18/06/2025
We won’t talk about the elephant in the room that is me going missing for about 6 months… I’ll be back soon, I promise. 😋👀
But regardless, the time has come… Time for the annual hot hogs post! ⛱️
IMPORTANT: LET’S TALK ABOUT HOT HOGS! 🥵🦔
It’s summer! 🌞 And as lovely as it is to not have to worry as much about our spiky children attempting to hibernate, we also want to avoid roasting hedgehogs which can sometimes happen as the temperatures in vivs and enclosures skyrocket during the boiling afternoons. 🤒 Overheating can not only be very uncomfortable for your hog, but can also be very dangerous for their health and even fatal in some sad circumstances. 😩😞
First and foremost, it’s very important to leave your CHE/thermostat turned on at all times! Turning it off will NOT cool down your vivarium. If the temperatures are running higher in the viv than your thermostat is set to, your heat source won’t turn on. But what you do risk is those temperatures falling again and leaving the possibility for a hibernation attempt because the thermostat had been turned off. Please remember in the UK we are not blessed with predictable and stable weather! Heat set ups are self-regulated if connected to a thermostat correctly so they can stay on at all times. If you think your heat source is turning on during warmer times, drop me a message and I’ll see if I can help.🤞
☀️ Don’t have the enclosure in direct sunlight.
☀️ Make sure your enclosure is well ventilated.
☀️ Leave the enclosure open a crack at either side, then place a wedge in the doors so you don’t have an escapee, alternatively, you can buy some mesh to secure onto the open doors to prevent them wandering off.
☀️ Provide your hog with a tile or slate to lie on to cool down - please make sure this isn’t in direct sunlight or it’ll have the opposite effect!
☀️ Replace their water a couple of times a day to keep it cool.
☀️ Place an ice pack or bottle of ice water out of reach in the enclosure - it can help to cool the air.
☀️ Open the window/door in the room and keep the curtains shut where possible.
☀️ Put a fan on or invest in an A/C unit- some people find a bowl of ice in front of the fan can help cool the air.
☀️ Turn off lights in enclosures during the day - some LED lights used in enclosures can give off extra unnecessary heat in closed quarters.
☀️ If possible, have your hog out in a playpen or in another secure, cooler area in the house so they have increased airflow.
☀️ If you have Leucillin spray, you can use this as a cooling spritz for your hog’s skin.
☀️ Feeding some cool treats like frozen and freshly thawed bugs or cold raw mince can also be very refreshing.
Most importantly, PLEASE be checking your thermometer regularly during the day. Whilst you may be cool relaxing on the sofa, the temps in their enclosures can become dangerously high very quickly. If you are leaving the house for long periods of time, think about investing in a thermometer you can check from your phone and make provisions to keep your hog at a decent temperature whilst you’re gone. 🙏
Pic credit: the newest member of the Hinterland Herd, Dumpling. 💕
