Help me re Hedgehog Urgent

[Fifis25StottieCakes]

Hi

There has been a hedgehog on the local open field for 2 days in roughly the same place. Today whilst walking the dog i noticed some kids were poking it with a stick. There are no bushes nearby. Its a busy field as it is the route to the shop, kids using it to play football and dog walkers.

I have brung it home, put it in a box and rang the RCPCA who cant collect until tommorrow.

I have gave it dog food and water with grass and have it in my downstairs toilet in a box. It doesnt look well at all, stinks and has yellow puss coming from its nose eyes and ears. One eye is closed and wont open.

It has been in a box in my toilet for an hour and has started to go crazy scratching at the box.

I am worried it is going to die due to being distressed. I have rung the RSPCA back and told them and they have told me to leave it there and they still cant collect till tommorrow.

It absolutely stinks. Should i let it go in some bushes as it is clearly distressed but unwell. I dont know what to do. I am going to have 3 seriously upset kids if they get up and it is dead.

Sorry, hit post before thinking and checking it out...

Scroll down that page, there's loads of hedgie-specific sites all over the place.

There's a forum www.wildlifeuk.net/ but it doesn't look very busy

I rang the emergency number on link at top, looking now i think i should have clicked on emergency then hedgehogs, the other phone went so i hung up.

I wish i had done this a few hours ago, you just assume the rspca will collect and its nothing to worry about if they say it will be fine. The pdsa also told me to give it milk and bread which the rspca said is a definate no no. Its had some butchers and water after i took the milky bread off it.

Yes,milk is really bad for hedgehogs,it gives them diarrhoea which is the last thing he needs now.I hope he is ok.

I dont know anything about them tbh, i feel so sorry for it. He has been on the field for 2 days in the same place. I didnt realise they dont come out in the day so didnt give it much thought until i seen the kids poking it. Its a wonder one of the 2 foxes who the lady down the road feeds hasnt caught it or one of my dogs. The foxes are there everynight at midnight. The kids have called him herbert. It could be a girl, i dont know.

I know quite a lot about them,but I don't know what to tell you that might be helpful,other than that he/she clearly needs a vet,which you know anyway. Poor little thing,it sounds in quite a state.

I have just rang the lady back, she said she is trying to arrange a lift and there is no way she is leaving him until the RSPCA decide to get it. She says he needs help before then. She said the RSPCA are really bad on a weekend and she cant believe they have told me they will collect him tommorrow. He has settled down a bit now but i dont think he will make it till tommorrow. At time like this i wish i had learned to drive.

If I was anywhere at all near you I would help but am in Wales. Wildlife rescue people tend to help each other out though so hopefully she will get hold of someone soon.

She sounds like she is doing her best. I wish i had rang her at tea time and he would be gone, instead of the rspca who 3 hours later said they could not collect

Bad news, she has just rang back and she cant get anyone to collect till tommorrow and there is no one available in the area. She has been ringing round. She has told me to wrap him in a blanket and keep him comfortable but with the discharge it doesnt sound good, this is all she could do until she sees the emergency vet. My vets is open on Saturday so if she doesnt collect and the rspca dont turn up it looks like i will have to take him there. She said the rspca will probably just have him PTS. I dont think there is anyone else i can contact at this hour so keep your fingers crossed for him.

How is Herbert this morning fifi?

RSPCA lady have collected at 8.15am. He is alive just but he didnt look too good. He is away to the vets and she says if he makes it she will come back to release him where he was found. Hes absolutely covered in fleas and has an infection. She said its a good sign he has made it til this morning.

The kids want to keep it but im not too good with small animals

Hedgehogs don't make good pets, they're too shy. Rabbits, on the other hand, make awesome house pets

I'm glad to hear he made it through the night - shock gets most wild animals at around 3am/the dark before the dawn. He sounds like a fighter!

Its funny as in the early morning i could hear him and he was very distressed scrapeing on the box. I went down and wrapped him up again in the blanket. I was surprised he was still alive but he didnt look too good this morning and wasnt moving, The kids were still asleep so i just left him in the box. I thought he was dead but the rspca lady lifted him out and he was still breathing. She said she would get him straight to the vet.

I just hope Herbert doesn't suffer too much

And you can tell the kids that it's Herbert the next time you see a Hedgie in the field

Any news ?