[Monzano]

Hello. New guy here. I'm not very familiar with hedgehogs so I'd be really grateful for any advice. So long story short: I live in a big city (in Bulgaria, Europe) and found a hedgehog in the grassland between the buildings. My first intention was to try to tame it and if that doesn't work out to let it out in a forest outside the city. After a week it still didn't feel quite at home so I decided to let it go. Imagine my surprise when in the morning on the day I was gonna let it go (today) I found out it had given birth... There were 3 babies when I first saw them and a bit later it proceeded to eat one of them. I separated the remaining two. I've read quite a few bits and bobs from this forum and other sites. But still I REALLY need help and advice, please!

So far I've bought kitten formula and fed them once with a syringe without the needle. My main concern is that they don't seem to figure out how to feed from it. Another big concern of mine is how to keep them warm. So far I've filled a tupperware with pretty warm water, put a cloth over it and placed their box on top of it. I also tried very gently to massage their tummies as I read they need it.

I would be extremely grateful for any advice, ASAP!

PS: I understand that my course of actions might not have been the most proper (taking the wild hedgehog) but I didn't know it was pregnant, I didn't even think it was female to be honest... So yea, any advice is more than welcome.

PSS: Just to clarify the hedgehogs in this case are wild European, not the African pygmy.

 

[nikki]

It would have been best if you had left the two babies with the mom. The chances of successfully raising newborn hedgehogs is less than 1%. I don't know if there is anyone here that has hand raised newborns. I do know that they need attention 24 hours a day and must be fed day and night. The biggest problem is with them not eliminating properly and becoming bloated. Try stimulating them with a warm wet q-tip to mimic mom washing them. When feeding watch for a white spot to appear in their belly, if you see if then they've had enough food.

 

[AK907]

Hello. New guy here. I'm not very familiar with hedgehogs so I'd be really grateful for any advice. So long story short: I live in a big city (in Bulgaria, Europe) and found a hedgehog in the grassland between the buildings. My first intention was to try to tame it and if that doesn't work out to let it out in a forest outside the city. After a week it still didn't feel quite at home so I decided to let it go. Imagine my surprise when in the morning on the day I was gonna let it go (today) I found out it had given birth... There were 3 babies when I first saw them and a bit later it proceeded to eat one of them. I separated the remaining two. I've read quite a few bits and bobs from this forum and other sites. But still I REALLY need help and advice, please!

So far I've bought kitten formula and fed them once with a syringe without the needle. My main concern is that they don't seem to figure out how to feed from it. Another big concern of mine is how to keep them warm. So far I've filled a tupperware with pretty warm water, put a cloth over it and placed their box on top of it. I also tried very gently to massage their tummies as I read they need it.

I would be extremely grateful for any advice, ASAP!

PS: I understand that my course of actions might not have been the most proper (taking the wild hedgehog) but I didn't know it was pregnant, I didn't even think it was female to be honest... So yea, any advice is more than welcome.

PSS: Just to clarify the hedgehogs in this case are wild European, not the African pygmy.

Sorry, I didn't see this until now. If you have found a way to take care of the little ones, great. But if this can help at all, this is a reference I found on rearing Hoglets by hand. I don't claim to know how accurate it is, but reading through, it seemed to have a lot of good advice for someone in your position.

Here is the website:

https://www.britishhedgehogs.org.uk/caring-for-hoglets/

 

[Firly Budiman]

Hi, my female hog just gave birth last sunday with 5 babies. On the second day, four of them didn’t make it as the mom won’t milking them and now i decided to taking care the last baby. Everything is okay, until today, it didn’t want any milk at all. I give Zeal milk (lactose free), and just now i mix the milk with substitute rehydration fluid (water, honey and salt). At first, it drank quite a lot and after two hours it refuses the milk again. I use pipette for the milk. Please advice what should i do now as i dont want it to not survive. Seems that her mother didn’t know how to handle her kids. It’s the third time she gave labor and none of it survives except this one baby im syringe feed it. I ordered esbilac for small anima and royal canin dog milk as i read at the one hedgehog website is good for hoglet, but whilst we are waiting for them to arrive i still give it Zeallactose free milk along with the substitute rehydration fluid. And for the vitamins, is anyone of you know the similar ingredients of Abidec?