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GUERNSEY HEDGEHOG RESCUE CENTRE
CODE OF PRACTICE |
- To care for sick, injured or orphaned hedgehogs under Veterinary guidance and supervision and to release them
when assessed to be capable of surviving in the wild.
- To increase public awareness about hedgehogs and the hazards they face and to encourage children’s interest in and respect for hedgehogs.
- To assist in scientific research into hedgehogs and their behaviour.
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| 2. HEDGEHOGS WHICH MAY BE TAKEN INTO CARE ARE |
- Orphaned hoglets – found out of their nest in daytime or when the nest has been destroyed or abandoned or the mother killed or injured.
- Injured hedgehogs – with open wounds, fractures, bites, burns etc. or if trapped in some way.
- Diseased hedgehogs– usually found lying out in daylight
- Autumn juveniles – young hedgehogs born late in the year, weighing under 450g after 1st November.
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| 3. HEDGEHOGS THAT SHOULD NOT BE TAKEN FROM THE WILD |
- Adult females in summer found uninjured but out in daylight (nursing or pregnant). To be checked first by a carer.
- Any uninjured hedgehog found after dark (except 2(iv) above) e.g. found in road or in winter and picked up by well meaning member of public.
- Members of the public should be strongly discouraged from keeping any healthy hedgehog in an enclosed garden, the only exceptions to this are disabled animals who have been assessed by a veterinary surgeon as being unable to survive in the wild.
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| 4. CAPTURE AND TRANSPORTATION |
The member of the centre taking the initial call from the finder must ascertain the reason for admission in accordance with the above guidelines and should only take action if the hedgehog needs to be taken into care. The finder should be advised to pick up the hedgehog using gloves or a towel and to wash their hands afterwards. The hedgehog should either be picked
up gently and placed in a deep-sided box with a lid and covered with a towel or shredded newspaper, or if a member of the centre is to collect it, the finder may place an upturned box or bucket with a weight on top over the casualty until help arrives. A very small amount of cat or dog food and water should be offered, also warmth, if there is to be any delay in
transporting it to the rescue centre. If the hedgehog is severely injured and no member of the centre is available, the finder is to be requested to take the casualty directly to our veterinary surgeon.
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- The centre works with the advice and under the guidance of Sarah Baird MA VetMB MRCVS of the Isabelle Vets Ltd. If she is not available another vet at that practice can be contacted.
- Initial assessment and first aid – the first consideration is whether and how soon the casualty needs to be treated by a veterinary surgeon. On admission each hedgehog must be thoroughly checked for wounds, injury, ectoparasites and general condition. Warmth and fluids to be administered as necessary. Fly eggs, maggots, ticks, fleas etc. to be removed as quickly as possible but with the minimum amount of stress to the patient.
- Routine Treatments – regular regimes e.g. hand-rearing of orphans, worming of autumn juveniles, recuperation of uninjured, trapped adults etc., may be carried out without referral to a vet.
- Records to be kept of treatment and progress including regular weights and all parasites found.
- Only carers trained in the appropriate technique to inject hedgehogs.
- Euthanasia to be carried out by a veterinary surgeon.
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- Hedgehogs to be housed singly in secure hutches or pens measuring a minimum of 0.34sqm for adult animals with heated pad where appropriate. Smaller hutches may be used for juveniles under 350g b.w. Suitable
dry, soft nest/nesting material to be provided to minimize stress. Mothers and nestlings or litter-mates under 3 months old to be housed together.
- All bedding and housing to be changed at least once a day and to be disinfected at least once a week with Trigene or other approved disinfectant.
- All feeding and water bowls to be disinfected between uses.
- All soiled paper bedding to be disposed of safely and washable bedding (towels, fleecies) to be washed separately.
- All sharps to be disposed of in an appropriate container via the vets.
- Floors to be cleaned on a daily basis.
- Hands to be washed with disinfectant hand-scrub between handling each hedgehog, a fresh pair of disposable gloves should be worn for each patient.
- All surfaces (e.g. scale pan and examination table) to be sprayed with disinfectant and wiped dry after handling each hedgehog.
- All medicines and other dangerous substances and sharps to be kept out of the reach of children.
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| 7. CONVALESCENCE AND PRE-RELEASE ASSESSMENT |
All hedgehogs should be kept in captivity, preferably in an outside enclosure or escape-proof garden for a minimum of 5 days after antibiotic treatment. Inexperienced juveniles should be kept outside for about 2 weeks prior to release. The minimum size of outside enclosure should be 2 sq. m per hedgehog. Sexes must be kept separate if mature enough to breed. Food and water and supplementary nest sites must be provided. Feed bowls to be washed every day and fresh food and water provided. Nest and nesting material to be changed and hedgehogs to be checked and
their weights recorded at least twice a week. Arrangements for release to be discussed with the rehabilitator who treated the patient in the first instance. If there is any doubt about the hedgehog's ability to cope in the wild, the advice of a vet is to be sought prior to release. Hedgehogs may only be kept in captivity long term if a veterinary surgeon has made the decision.
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| 8. HIBERNATION IN CAPTIVITY |
During hibernation hedgehogs should be provided with sufficient nesting material and a dry, frost-free nest site, either outside in an escape-proof garden or in an out-building in a secure hutch. Dry cat biscuits and fresh water must be available at all times and a daily (visual) check made to see if the inmate has stirred, otherwise he should be left undisturbed. Bedding should only be changed if soiled during temporary arousal from hibernation. During very cold weather the carer must ensure that the inside of the hibernaculum will not fall below freezing e.g. moving complete nest to a secure hutch in a frost-free environment. The optimum body temperature during hibernation is approximately 4°C. Special care will have to be taken with permanent residents who are unable to roll up completely.
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Hedgehogs should be released at dusk as near to where they were found as is practical and safe, during mild weather when the ground is not too hard, either due to frost or drought to prevent them foraging effectively. "Soft releases into open gardens where the finder or householder will provide supplementary cat or dog food and water for the first few nights are preferred, especially for inexperienced juveniles. Hedgehogs are also generally not released during very wet weather, especially in winter when they need to find sufficient dry bedding to make a winter nest. Minimum release weights for juveniles are 500g in summer and 650g in autumn and winter (October to March). Adults should be assessed according to size and frame and only released once they have attained a good body weight (usually 750g +). Over wintering or long-term inmates must not be allowed to become overweight.
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| 10. POST RELEASE MONITORING |
Every cooperative hedgehog is to be fitted with a numbered ear tag, any hedgehog undergoing a general anaesthetic at the
vets should also be tagged, it is the rehabilitator's responsibility to ask the veterinary surgeon concerned if he/she can fit a tag while the patient is under anaesthetic. Records of all tagged hedgehogs are to be maintained and of any subsequent sighting or admission into care or discovery of the carcass in the wild. The general public are to be encouraged to participate in this by informing the centre if they find a tagged corpse.
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The ethics of keeping a permanently disabled hedgehog in an enclosed garden for life must be discussed with a veterinary surgeon. Adequate space and as natural habitat as possible should be provided. Regular monitoring and recording of diet, condition/weight and veterinary treatment must be kept. Hygiene standards must be the same as for short-term garden inmates. An annual medical/dental check should be carried out by a vet. Breeding must be avoided.
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Each hedgehog is to have a numbered record sheet for each time it is admitted which will include:
- Admission weight, sex, approximate age (i.e. baby, juvenile, adult)
- Date of admission, date of finding, location of capture, reason for admission.
- Name, address and telephone number of finder.
- Condition on arrival, findings on examination, treatment administered with dates.
- Endo- and ecto-parasites and dates.
- Release site, date and weight or date of death, weight at death and any post mortem results.
- Tag number.
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All carers to have immunisation against tetanus and anyone handling a hedgehog to be made aware of possible zoonoses and what precautions to take. Members of the public finding a hedgehog are to be advised to wear gloves and to wash their hands after handling the hedgehog.
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| 14. PUBLIC LIABILITY INSURANCE |
The centre has taken out Public Liability Insurance.
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| 15. STATEMENT OF FACILITIES |
- The centre only cares for and gives advice on Erinaceus europaeus.
- Maximum capacity: 75.
- Associated Societies: Jersey Hedgehog Preservation Group.
- Protocol to deal with escape: the escape to be recorded, the reason for it found and remedied.
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In the event of the full time rehabilitator being incapacitated or dying suddenly another member of the centre would care for the hedgehogs, no new admissions to be taken in. When all of the hedgehogs have been released the centre would close, if no new rehabilitators can be found.
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