Russell’s prickly rescue

26/10/2026

Evening all

BIG request please if anyone can help I’m starting to run low on towels in the rescue.

If anyone has any old towels or having a clear out of old ones soon please let me know.

The washer is constantly on at the minute so having more would help.

Thank you ###

22/10/2026

The rescue is closed to new admissions now until November 3rd.
I’m having a few days with family then my grandchildren are coming next week for the week.
Ring BHPS or google helpwildlife.co.uk for your next available rescue.

Thank you
Chris

HelpWildlife.co.uk was founded in 2005 to help members of the public who find wildlife casualties with advice and a directory of wildlife rescuers. We also provide advice on humane, holistic methods of wildlife management.

21/10/2026

Evening thought i'd give you all an update on my little ones as it's been a while now.
Will start with the sad news first at the weekend i sadly lost Igel so tiny but a proper little fighter like they all are at the minute 💙but he couldn't fight it anymore 🌈🦔
Balloon syndrome Timmy is doing really well 740g but still having treatment but won't be long now before he can get his freedom.

Harriett 370g who had the most horrendous poo samples on arrival literally alive with Lungworm is still not out the woods but she is surprising me and gaining a little weight daily nothing massive but its a gain and not a loss.
Sadly she is very poorly the fluke is making her so erratic and im worried the lungworm may have caused long term damage as her chest sounds awful she is still on antibiotics for this.
Todays poo sample still shows lots of Cap and Fluke her 2nd treatment for the cap is tomorrow, but no Lungworm was found in todays sample so fingers crossed she is clear of them and they just not hiding.

Hoggle 481g still has a small amount of cap but is eating and gaining weight at a good amount daily hope this continues.

Baby Tilly 💓 wow dare i say it, i feel like i've dreaded everyday going into the rescue incase she had passed which would not surprise me but i still dread it.

I feel with her and baby Connie i've been on a rollercoaster with both and still anything could change but from neither eating anything they both seem interested now in food.
Neither could cope with subcut fluids as extremely scared and like popping candy i thought the stress would kill them but eventually they took to syringe feeds after a battle.
Tilly still has fluke but is gaining daily now 344g and Connie has a small amount of cap but the last 3 days she has gained weight which is fantastic still tiny but now 214g woo woo keep going little lady and please keep fighting.

Lastly Sally 224g who came in last thursday from a lady who had decided she could help Sally alone ??????? it happens but sally is a baby with so far only fluke showing and a bacterial infection which is causing her a lot of discomfort she is on pain relief and antibiotics the fluke has had the first treatment but im convinced more is going on.

A hedgehog out in the day needs help and warmth that's just to start with.
A cold shed with damp hay food and water knocked over making the hay wetter will not fix this problem, thankfully the lady saw sense and contacted a rescue, thanks for fetching her linda.
She has a long road ahead as has no interest in food so is being kept hydrated with subcut fluids, and a few different feeds sampled i have to yet find one she likes but will keep going.

That all from me tonight and them 🦔 🦔🦔🦔🦔🦔sorry its been a long post i wont leave it so long next time.

###

21/10/2026

Thank you to everyone that came to my talk last night at Measham Library and for your extremely generous donations to the rescue it was a lovely evening and the cakes were delicious 💕

Thank you to NIkki for inviting me and for your lovely email this morning. ###

21/10/2026

WE ARE LOSING ONE OF BRITAIN’S MOST BELOVED CREATURES... 🇬🇧🦔💔

A heartbreaking reminder of what is at stake in our rural countryside: British hedgehog numbers in rural areas have plummeted to dangerous levels, putting them on the brink of extinction.

Loss of traditional hedgerows, habitat fragmentation, busy roads, and modern fencing have made it harder than ever for these iconic creatures to survive in the wild.

Protecting British rural heritage isn't just about farming and villages—it's about protecting the native wildlife that makes our countryside special.

WHAT SIMPLE STEPS ARE YOU TAKING IN YOUR GARDEN OR COMMUNITY TO HELP OUR LOCAL WILDLIFE?

🔹 Creating hedgehog highways (small gaps in garden fences)?
🔹 Leaving wild corners or leaf piles for shelter?
🔹 Avoiding harsh garden chemicals?

DROP YOUR THOUGHTS AND TIPS IN THE COMMENTS BELOW! 👇

🦔 SAVE OUR BRITISH HEDGEHOGS!

14/10/2026

Zoom in for a clearer view this is also Harriet’s sample and two is nothing compared to the rest of the sample 😔

14/10/2026

Sadly Heath died in the night wasn’t really unexpected after how poorly he was yesterday but never gets any easier especially when your fighting so hard to keep them alive and get the happy outcome. Starting to dread walking in there in the morning.

Travel well little one 🦔🌈

Harriet came in today from fields farm longeaton thanks Chelsey and her hubby for helping her and getting her to me it not the first hog for Chelsey.

She had a fair few ticks and plenty of fleas which she has kindly shared with me I now have 5 new bites to add to the ones a few days ago 😣

She is very emaciated and full of capillaria, fluke, super active lungworm and bright green poo which is like liquid.

I feel like I have a rescue full of critical ones at the minute no one is moving forward they gain a few kilo grams and lose double the amount.

They all so stressed even giving fluids is proving a battle, so this evening I tried oral fluids again with them it felt a damn sight more relaxed than subcut when they are terrified okay you don’t get as much in but all was a lot calmer.

Let’s hope tomorrow shows some improvements 🙏please.

Will leave you with a pic of Harriet and her poo 😳###

13/10/2026

I have given myself a headache today I've spent that long looking down a microscope.
But compared to the results my headache is nothing that two paracetamol cannot cure but sadly we don't have one magic medicine that cures all parasites.

I like to do more than one poo sample per hedgehog as one can be clear the 4th one could show so much more.

When i go on in posts about parasites it did occur to me today that you may not have a clue what i'm on about apart from something nasty in a poo sample.

So here are the facts the parasite and what the hedgehog has eaten to get that parasite. How easy would it be to give one injection to solve the lot in one go but no the treatments are all different for each condition and need to be given spaced out.

Roundworm= earthworms

Fluke = slugs and snails= excessive hyperactivity and can smell it.

Lungworm = slugs and snails= bad cough sounds like a smokers cough

Capillaria = infected earthworms or by swallowing eggs from contaminated surfaces.

Coccidiosis = bacterial infection which can rapidly spread.

Thorney headed worm = woodlice this is rarely seen by a rescue by then its too late for the hedgehog so it would need an autopsy to identify it.

These parasites are life threatening unless caught early but even then there is no guarantee, small underweight hedgehogs struggle more because every poo is like diarrhoea which is liquid and then you need to replace this fluid and then they poo again it's a vicious circle it really is.

A larger hedgehog carrying more weight can sometimes tolerate the condition and treatment slightly better but even then its not guaranteed.

All my six hedgehogs have more than two of the above, all are on subcut fluids they have all had the first treatment for their condition but they are critical. Will they make it?? I'm not sure ?? I can only treat them accordingly it's down to the little body if it can tolerate the treatment process.

Right now i'm one very stressed out lady with six hedgehogs that i'm fighting for i just want to see daily improvements.

Fingers crossed for them all 🦔🦔🦔🦔🦔🦔

12/10/2026

11/10/2026

What a day 😱

So yesterday Saturday no calls all day today more calls than I could handle so a few I’ve had to divert elsewhere.

3 new ones came to me today baby Connie was the first 163g she is tiny., she does come with a sad story she had 3 other sibling that went to two other rescues sadly two died and the little girl left is fighting so hard to get stronger and over come the intense parasite burden.
Connie is very subdued not eaten since arriving has had fluids but remains in the incubator tonight see what the morning brings.

Heath 286g came from elvaston he was just sat on Annie’s door step in the day very lethargic, no obvious injuries but he does have an inflamed tummy until I get a poo sample done I’m unsure what’s going on but have started antibiotics as clearly something isn’t right.

Igel 270g ( German for hedgehog )was the last to arrive from Melbourne she had fly strike and was very dehydrated after removing the fly eggs I could then treat the dehydration so far so good 🤞

Fingers crossed for all the new ones 🥰

Bramble has gone down hill massively today even with injectable fluids he isn’t responding at all sadly I fear he will have passed away by morning I can tell he cannot fight the parasites he has tried so hard until now.
We. Will

Have a great week ahead hope it’s a good one !! ###