Frontline is no longer effective for Dogs, check out Advocate to make sure they are also covered for Lungworm & Ringworm etc, it often comes with the de-worm or de-flea tablet/spot on. Hedgehog fleas are specific so won't transfer to pets.
Hedgehog food or meat flavoured cat biscuits is perfect, as discussed above. It helps self-clean their teeth other sweet treats do rot them & can cause calcium bone deficiency.
Have a look at the hedgehog feeding stations videos, I place mine against a wall or shed with a hedgehog sized gap so cats & foxes can't get in:
Fleas seem to be fleas and when pets get them, they seem to target us humans too. Damn peksy ankle-biting critters, them.
The biggest worry is still Lymes disase from ticks and it's incredibly hard to find them in a big hairy dog. Have removed a few from small, short haired dogs with only one exception where a tick's mouth section must have been left inside, causing a minor infection and long-lasting lumpon her belly.
As for my humongously large, hairy dog... there is little chance of finding any, let alone levering them out with a 'tick crowbar'.
Hedgehogs are incredible animals and as said previously, they need a LOT of help in sanctuaries...but if it's putting pets and family at risk, it's a risk too far. Bless 'em..... hedgehogs are not to blame for the parasitical evils that hitch a ride on their backs (but more likely ears). Pet-free gardens and with the right layout, they could thrive again.
I believe Advocate also do a monthly spot on for fleas which does include ticks, apparently it causes them to drop off after application? Have a chat with your vets, mine are forever updating the products to stay on top of it.
It's very true, the little hogs need all the help they can get with loss of habitat. The risk of lungworm from snails, slugs, frogs, foxes etc is all far higher than hogs though. Most do carry it but it only becomes a risk for the hogs themselves if there are other prevalent health issues compromising the immune system therefore allowing it to take hold. Wetter weather in general is allowing it to flare up just like Alabama Rot.
It's true though, hogs are notoriously fussy eaters, each one with different taste. It's like laying on a banquet!
We have a small (juvenile) hedgehog in our garden and I bought some hedgehog food pellets which he is devouring each evening. A lovely sight! The packet label states " a handful of pellets" but I am concerned about how many this actually should be.
Last night I put 20 pellets in a bowl which he/she gobbled up but I don't want to overfeed him/her and discourage the hog from scavenging for it's own food naturally.
Can anyone give me some indication of the quantity of pellets that should be provided each evening please?
You can''t really over-do it Dennis, they will still forage naturally on top of whatever food is provided. I have a small shallow dish which I fill to the top and a small amount is left every night. You could have multiple hogs visiting, if you are using a hedgehog feeding station like the one I linked above? Very easy to make from storage boxes & will stop cats/foxes stealing the food from the hog. It could be a fairly new born which has recently left mum after weaning, so all the fattening up before the end of Autumn is paramount. A hog should weigh at least 500g-600g before hibernation, otherwise it will need to be over-wintered at a hedgehog rescue/wildlife sanctuary. I still leave out food during winter, just in case.
Thank you for helping & providing food for these little guys.
Last night I put out a larger portion of pellet food and "hedgie" turned up at 9.45pm and started eating them. A few minutes later a cat crept up and tried to take over whereupon the hedgehog (tiny compared to the size of the cat) snorted, the cat leapt into the air and ran away faster than Usain Bolt.
"Hedgie" then completed his meal, eating all of the pellets and snuffled off.
Haha Dennis, that's re-assuring. Last week I saw the opposite, a cat chasing a hog across the road in the early hours. Hogs main in-take of supplied food is around sunset and just before sunrise, mine often come back for a second portion at around 4.30ish before bed. Hopefully the cats or foxes won't have finished the food off by then.
Foxes definitely will, under the right circumstances.
The right ones for the fox, sadly not the hedgepig...
Advocate has no tick effect, it also doesn't treat the fungal infection ringworm. Frontline IS effective but slow and affected by washing, grooming and even rain so not an ideal product as it is a contact poison.
Hedgehog fleas will happily feed on pets, and their ticks are the most commonly found on pets. That isn't their fault and pet owners should take suitable steps to protect them.
Your vet will be able to advise you on effective products, even for very hairy dogs.
Generally no Firefly. The cat was just toying with the hog. The odd footage of a fox attacking an already injured hog has been recorded but usually the defence of a spiky ball is enough.
Posts
I believe Advocate also do a monthly spot on for fleas which does include ticks, apparently it causes them to drop off after application? Have a chat with your vets, mine are forever updating the products to stay on top of it.
It's very true, the little hogs need all the help they can get with loss of habitat. The risk of lungworm from snails, slugs, frogs, foxes etc is all far higher than hogs though. Most do carry it but it only becomes a risk for the hogs themselves if there are other prevalent health issues compromising the immune system therefore allowing it to take hold. Wetter weather in general is allowing it to flare up just like Alabama Rot.
It's true though, hogs are notoriously fussy eaters, each one with different taste. It's like laying on a banquet!
Last edited: 20 July 2017 21:21:11
We have a small (juvenile) hedgehog in our garden and I bought some hedgehog food pellets which he is devouring each evening. A lovely sight! The packet label states " a handful of pellets" but I am concerned about how many this actually should be.
Last night I put 20 pellets in a bowl which he/she gobbled up but I don't want to overfeed him/her and discourage the hog from scavenging for it's own food naturally.
Can anyone give me some indication of the quantity of pellets that should be provided each evening please?
Many thanks.
You can''t really over-do it Dennis, they will still forage naturally on top of whatever food is provided. I have a small shallow dish which I fill to the top and a small amount is left every night. You could have multiple hogs visiting, if you are using a hedgehog feeding station like the one I linked above? Very easy to make from storage boxes & will stop cats/foxes stealing the food from the hog. It could be a fairly new born which has recently left mum after weaning, so all the fattening up before the end of Autumn is paramount. A hog should weigh at least 500g-600g before hibernation, otherwise it will need to be over-wintered at a hedgehog rescue/wildlife sanctuary. I still leave out food during winter, just in case.
Thank you for helping & providing food for these little guys.
Last edited: 21 July 2017 13:57:20
Oh, the flea and tick myths being perpetuated here...
Talk to your vets people!
Many thanks Mark.
Last night I put out a larger portion of pellet food and "hedgie" turned up at 9.45pm and started eating them. A few minutes later a cat crept up and tried to take over whereupon the hedgehog (tiny compared to the size of the cat) snorted, the cat leapt into the air and ran away faster than Usain Bolt.
"Hedgie" then completed his meal, eating all of the pellets and snuffled off.
So, tonight a larger portion will be provided.
"Oh, the flea and tick myths being perpetuated here..."
Which in particular, Steve?
Haha Dennis, that's re-assuring. Last week I saw the opposite, a cat chasing a hog across the road in the early hours. Hogs main in-take of supplied food is around sunset and just before sunrise, mine often come back for a second portion at around 4.30ish before bed. Hopefully the cats or foxes won't have finished the food off by then.
More tips & discussion here:
http://www.gardenersworld.com/forum/wildlife-gardening/help-save-the-hedgehogs/939897.html
Do foxes and cats successfully predate hogs? Is there much evidence one way or the other yet? Just interested
Foxes definitely will, under the right circumstances.
The right ones for the fox, sadly not the hedgepig...
Advocate has no tick effect, it also doesn't treat the fungal infection ringworm. Frontline IS effective but slow and affected by washing, grooming and even rain so not an ideal product as it is a contact poison.
Hedgehog fleas will happily feed on pets, and their ticks are the most commonly found on pets. That isn't their fault and pet owners should take suitable steps to protect them.
Your vet will be able to advise you on effective products, even for very hairy dogs.
Generally no Firefly. The cat was just toying with the hog. The odd footage of a fox attacking an already injured hog has been recorded but usually the defence of a spiky ball is enough.