007 from Wolverhampton, West Midlands.
Adult male, found in daylight by a lady walking her dog. He was in very poor condition, lethargic, and had an obvious, enormous swelling on his throat. The finder managed to get him to take some water. We gave him rehydration fluid on arrival back at the 'hospital'. Unfortunately he died shortly after rescue. We are unsure what caused the swelling, but think it may have been an injury which became severely infected and formed an abcess.