SOS Hedgehog Rescue. Llangynog

22/01/2025

21/01/2025

Please nominate SOS Hedgehog Rescue to receive this fantastic giveaway from Brambles Pet and Wildlife.
The hedgehogs here love Brambles food with the tinned food being a firm favourite with a lot of the fussy eaters.

New Year, new Giveaway for Wildlife Rescues 😃

NB: Brambles Pet & Wildlife will NOT CONTACT ANYONE WHO MAKES A NOMINATION. If you are contacted saying you are a winner, it will not be us so please DO NOT ENGAGE with any such communication.

5 Wildlife Rescues can each win:-
🦔 4 bags 2Kg Brambles Crunchy Hedgehog Food
🦔 24 tins Brambles Meaty Hedgehog food
🦔 4 bags 1.3Kg Brambles Semi-Moist Hedgehog Food

Nominate your favourite Rescue to win as a Comment, competition ends Thursday 23rd Jan 11.59pm.
Like and Share to spread the news 😃

18/01/2025

Prickalilli, who arrived Tuesday with internal parasites and ticks in his ears, is responding really well to his treatment. He is eating well and gaining weight nicely. Already 100g heavier than on arrival.

Thank you to everyone who responded to my plea for newspapers and to my lovely volunteer, Eleanor, for driving around, collecting some for me. I have a few weeks stock now.

Prickalilli looking a lot happier..

15/01/2025

A juvenile hedgehog arrived yesterday, found walking down the middle of the road in broad daylight.
He has internal parasites and a few ticks around his ears. Despite eating a little, he lost weight overnight. He has had his first worming treatment today so hopefully will start to feel better soon.
He has been called Prickalilli.
I am getting very low on newspapers as the hedgehogs in rehab, are determined not to hibernate, so going through 25 newspapers a day.
If you have any papers spare, they could be left at Seren Vets in Carmarthen or dropped off here. Please message for directions.
Thank you...

This is Prickalilli. 424g.

08/01/2025

I hope everyone is warm and staying safe in this cold snap.
There are still reports of hedgehogs out and about, so please give them food and fresh water.
Many people think that hedgehogs will always hibernate in the winter, but with our fluctuating temperatures this is not the case.
Even when they do hibernate they will wake up and look for food and water for a night, then go back to sleep.
The hedgehogs I have overwintering here seem very reluctant to hibernate this year and those that have, are waking every few days.
So no rest from cleaning and feeding for me..
In fact, despite fewer admissions, it is still quite busy.
Hedgehogs that are over wintering and not hibernating, are at risk of becoming obese and need constant monitoring. They are eating well but not getting the exersize they would in the wild.
They also need the occasional
manacure, as they do not wear their claws down as they would scurrying around ,digging for food.

This is Ryan. He is still on medicatiin fke e.coli in his nostrils so cannot hibernate anyway. He is eating well and is over 1kg in weight. Fortunantly, he really enjoys a run around every day.

01/01/2025

Wishing you all a Very Happy 2025

2024 was a tough year for our hedgehogs . Rescues around the country have reported high losses especially in hoglets and juveniles. With
internal parasites being extremely high in almost every single admission and many internal parasites now showing resistance to commonly used wormers. Sadly for many of these little ones they arrive just to poorly to save. They have been made as comfortable as possible and if necessary, humanely euthanised.
2024 also saw hedgehogs coming in with horrendous strimmer injuries, tangled in nets and litter, attacked by dogs, poisoned, trapped in uncovered drains, hit by cars and very sadly, victims of cruelty.
Please make helping our adorable hedgehogs a part of your new year resolution.

A huge thank you to everyone who has donated funds and items and to my amazing volunteers.
With your support I have successfully treated and released 132 hedgehogs in 2024.
I presently have 14 overwintering here.
A little one arrived a couple of days ago. Just 330g.
She has lungworm and other internal parasites. She has started her treatment for these and has responded well, eating and gaining weight.
She is called Hogmanay.
She is a frightened little girl, so reluctant to unroll for a picture.

24/12/2024

Wishing you all a Very Happy Christmas.

Todays arrival.
A very cold and painfully thin
little one.
I have started to warm and rehydrate but very poorly.
Please remember to put out food and water out for the hedgehogs over the festive season.

18/12/2024

Another Hedgehog Rescue Closing.....

18/12/2024

What an awful few weeks. 93mph winds, no electric for a few days, no phone for two days and now day four with no water due to a burst mains pipe.
I also lost my little dog to cancer.
So apologies if any one has been trying to contact me and couldn't or have not received replies to your messages/ enquiries.
Please get in touch again.
A huge thank you to everyone who has made donations into the SOS Hedgehog Account, donated hedgehog food and other items.
Could the lady who made and donated a lovely snuggle pouch please get in touch. I cannot find your messages.
The mild weather has meant Arnold, who was found out in the day very poorly and Hilly, who came in as a hoglet tangled in plastic which had cut into her flesh causing infection, abcesses and had stunted her growth fo a while, have been returned to the wild.
Little Marvel who arrived a week ago, full of lungworm and other parasites is still with me. He has started treatment and his sample looks much better under the microscope but there are still some lung worm.
He stopped eating so has had to be hand fed. This morning I saw him eating on his own thank goodness.
He still has a few more worming treatments to go. Fingers crossed he makes it .

Here is Marvel this morning.

10/12/2024

I had a tiny 150g hoglet arrive yesterday. Lots of Lungworm and Roundworm.

You would not expect hoglets in December but clearly climate change is having an effect on our hedgehogs.
Three things that can trigger hibernation are temperature, age and availability of food.
Our warmer winters means hedgehogs are going into hibernation later, in fact, some will not hibernate at all. If they do hibernate, it is normal for a hibernating hedgehog to wake occasionally, which is one reason we ask you to keep putting out a little food and water throughout winter. Milder periods mean they are likely to be waking more often. Waking from hibernation is a huge drain on their fat reserves and with the lack of natural food resources this fat is not replaced. This can result in hedgehogs dying in hibernation.
Normally breeding season, called the rut, runs from mid-April until September but as seen now, can start earlier and continue into autumn when mild. The little lad I have in icu proves that they are now also breeding in winter. The problem being, they do not have the natural food resources to feed themselves or for the hoglets to eat when they leave mum to fend for themselves. The only available food is worms ,slugs and snails. These, however, carry lungworm, roundworm and fluke so this is likely to be one reason we are seeing so many hedgehogs of all ages with extremely heavy burdens of internal parasites.
Milder wetter weather is also why there has been an increase in tick infestations with myself and other rescues reporting hedgehogs arriving with hundreds of ticks. My record this year was over 400 on one hedgehog.
Milder winters mean the ticks are not being killed off.
I have also seen hedgehogs arriving with flystrike much later in the year.
These are just some of the problems caused by milder winters not to mention our wetter summers, where many of our hedgehogs favourite insects are drowning and again hedgehogs are struggling to find food.

This is the little boy who came in yesterday. He is called Marvel.
I have started to treat him for the parasites, which is a frightening time for me when dealing with such tiny, delicate little one. However, so far so good. He has eaten well and gained 30g last night which I was pleased to see.

10/12/2024

Please nominate SOS Hedgehog Rescue.
Thank you

Quick Giveaway before Christmas 😃

NB: Brambles Pet & Wildlife will NOT CONTACT ANYONE WHO MAKES A NOMINATION. If you are contacted saying you are a winner, it will not be us so please DO NOT ENGAGE with any such communication.

5 Wildlife Rescues can each win:-
🦔4 bags 2Kg Brambles Crunchy Hedgehog Food
🦔24 tins Brambles Meaty Hedgehog food
🦔4 bags 1.3Kg Brambles Semi-Moist Hedgehog Food

Nominate your favourite Rescue to win, competition ends Wednesday 11th December 11.59pm.
Like and Share to spread the news 😃

05/12/2024

Four little ones in so far this week. Sadly two did not respond to treatment and passed away shortly after arrival.
The other two are doing well. Both had lungworm and other internal parasites.
One is a male called Rufus. The other is a female called Flora. She wasn't eating initially but after some hand feeds started to eat on her own.

Heres Flora taking her hand feed, she was a very hungry little girl. It is not milk but a special critical care solution.
Sorry about poor quality of video. Quite difficult hand feeding and filming at the same time..

29/11/2024

A very poorly female juvenile arrived this morning, cold, very underweight and dehydrated.
She has been warmed and started to be rehydrated. She probably has the dreaded internal parasites but, she hasnt provided a sample to test yet.
The little juvenile that arrived covered in fleas with lungworm and roundworm is feeling much better. Finally clear of any fleas he has now started treatment for the internal parasites. He is doing really well at the moment, eating and gaining weight.
I have a gentleman making some hedgehog houses that I have designed as many of the houses for sale are not large enough, they are very flimsy and often not very waterproof.
These houses are made from a mix of new and reclaimed wood, are large enough for a hedgehog to rear her hoglets in, waterproof and raised off the ground slightly. They will last for years as they are solidly built.
They are £40 each plus a donation to SOS Hedgehog Rescue. I presently have two available and am taking orders.
If you are interested please ring or text.

26/11/2024

It has been slightly quieter over the last few days giving me some much needed time to catch up with paperwork, banking, stock taking etc.
A little juvenile did arrive yesterday. Found out in the day . He had thousands of fleas. Contrary to popular belief not all hedgehogs have fleas, in fact, he is only the fourth I have had with fleas in the last 4 years.
He also has lungworm and lots of other internal parasites, so having been warmed and rehydrated has started treatment for those.
A huge thank you to the kind person who sent a box of cat biscuits and poultry whiskas from amazon. Whilst the new arrivals have slowed down a bit , the hedgehogs in icu and rehab are all eating extremely well.
I finally have counted the contents of some collection boxes.
Llanmiloe Post office raised £7.87 and lots of newspapers and food for the hedgehogs.
The Stone Range collected £76.81.
Seren Vets collected £56.01.
I am very grateful to everyone for your help and support and the lovely people who put some money in the boxes.

Yesterdays arrival.

19/11/2024

Please nominate me for Bramble Pet and Wildlife November Giveaway.
Thank you

November Giveaway for Rescues 😃

NB: Brambles Pet & Wildlife will NOT CONTACT ANYONE WHO MAKES A NOMINATION. If you are contacted saying you are a winner, it will not be us so please DO NOT ENGAGE with any such communication.

5 Wildlife Rescues can each win:-
🦔 4 bags Brambles 2Kg Crunchy Hedgehog Food
🦔 24 tins Brambles Meaty Hedgehog Food
🦔 4 bags Brambles 1.3Kg Semi-Moist Hedgehog Food

Nominate your favourite Rescue to win, competition ends Thursday 21st November at 11.59pm.
Like and Share to spread the news 😃

16/11/2024

Still coming in.
I had a juvenile with lots of internal parasites which included lungworm. He has started treatment and is doing well.
Thank you to Vanessa who brought him in from llandielo and for being kind enough to collect another one on route from a lady in a neighbouring village.
This one is an adult. I havent found many internal parasites for a change. I will keep him for a week just to be sure he is okay and put some fat on ready for winter, then he can go home.
Two more extremely poorly ones died before arriving.
Very sadly little Johnny also passed away. Just to many parasites, he just couldnt gain the strength to fight any more.
We are supposed to be having a very cold snap next week. Please keep putting out fresh water and food for the hedgehogs. Any out in the day will need help. I have had several calls recently from people who have seen hedgehogs out during the day and rang for advise. Unfortunantly when they went out to fetch the poorly hedgehogs they had gone.
Always put any hedgehogs found out in the day in a high sided box somewhere quite before ringing for advise. Please ring before feeding as this can on occasion be harmful to a cold, dehydrated hedgehog.

10/11/2024

Todays post is following the story of a little hedgehog called Johnny.
Johnny was found out in the day, cold, dehydrated and very
lethargic, a mere 201g.
Initally he responded well to warmth, rehydration and food.
All new admissions have their feaces looked at under the microscope daily for at least 7 days. Johnny's sample showed he had roundworm and lots of capallaria eggs, he started treatment for these, which is given weekly for three to four weeks.
Johnny, despite eating, was not gaining weight, in fact he was losing weight. I continued checking his feaces daily for signs of other parasites or something that would explain his weight loss.
Then I found my explanation, lungworm. I treated him for these. He crashed.
He became weak and unresponsive. He was dying.
I decided to start a very aggresive rehydration programme in a desperate attempt to save him.
I gave him fluids under the skin every hour for 12 hours. He started to improve. I reduced the fluids to every 2 hours for 12 hours. He improved a lot and I could start hand feeding and orally rehydrating him. He was doing really well.
He then started to regress. Still checking his feaces daily I was horrified to see fluke eggs. Fluke is contracted by drinking contaminated water and eating slugs and snails. Fluke causes weight loss and discomfort. I treated Johnny for fluke and again started aggresive rehydration.Once again he has improved. He is on anti biitics, pain killers and will continue with rehydration.
Unfortunantly internal parasites do not always show themselves when samples are looked at under the microscope. Often the hedgehogs are very poorly and havent eaten for some time so there is very little feaces to test. Parasites have complex life cycles and whilst a hedgehog is infected, some parasites are not always present in stools immediately.
This is why the stools are checked daily for new admissions and weekly with hedgehogs that are in rehabilitation.
I am really hoping Johnny pulls through, but he is very poorly.
Thank you to everyone who has made donations to help with the cost of caring for the hedgehogs in rescue.
Johnnys story is just one example of how your donations are spent.
Thank you for your support.

Johnny is definantly feeling a bit better and trying to escape. I think I would if a horrible lady stuck a needle in me every hour...
Fortunantly ,when the hedgehogs are very ill they do not react at all to injections, too poorly to care..

09/11/2024

Another two prickly patients have arrived.
A small juvenile was found out in the day. Lots of internal parasites again. She has started treatment and is doing well.
The other arrival was a small adult. He had been found by a Jack Russell. He has come in for observations to check for wounds and injuries. He appears to be unharmed and is eating very well. He will return to the wild very soon.
It has been quite busy with a lot of hedehogs coming in with lots of internal parasites, Josh had a rear leg amputated and Stroppy, Ryan and Dylan are still receiving treatment for E.Coli in their nasal passages.
As a result I have spent over £350 on medications and Emeraid intensive care powder over the last few weeks.
Could anyone please make a donation into SOS Hedgehog Rescues account.
Lloyds Bank
Acc 79818562
Sort Code 30-98-97.
https://www.paypal.com/donate?hosted_button_id=YA2NCAJBCVVQY
Every penny will be a great help.
Thank you.

This is the small adult that was found by a Jack Russell.