Closed - Irchester Hedgehog Rescue

13/10/2021

Just to remind everyone, please do not give our address out, and do not turn up on our doorstep. This puts us in a very awkward position, as we are not always able to take them, or have to because we are then left with no choice.

This happened today, and we have been closed for the last two months due to personal reasons. We are not currently taking any hedgehogs in and have had to now as there was no alternative.

We appreciate everybody's support, and hope you will keep this in mind.

Keep looking after our prickly friends, and contact one of the local rescues or BHPS if you find one in need. We will update everybody when we open again.

20/07/2021

Raffle time!

Edit: congratulations Wendy Henessey!

19/07/2021

Raffle will be drawn tomorrow at 8pm instead, sorry for the delay!!

18/07/2021

The raffle is being drawn live tomorrow at 8pm 🦔🦔🦔

16/07/2021

Can those who do not have a green tick against their name please contact me to arrange payment, as this raffle is waiting to be drawn 🙂

I hope you are all well and leaving water out for your hogs 🦔 I will do a proper update soon, I am ill at the moment so have been laying low!

05/07/2021

We are ready to draw the raffle. Could those without green ticks against their name contact me to arrange payment, please 😊

This week at the rescue we have had a little hoglet arrive, and an adult male with a very strange condition called Balloon Syndrome! Due to an injury or some sort of infection, a layer of gas has built up under his skin, inflating him like a balloon. The vets did a great job of initially releasing the trapped gas, but this will rebuild for a few days, so we are deflating him with a large needle and syringe as and when it is needed! More concerning is that he was found by a stream, so fingers crossed there will be no complications 🙏

18/06/2021

Sorry for the silence, it has been a very busy and ultimately sad week.
A collapsed, and severely dehydrated hedgehog came in at the weekend, and despite our best efforts at injecting subcutaneous fluids throughout the day, he passed away later that night, having never regained consciousness.

On Tuesday evening, Woodrow the hedgehog arrived. He had a facial swelling and missing an eye, was emaciated, was wheezy due to pneumonia, and had fluke and lungworm. Despite meds for his condition, including clenbuterol for his breathing, he deteriorated in the early hours of Thursday morning. We took him to the vets for oxygen therapy, but Woodrow sadly passed away later that day, despite all of our best efforts.
A thoroughly miserable week, but the reality of running a hedgehog rescue 😔

Hope has been a frequent visitor the vet, too, due to a persistent superficial infection in her amputation wound. She is having a check up this evening to see how it is progressing.

Edit: raffle full!
We have had a few more spaces taken in our raffle, and are very close to being able to draw it. Please let us know if you would like a space for the love hedgehog pamper hamper.

Have a good weekend, guys, and keep an eye out for any hogs washed out of their nests 🦔

11/06/2021

Pip the hoglet went to Hedghugs Rescue & Rehabilitation today, as luckily for him, there were some similar sized hoglets for him to join. Hoglets do much better when they're with other hoglets, and get very lonely on their own, so we jumped at the chance to give him some foster siblings when the lovely Hedgehugs offered ❤

Poppy, the dog attack hog, is doing great. She is eating like a pig, and is having to stay here until we know she isn't pregnant. She can be seen in this photo, relaxing in her cage.

We received a male rear leg amputee from the vets today. He is underweight and quite weak, so fingers crossed for his recovery.

Hope has her check up at the vets on Monday to see how she is healing.

Flump is ready for release, we are just looking for a suitable garden, away from main roads, with hogs currently visiting. Please message if your garden fits the bill 🦔❤

10/06/2021

Look who has come into the rescue this evening: little Pip. He was found out in a field in our very own Irchester, all alone, and squealing. His finders acted quickly and got him to us, and he is now in a warm ICU with a blanket and a teddy.
After subcuts, Pip was syringe fed, and later fed himself, with puppy mousse. Fingers crossed for a good recovery 🦔❤

We have another amputee coming into the rescue tomorrow, which makes three little tripods in the rescue. If anybody has a secured garden, please can they get in contact, and we will take a look.

Hope had another operation last week to try to remove the lingering infection in her wound, so fingers crossed that heals up nicely 🤞

There are still some spaces left in the raffle 🥳

If anybody has any small teddies or toys that Pip can have to snuggle with, please let me know, or any fleece blankets. Hoglets are messy little monsters.

And finally, with the emergency vet bill of two weeks ago, our funds have taken quite a hit. If anybody is able to help towards our vet, medication, and specialist baby foods, costs, our PayPal is [email protected] .

Thank you for all of your support ❤🦔

01/06/2021

30/05/2021

Remember to check for hedgehogs and other wildlife before gardening during this glorious Bank Holiday weekend.

And remember to leave water out, day and night, for our thirsty wildlife 🐦 🐝 🦔

28/05/2021

What a busy evening we had last night. We had a hog that had been subjected to an attempted attack (it seems the poor dog got off much worse!) and a flystrike hog.

The dog hog, unnamed at present, is a healthy 800g girl, and it looks like her sharp spines protected her, as there are no visible injuries at all. To be safe, she will stay here on antibiotics and pain relief for a few days. Thank you to the dog owner for bringing the little lady in 🦔

Unfortunately, the flystrike hog was too far gone. We did an assessment and realised we would need Veterinary help, due to a hanging flap of skin, regardless of the maggots present. Sometimes here we can clean up flystrike wounds if they're not too deep, or messy, but with ones like this, a vet is needed. An emergency trip to the vets confirmed that sadly, there were a number of very deep wounds with very large maggots in, as well as a deep set infection. The little hog was euthanised to end its suffering 😔

Meanwhile in the rescue, Flump is ready for release, and Chiro is being released next week. We will be looking for a secured garden for amputee Alex, too, so shall check a few places out. Hope has a lingering infection in her amputation site, so has moved on to yet another antibiotic. If she can't shift it, the vet will gas her and see what is going on there.

Thank you to everybody who supports us, and for all of those who leave bits on my doorstep. I'm sorry I miss you often, and I don't always know who has left it, but I wanted to say a huge thank you because we genuinely couldn't do this without you all ❤

If anybody would like to help contribute towards the emergency vet fees from last night, our PayPal is [email protected] .

And don't forget, there are still spaces left in the raffle for a lovely hoggie pamper hamper!

24/05/2021

Safe journeys to Sheila and Jack, who are being released tonight. Lots of bugs for them to gobble up after this rain!

19/05/2021

Sorry for the silence, I have started a new job! And to top that off, the hogs aren't doing anything exciting, but I know I need to post more! I will work on that 😆

The lovely Remy was released on Friday, and Jack, Sheila, and Flump, are going to be released this weekend. 🦔🦔🦔

There are still some places for the raffle. It is a really beautiful hamper, and would be a fantastic present for a hedgehog lover!

11/05/2021

It is a week of releases this week, with the lovely Remy having tasted freedom yesterday. He has come so far 🥰

02/05/2021

We hope you're all having a wonderful Bank Holiday weekend. Don't forget to check for hogs when you're gardening, and leave water out for all of the wildlife during this nice weather.

We hope to get all of our hogs back to their finders next week, so I will be contacting those of you with hogs here in the coming days to organise collection 🦔

Hope is doing relatively well, though has been battling a persistent infection in her wound these last couple of weeks. This is due to the proximity of the stitches to her bum, as unlike a normal amputation, debriding and tidying up the site of an already missing leg means you have to work with the flesh you have, and can't choose where the end of the wound is. Fingers crossed she gets rid of it soon.
However, in better news, her weight has crept up to 610g, and she has responded well to both her roundworm and lungworm treatments. And here she is, complete with the telltale mousse ring on her nose 😆

25/04/2021

We still have spaces left for the raffle 🦔🦔🦔

https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=505168090885848&id=122188395850488

22/04/2021

Please remember to put water out for the wildlife, both prickly and feathered alike 🥰

Please put water out for wildlife. The forecast has no rain for 11 days - and we’ve had no rain in the last fortnight here. That’s almost a month without rain.

There are no puddles to drink from, so hedgehogs will be forced to find water wherever they can - and that means ponds, drains & gullys, that empty container that had lawn w**d & feed in it last year that was tossed by the bins but hasn’t made it into one yet..

All of these are hazardous to hedgehogs, but if there’s clean water out in dishes around the garden, you’ll be helping save lives by giving them a safe source.

Food is becoming scarce too as the ground is baking hard and earth-dwelling things like worms retreat deeper where the moisture remains, putting them out of reach of hedgehogs. So please keep feeding them nutritious food like kitten kibble, or a safe hedgehog food (Spikes or Brambles brand dry food, or Brambles tinned food) - it will help tide them over in this dry spell.

18/04/2021

Om nom nom 🦔❤ The lovely Hope is a big fan of Tesco cat food in jelly.

16/04/2021

Meet Hope, our patient admitted two days ago. She arrived missing a leg, with bone sticking out and the unmistakable smell of infection. After being medicated for the night, she was taken to the vets to check for tissue necrosis and if the wound could be cleaned up and amputated properly.
Yesterday, Hope had her operation, with no necrotic tissue, and just a small amount of infection. The wound was debrided and the bone was cut back. Today, she is back with us in her ICU, and is tucking into her food (turkey chunks in jelly!). She will remain on antibiotics and pain relief for the next few days, and will begin parasite treatment when she is a bit stronger.

Fingers crossed for this little girl, she is a fighter ❤🦔

14/04/2021

We have a new patient in the rescue, arriving last night and injected with pain relief and antibiotics. She is underweight, and missing her back leg, with an infection, and bone exposed. After an appointment today with the wonderful Swanspool Veterinary Clinic Small Animal, the little girl is going to have the wound debrided and cleaned up. Fingers crossed for her 🙏

I'd also like to take this opportunity to remind people that, whilst we love taking hogs in and mending them, please don't show up with hedgehogs without having arranged it with us, first, as we are only a small rescue, and it is run from a private house. As much as we would love to help at all hours, we are often limited for space, and it isn't always practical on that particular day, for whatever reason. Please make sure to arrange with us first 🦔🦔🦔

Thank you again to all of you for your kindness and support. The girl is currently nameless, if anybody has any suggestions 🥰

10/04/2021

Sorry for the silence, I have been very ill with a severe bout of tonsillitis, but am on the mend now 😊
Thank you to everybody who leaves newspapers, food, and other goods, on my door step. If I don't get to thank you in person, please know that I appreciate it so much, and that the rescue couldn't run without you ❤🦔

There are still spaces in the raffle for the beautiful hedgehog pamper hamper.

Hoggy photos to come tomorrow 😊🦔🦔🦔

04/04/2021

Happy Easter to all of our followers. We hope you enjoy the festivities on this wonderful day.

And of course, as always, if you're doing any gardening, please check for snoozing hogs!

Have a great day 🦔🦔🦔

Artwork by Skillipigs Grand tour

02/04/2021

We hope you all enjoy your Easter break. Please remember to look out for hedgehogs, toads, and other sleeping wildlife, before gardening. All it takes is a quick brush with a stick to check if anything is there, and you will literally save a life 🦔🦔🦔

27/03/2021

With this beautiful weather over the next few days, please remember to check for hedgehogs when gardening 🦔🦔🦔

18/03/2021

Sorry for the quiet couple of days, I am fortunate to say that I had my vaccine, and I felt a little poorly, but feel great now, and very blessed!

Thank you to everybody for the donations of newspaper and food, you are all incredible, and I am truly grateful for your support. I am looking forward to being able to show you all around the rescue and where your donations go, once this pandemic ends!

There are still places left in the raffle for our beautiful pamper hamper, so if you or someone you know loves a hedgehog rubber duck, chocolates, and baths, give it a go! 😁🦔🦔🦔

14/03/2021

Happy mother's day to all of you wonderful mums out there ❤🦔

09/03/2021

Dinner time 🦔❤

07/03/2021

MOT day at the rescue, with a few of the overwinterers that have been here long term having a redo of their parasite treatments, ready for release in the next month or so. Alex looks particularly ready to be getting out into the big wild world ❤🦔

06/03/2021

We are running low on newspapers, so if anybody has any available, we would be super grateful 🙏

Everyone is doing well at the rescue, with releases beginning next month. We will post some nice hoggy pics tomorrow 🦔

And don't forget to enter our raffle for a beautiful pamper hamper!

03/03/2021

🦔🥳COMPETITION TIME! 🥳🦔

We have a beautiful hedgehog bath hamper that has been generously donated by Stolen Moments, and contains homemade bath salts, bath accessories, a hedgehog rubber duck, chocolates, and some pamper bits, all in a lovely wicker hamper. It would make a great mother's day present for a hedgehog lover!

There are 40 places at £2 a number. Our PayPal is [email protected] . Please use friends and family options as we will get charged otherwise 🦔🦔🦔

1. Wendy Hennessey ✅
2. Ian Clarke ✅
3. Ian Clarke ✅
4. Jenny Smith ✅
5. Rebecca Cilliers ✅
6. Jenny Smith✅
7. Jo Roach
8. Rebecca Cilliers ✅
9. Jenny Smith✅
10. Ian Clarke ✅
11. Louise Ross ✅
12. Louise Ross ✅
13. Louise Ross ✅
14. Louise Ross ✅
15. Louise Ross ✅
16. Rebecca Cilliers ✅
17. Ian Clarke ✅
18. Maria Louch ✅
19. Maria Louch ✅
20. Wendy Hennessey ✅
21. Jo Roach
22. Molly Bradley ✅
23. Ian Clarke ✅
24. Wendy Hennessey ✅
25. Jenny Smith✅
26. Marie Louch ✅
27. Caroline Howkins✅
28. Rebecca Cilliers ✅
29. Marie Louch✅
30. Jenny Smith ✅
31. Wendy Hennessey ✅
32. Caroline Howkins✅
33. Marie Louch ✅
34. Rebecca Cilliers ✅
35. Caroline Howkins✅
36. Caroline Howkins✅
37. Caroline Howkins✅
38. Molly Bradley ✅
39. Wendy Hennessey ✅
40. Jo Roach
41. Robyn Walters ✅

21/02/2021

Thank you to everybody that has donated food and supplies to the rescue, it really does mean so much to us. For those that have left them on the door step, thank you ever so much, and sorry we missed you!
All the hogs are doing well, and it will soon be release time for the majority of them. I imagine their finders are going to be very excited to get them back!

Our order of Spike's Hedgehog Foods arrived this week, paid for from the hog fund that our amazing followers have donated to. There are a few fussy hogs and this is all they will eat 🙄

We hope everyone is staying safe, and don't forget to put food out of the hogs with the weather warming up 🦔

06/02/2021

We hope you all enjoy your dinner tonight as much as Alex enjoys his. Today, he can smell Pedigree loaf!

02/02/2021

Does anybody remember this advert? 🦔

01/02/2021

How wonderful is this original artwork from Skillipigs Grand tour ?! 😍 This is going on the rescue wall. As my fellow Irchestrians likely know, Irchester has a very strong Roman history, hence these prickly fellows are dressed in their amazing attire!

If any hedgehog lovers from the village (or further afield!) would like to purchase a print, feel free to contact the artist through their page.

We are thinking of doing a raffle for a print. Would any of you be interested in entering? Comment below to let us know!

28/01/2021

One of the best sights in a rescue is that of a pancaked hog 😍 Remy is relaxed and enjoying the warmth and safety of his ICU, which is affectionately known as the Bentley ICU after the hog that inspired its donator to gift it to the rescue.

Thank you to everybody for their kindness with the food donations, we are absolutely overwhelmed by your generosity. For those of you that don't know, this rescue is a small venture run out of myself and my partner's home (well, lean to!). We don't get any funding, so we rely on donations and use our own money, too. Without the incredible support of all of you amazing people, we really couldn't do this. So thank you so much, you're all brilliant 😁🦔❤

27/01/2021

We are running low on food for the hogs. If anybody has any loaf or jelly food laying around that they no longer need, we would be super grateful 🙏

Please no gravy food, as kind as the gesture is, we can't use it so have to donate it on to Animals In Need or other rescues.

Thank you 🦔❤

25/01/2021

We hope everyone is enjoying the snow. Don't forget food and water for the wildlife; birds and hedgehogs will be finding it harder to get enough with the blanket of snow over the ground.

Everybody is doing well at the rescue and are plodding along. Little Remy had his second ivomec injection, and is doing very well. Here he is enjoying his nice, clean, ICU 🥰

20/01/2021

Please keep an eye out for any hogs washed out of their nests in this heavy rain, and keep an eye on your hog houses. Hibernating hogs won't immediately wake, and can very easily inhale the rain and get pneumonia.

If you find a stranded, soggy, hog, please place it in a high-sided box, on a towel with a hot water bottle underneath, somewhere dark and warm. Do not offer it food. Contact myself or your local rescue.

Thanks for looking out for our prickly friends! ❤🦔

Note: I do not own the image below.

18/01/2021

I apologise for the quality of the video, but here is Remy, still doing well, thankfully, after treatment for both lungworm and roundworm. He is coughing a little, but not enough to warrant Dexamethasone or Ventipulmin, as his breathing is fine. He very much enjoys puppy mousse, which I am hoping he will soon be moved off of as it isn't cheap! 😅
Fingers crossed this little man continues to improve, but things are looking positive so far.

Thank you to everybody for your donations of newspaper, food, puppy pads, money, and just outright support of the rescue, it means so much to us ❤🦔