Plus-Hex CLINICAL
Orphaned hoglets
Occasionally , orphaned hoglets may be brought into the veterinary practice . This is usually in May , June and July , when first litters are born , then in August and September when the second litters are born . The average litter size is four to five hoglets . Hoglets are usually made orphans when their mothers are killed in road traffic accidents or if the mother has been disturbed and deserts the hoglets shortly after birth . Care should be taken not to disturb hoglets unnecessarily and clients should be advised to monitor nests from a distance , unless the hoglets are seen out in the day without an adult and are distressed and squawking . Orphaned hoglets can be hand-reared by members of the veterinary team , who can share the hand-rearing responsibilities , including feeding , toileting and providing fluids and warmth ( Bullen , 2014 ). The ultimate aim of rearing hoglets is to rehabilitate them ; they must not become too familiar with humans or they will not survive in the wild . The British Hedgehog Preservation Society has a thorough guide on caring for hoglets , although rehabilitation with an experienced wildlife centre may be more suitable .
Hospitalisation
Hedgehogs may need to be temporarily housed in the veterinary practice . As with other prey species , measures should be taken to reduce stress . Hedgehogs should be housed away from predators to reduce the stress to them and other patients in the ward ( Vickery , 2020 ). Humans are also predators , so care should be taken not to house them in a busy environment ( Stocker , 2005 ). Suitable accommodation should be provided , such as a nest box and shredded paper , as well as ensuring behavioural needs are met . It is important to remember that hedgehogs are naturally
nocturnal animals and should be allowed to rest during the day when possible . Reducing stress levels for hedgehogs should be considered throughout the hospitalisation period and hedgehogs should be released or rehabilitated as soon as possible ( Williams , 2014 ).
An appropriate feeding regimen should also be established , and their natural dietary requirements considered . The ideal diet during hospitalisation is a commercially prepared hedgehog food . However , this might not always be available , so a highquality cat or dog food can be provided instead . Milk should be avoided as hedgehogs are unable to digest lactose . Inappetent hedgehogs can be syringe-fed with a recovery diet such as Hill ’ s a / d or Liquivite ( McClure , 2011 ). Regular weight checks are recommended as an indication of the hedgehog ’ s health and for accurate drug dosing .
Veterinary staff may have a predisposition to ‘ feed up ’ debilitated or underweight animals ; this should be avoided in hospitalised hedgehogs to reduce the risk of re-feeding syndrome . Re-feeding syndrome is a condition that refers to a potentially fatal metabolic derangement that occurs after feeding a patient that has had an extended period of complete anorexia or severe malnutrition ( Chan , 2015 ). Therefore , the successful management and re-feeding of a debilitated hedgehog with a probable history of starvation involves careful use of fluid therapy , monitoring of electrolytes ( if possible ) and conservative nutritional therapy . Supported or syringe feeding may be necessary for debilitated hedgehogs . It can be beneficial to use a small pipette tip on the end of a syringe to aid feeding ( Vickery & Hollwarth , 2021 ).
VOL 37 • May 2022
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