AT A GLANCE
How to pick up a weak hedgehog?
To nurse a hedgehog in need of help, prepare him a warm shelter, provide warmth, provide first aid Glucose administration, access to fresh water and feeding him scrambled eggs followed by a mix of cat food and Oatmeal.
Dealing with needy hedgehogs
Well-nourished and healthy young and old hedgehogs resemble a round apple. You are in poor condition if your torso is wider than your posterior. Such animals look like an inverted pear. The further the lack of food progresses, the more prominent the hunger line at the back of the head becomes. He is separated from the body and the flanks are heavily sunken.
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prepare accommodation
If the animal needs help, you should bring it into a warm place and place it in a makeshift shelter. A bathtub lined with newspaper is suitable. The Spike Knights are good climbers and can easily overcome low obstacles. They then like to hide in dark corners and are difficult to catch. A hiding place such as an upside-down cardboard box with an opening offers the hedgehog a place to retreat.
provide warmth
If you have found a neglected baby hedgehog or a hypothermic young animal, you should warm it up. If the body feels cold in your hand, the temperature is too low. Wrap a bottle filled with lukewarm tap water in a towel and place the foundling on it. Cover it with another cloth and change the water regularly. In the case of severely hypothermic specimens, it may take a few hours for them to reach their normal body temperature.
First aid
A malnourished specimen often suffers from hypoglycaemia. Dip your pinky in coke and place the drop on your mouth. Caffeine and glucose stimulate circulation and increase appetite. Once the mammal has regained its strength, it needs constant access to fresh water.
Tip
If the baby weighs less than 500 grams, you should not feed it yourself. Such extreme cases belong in the hands of expert veterinarians or animal shelters.
Food for the weak
About 30 minutes later, offer your protégé a scrambled egg, which you prepare without milk and spices but with a little oil. Protein is good for building muscle. Give him plenty of rest so he can eat and warm up undisturbed.
Continuing feeding
Hedgehogs are insectivores that can only break down animal proteins. Your intestines are not designed for plant food and your organism cannot digest milk either. A mixture of cat food and oatmeal is the right choice for further nutrition.
How to do it right:
- Offer new food every evening
- if this is completely eaten up the following day, increase the quantity slightly
- The right dose is reached when there is a small amount left the next morning