How to help an injured hedgehog
Here at Prickles and Paws Hedgehog Rescue we see many injury cases such as strimmer injuries, traffic collisions, and cuts from entanglements. If you find an injured hedgehog your first instinct as a caring person might be to try to pick it up and move it somewhere warm, however, unless the hedgehog is in a dangerous place such as in the middle of a road, before you do anything you should call your local rescue who will be able to give you good advice on next steps depending on the nature of the injury and other factors.
If you are in Cornwall our Rescue number is 07926 576164 – we are always happy to provide advice over the phone, and we also have a network of volunteer drivers who can come and collect an injured hedgehog from many areas of Cornwall.
If you live elsewhere in the UK check out this map to find your closest hedgehog rescue.
I’m waiting for transport / someone to collect the hedgehog: what now?
You’ve called for advice and help, which is fantastic news. If you are not transporting the hedgehog somewhere yourself at this stage, all you need to do now is to make the hedgehog as comfortable as possible until help arrives. Being handled is very stressful for wild hedgehogs so you must handle them as little as possible.
The rescue will likely have provided this advice over the phone, but here is a list of the most important things:
1. If the rescue has advised it is safe to move the hedgehog:
a. Place the hedgehog in a cardboard box lined with newspaper (use gardening gloves to protect your hands) and a scrunched-up towel
b. Add a hot water bottle (this can be made from a plastic bottle such as a water/soft drinks bottle) filled with very warm but not boiling water - wrapped in a towel, to keep the hedgehog warm. Place it away from the hedgehog so it can choose whether or not to be near it
c. If possible place the box somewhere dark and quiet to keep the hedgehog as stress-free as possible
2. If the rescue has advised you not to move the hedgehog:
a. Cover the hedgehog with an old towel to keep it as warm as possible
b. Stay with the hedgehog until help arrives so you can show them where the hedgehog is.
3. Avoid handling the hedgehog as much as possible. Not only might handling cause further pain and distress to injured hedgehogs, it also risks the hedgehogs becoming used to human touch – and the aim is always to return them to the wild once their injuries have healed, so we handle them as little as possible.
How will I know if the hedgehog is ok once it has gone to the rescue?
We will always try to provide updates when asked, however as a tiny and very busy rescue we don’t always have the time to provide updates on individual cases.
You can however complete a patient update request form on our website to help the team check records and provide accurate information.
Rest assured that we will do everything in our power to help the hedgehog, and, in the sad event that its injuries are too great and there is no chance of survival, we will give them a peaceful and pain-free death rather than let them suffer any further.
Read more
· What is self-anointing in hedgehogs?
· When do hedgehogs start hibernating?