SIR: Many hedgehogs arriving at the hospital are suffering from dehydration due to the warm spell of weather we are now having. A hedgehog out in the daytime is in trouble in some way. Hedgehogs don't sunbathe as many people believe, they are night-time creatures.
If you have hedgehog visitors to your garden, always provide fresh clean water in a shallow dish along with their favourite cat food. An upturned tomato box will stop the cats eating the food, when the saucer is placed underneath. Don't give them cows milk to drink.
In very hot weather, water should be provided throughout the daytime as well as night, to help any dehydrated hogs that might show during light hours.
Classic symptoms of dehydration, are wobbling or shaking when the hog tries to walk and loose sagging skin, along with semi closed eyes.
Please call us any time for advice and information. Free fact sheets are available when sending a sae to us.
Catherine Harrison
The Lancashire Hedgehog Hospital
56 Churchill Drive
Bolton BL3 1PG
Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereComments are closed on this article