Very underweight hedgehog found on doorstep
BenDover
Posts: 484
Got home this evening and found a small hedgehog on front door step. Stepped over him and got kitchen scales and then back out and weighed him and he is 284g, well below survivable hibernation weight. Might seem unlikely the chap would survive winter due to weight. Watched a programme on TV the other day and also read various articles on line which advocates bringing in underweight hedgehogs in for safe keeping around this time f year. I have done that and he is now in his own box in the conservatory which is also where I winter the guinea pigs. I've provided chicken cat food, both dry and wet food. I will contact rescue centre tomorrow to see if they can take him. I do have a spare guinea pig hutch in the garage and wonder if that may be better for him. Although not heated, it doesn't freeze in the garage. I did read the key is to stop hibernation occurring, but no sure how that is achieved.
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Keep him warm and fed and he'll not feel so sleepy but hibernaton may also be triggered by the shortening of the days so maybe give him light too. make sure theer's water, and no milk, to drink along with teh cat biscuits. Cat food is excellent for hedhehogs but they can't digest milk or bread and get diarrhoea which dehydrates them and can make them very poorly if not deceased.
"We don't stop playing because we grow old; we grow old because we stop playing." - George Bernard Shaw
Good for you! Our hedgehogs are still out and about in the evenings, but they're all pretty hefty. Yours is likely to be a youngster from a second litter this summer. Hopefully your local Hedgehog Rescue Centre will be able to take him in. Fresh water (rainwater if poss) is important - ours drink quite a bit each evening. Let us know how you get on.
By the way, they're quite good climbers ....
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
Was that on Autumn Watch they said about 650g.
I saw one before that tv show in the day and it only looked small and I did not weigh it.
Gave a few biscults before it went into next doors garden.
Have you a rescue center near you? like secret world or tiggywinkles.Feed dog meat and water,not bread and milk.if in doubt ring a local vet,if their any good they will advise you.
Just thought I would provide an update. After spending the winter at a wildlife rescue (Harper Asprey the two hedgehogs I rescued in November have been returned for release back into my garden. They were released last Thursday. They join a hedgehog who had already taken up residence in the garden living in a Hogilo I was given as a Christmas present. I've since gone out and purchased two more Hogilos and the rescues were placed in them on arrival, and I am pleased to say that they have also stayed. I am providing some feed (chicken cat food and meal worm), as they re-adjust to living back in the wild. They normally spend an hour wandering around my garden before dissapearing down the side passage of the house to go off for their night time wandering.
Wonderful result.
Fantastic!!!
We had at least two/possibly three hogs hibernating in our hoggie houses - one didn't survive the winter - the corpse seemed very small when I cleaned out the boxes - but the others are tucking in happily to the food I leave out each night.
I put out a mixture of dried hedgehog food, with some chopped peanuts, banana chips and mealworms added - and a bowl of fresh rainwater which is nearly empty each morning
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
, I started reading from the begining and was dissapointed that it was last year so Im very happy to read your update .When we were small we found a white hedgehog , I think now it must have been a young one as its spines were soft . We just thought it was an albino. We left food out each night and it was gone next morning -hopefully to the hegehogs