The Hog House: Hedgehog Help

29/03/2025

Happy Weekend
THIS IS A VERY LONG MUST READ POST just look at this endearing soulful little animal and they so need us to help protect them.
PLEASE READ AND SHARE. These posts take so much of my daily time to write the information and it is so true i try so hard to get people to understand what the hogs need.
This is a sad read but one i hope you will see why i have written it and feel so strongly about,my passion to help our hedgehogs be cared for has become such a part of my daily life, seeing the sick and injured hogs is heartbreaking,some just so emotionally draining, desperate to do all you can to save them,when some of the sights i and other rescues see can be avoidable if YOU ARE HEDGEHOG AWARE EVERYDAY ALL YEAR ROUND.
Such an endearing little soulful animal that doesn't deserve to have to endure any of what i am trying to get across but sadly they are and it is only US HUMANS that can try to stop it happening.
YOU need to look out for me but there are so many reasons i may not be safe, if your not sure what makes a hedgehog friendly garden,or what to look for in a sick hog,then many will not survive.
We are all learning about one of our favourite mammals that we all have come to love.
But if we don't start to be more aware of what the hedgehog needs to help it survive then so many will die and are dying because we need to take in more information and knowledge.
All these reasons are why we are losing our hedgehogs and i could list more,so here goes.
I DIED TODAY because You picked me up,took me home,gave me food and water,stuck me in a box,thinking that's all you need to do to care for a hog,well IT IS NOT😡,for some it is a slow death so GET me HELP.
I DIED TODAY because you took my mum in and 3 of my siblings and kept us for days,but because you stressed her out so much she killed 3 of us and only 1 is alive but bearly.Please do not do this get them professional HELP.
I DIED TODAY because
YOU didn't make access for me to get out of the fish pond, i tried but exhausted to swim and i drowned
I DIED TODAY because YOU didn't check for me when you used your strimmer or mower.
I DIED TODAY because YOU never watched the dog in the garden at night,and i was fatally attacked,if you know hogs are in your gardens be careful during the day too.
I DIED TODAY because YOU never put the netting high enough for me to safely get under,the more i wriggled to get out the more i knew i wasn't and i couldn't breath.
I DIED TODAY because YOU didnt cover the drain,i fell in no one knew i was there.
I DIED TODAY because YOU left me all day on the grass in the blazing sun,dying of heat exhaustion.
I DIED TODAY because YOU saw me lifeless and unwell for 3 days but on the 4th day it was too late.WHY?
I DIED TODAY because YOU poisoned me with slug pellets and chemical's,when i could have eaten the slugs and snails.
I died today because i thought the open shed was safe but you shut me in and i couldn't get out i tried i wore all my claws down to the bones,and i starved to death.
I DIED TODAY because you must have seen me in the road but you just kept going.
I DIED TODAY because YOU noticed some ticks/fleas on me and poisoned me with cat flea spray.
I DIED TODAY because YOU gave me milk and i'm lactose intolerant.
I DIED TODAY because YOU need to act quick if you see me wobbly,lethargic,and flat,dont leave me.
I DIED TODAY because YOU left opened black bags of rubbish around and i climbed in it,you tied it up and chucked it away with me inside.
I DIED TODAY because YOU did not check the compost heap for me before you forked it.
I DIED TODAY because you thought you knew best and stuck me under a bush only to die.
I DIED TODAY because if YOU are not sure what is wrong with me, then YOU CALL A RESCUE FOR ADVICE AS SOON AS YOU FIND ME
I DIED ALONE TODAY as YOU didnt put me somewhere safe before you made a rescue call and i wondered off and no one found me.
I DIED ALONE for days because my body was laid upon by flies, and i was being eaten alive by maggots.
IF YOU want to have us hogs in your garden at night,and in some cases even during the daytime, being a pregnant mum and nursing mums who will come out of their nests to forage and drink to refuel her energy levels.
PLEASE make your garden hedgehog friendly and safe for hogs to visit
And be alot more HEDGEHOG AWARE,there is so much information out there,and rescues are always there to give you help and advice.

27/03/2025

26/03/2025

26/03/2025

Big thankyou to all those who took part and WELL DONE WINNERS!

1st Prize - number 17 - Tessa Dunbar
2nd Prize - number 50 - Emma JH
3rd Prize - number 100 - Pat Woolley

SALES HAVE NOW CLOSED

For only £2 you have the chance to win one of these fabulous prizes and at the same time support Reedham Hedgehog Rescue 'Hodge Lodge'. Monies raised will go towards vital food, medication and equipment needed in the rescue, rehabilitation and release of wild hedgehogs.

To ENTER, you must pick a number from the list and pay £2. That's it!
Numbers 1 to 100 are listed below and each number 'costs' £2. Once a number has been 'bought' the buyers name will appear beside it. To buy a number you must comment with your chosen number/s and make payment as soon as possible. Confirmation will be made as soon as possible but sometimes there may be a delay.

PAYMENT can be made by PayPal here...
https://paypal.me/HodgeLodgeHedgehogs?country.x=GB&locale.x=en_GB
('friends and family' where possible to maximise fundraising please 😁)
Payment can also be made by bank transfer by requesting details.
Any payments not made within 24 hours will mean the number is 'released' for purchase by somebody else.

SALES CLOSE at 8am on draw day ready for the LIVE DRAW to take place on Facebook at 11am on Wednesday 16th April 2025.

WINNING NUMBERS will be chosen using a random number generator during the live draw and then winners will be 'tagged' and contacted by Hodge Lodge/Melanie Bracey.

PRIZES will be delivered personally wherever possible or suitable delivery arrangements will be made.

This post can be shared but only comments on the ORIGINAL POST on the Hodge Lodge page will be counted.

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to ask and thankyou for your support x

# teamworkmakesthedreamwork

1. Sarah Morris
2. Margaret Johnson
3. David Bracey
4. Tina Hall
5. Sarah Morris
6. Jade Reynolds
7. David Bracey
8. Amy Page
9.
10. Catherine O'Connor
11. Emma JH
12. Margaret Johnson
13. Debbie Black Frew
14. David Bracey
15. Amy Page
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17.
18. Verity JS
19. Shereen Bragg
20. Joanne Bridson
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22. Verity JS
23. Joanne Bridson
24. Shereen Bragg
25. Catherine O'Connor
26. Sarah Morris
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28. Jade Reynolds
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30. Sarah Morris
31. Debbie Black Frew
32. Janet Paula
33. Debbie Bluck Frew
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35. Joanne Bridson
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38. Verity JS
39. Julia Kilner
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42. David Bracey
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44. Catherine O'Connor
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48. Joanne Bridson
49. Verity JS
50. Emma JH
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53. Tina Hall
54. David Bracey
55.
56. Julia Kilner
57.
58. Debbie Bluck Frew
59. Janet Paula
60. Catherine O'Connor
61.
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63. Fi Myhill
64. Julia Kilner
65. Fi Myhill
66. Joanne Bridson
67. Tina Hall
68.
69.
70. Debbie Bluck Frew
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76. Verity JS
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78. Janet Paula
79. Amy Page
80. Pat Woolley
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82. Julia Kilner
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86. Janet Paula
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95. Catherine O'Connor
96. Janet Paula
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98. Julia Kilner
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100. Pat Woolley

16/03/2025

10/03/2025

Arts and crafts morning with the hogs 🎨🖌️✂️🧤

04/03/2025

🤎🦔 This is Braveheart 🦔🤎 A little diddy when he came in mid last year, missing half his spines through ringworm. As you can see, he’s a big boy now, with lots of new spines 😍 Not enjoying his bath this afternoon 🫧 but he should be thankful that it is a nice warm day ☀️

01/03/2025

🦔 This poor little soul came in 12/2/25 with an infected head wound. Both his eyes were closed, we weren’t sure he could see at all, and a severe case of Fluke, plus ringworm. By the 20th he had opened his eyes and uncurled a bit further so we have hope that he will be ok 🥰 His name is Foxy. We are not sure whether this is a car strike or a strimmer but please, please look out them when driving at night and tidying your gardens! 🦔

28/02/2025

Please leave rescuing wildlife to trained professionals 🥺
This poor girl “Scoffalot” arrived with us today but her finder has had her since before Christmas 😢
Although she has been well fed during this time she’s gone without much needed medicine to treat mange that is covering her face and sides. Mange can be itchy and she has infected wounds around her face, most likely caused by her scratching her self 🥺
She has had no access to the outside world during this time and because of this, her nails are so long they have began to curl inwards meaning even walking will be painful for her 🥺

Scoffalot has a long road ahead of her, but for tonight she’s had antibiotics and pain relief so will hopefully start feeling more comfortable soon!

If you see a hedgehog that is in need of assistance please call our Wildlife Centre on 01516255464 for advice!
We do predominantly admit hedgehogs but we’re happy to give advice and recommend other rescues who can help other injured wildlife 💜

27/02/2025

Good afternoon 🦔 We are after a new microscope as the bulb has gone on ours and unfortunately, it cannot be replaced 😒 Does anyone happen to have one kicking around? Back of a closet… under the bed… Thank you 🙏

27/02/2025

TIME TO TIDY & PREPARE!

Ensure you have a 13cm sq access hole in each garden perimeter so hedgehogs, frogs, newts etc can travel between gardens and the wild, to forage food and find mates.

Every garden needs a wild space for insect life and hedgehogs. Some gardens are neat and others untidy- the more untidy and natural the better for wildlife.

That wild area needed in every garden, could even look like this! A combination of hedge and composting.

A hedgehog house would sit beautifully under all your cuttings, branches, leaves, mowings etc in a sheltered and quiet location. Fill the house with straw and leave the access in sight.

Please provide your hedgehogs with fresh water nightly, in a shallow dish and some meaty high protein cat/dog foods, wet & dry. Never give milk and never feed mealworms or any other form of wild bird food as it can indirectly kill them.

PLEASE be careful whilst you tidy as hedgehog nests are camouflage and many are still hibernating. Hedgehogs do not run away from their nest, they curl up into a ball at hearing machinery, dogs and people. So it is very easy to fork, mow or strim a hedgehog, often resulting in fatal injury.

In the comments you will find a link on how to and why build this dead hedge….

Pic from an allotment group

26/02/2025

I wasn't expecting to be posting this during February but here we go.
Very young female just in, she's made it through the winter so far and then along comes strimmer happy gardener who slices her to pieces. I won't post the really horrid image, this is after I cleaned the wound and packed it with germicidal ointment. She'll be off to the vet in the morning, hopefully for stitching, as luck would have it the slicer missed her muscle and she can still curl up.

IF YOU ARE A STRIMMER USER PLEASE READ>

Before you cut, look. If it's long grass cut to a height of 10 inches then check what's there before going lower.

If there is a pile of leaves or brush there may well be a sleeping hedgehog in there. Leave it alone please.

Hedgehogs are a protected species in the UK. It is illegal to kill them.

Update

The little one died overnight which wasn't unexpected. The wound was deep and stinking and due to the length of time between the injury and her arrival here for treatment, it was likely sepsis.

26/02/2025