The Hedgehog Welfare Society - European Hedgehog Month

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HWS European Hedgehog Month - June 2003

Janet L's European Adoption Story:

Janet L's European Hedgehog, Sophie, at Hedgehog Friends of Denmark.

June 11th, 2003

Hi Janet,

Thank you SO much for supporting the European hedgehogs. It is amazing how so many of you want to help out. "Your" new little friend is a girl. She has been with me for a while. She arrived here Nov 20'th last year. Some children found her, laying in the middle of the road. They contacted me (via the net, amazing what children can do on their own ;-)). One of the parent drove the little hedgie-girl to me...together with the 3 GREAT girls who found her (7-8 years old girls :-)).

She was very dehydrated, filled with fly eggs and maggots. Her weight then was 316 grams. We worked hard to get the eggs and maggots away...she got an antibiotic cure...BUT she refused to eat ! She had got some kind of poison (my guess is slug poison). I started treating her with a LOT to drink and gave Atropin. More tea...keeping her warm, more atropin. Slowly after some weeks with pretty intensive care she started eating a tiny bit...but not really convincing. Her weight dropped to 268...and 250. Hills a/d was given and avocado...force feeding her 3 times a night. Finally she got better...she started eating pretty good...but her weight only went up slowly. Somehow the poison "kept" her small. And her immune system was low. She got an inner ear infection, inflammation in one of her eyes. But slowly she was getting stronger. She has been getting a "vitamin-mix" for 3 month to make her strong...and it seem it finally is paying off. She is now 628 grams...still very small (all my other babies from last year are way over 800 grams and free). My hope is she can get released this year. She is such a teaser...when she hear me...her little nose comes out of her nest box ("what do I get...any goodies for me?"). She is CRAZY with avocado...I guess she is a bit spoiled. :-)

I hope you will find her a good name.

Attached are pictures of her taken a week ago.

Warm thoughts,
Kis

June 23rd, 2003

Hi Janet,

Sophie is a free little hedgie. Oh my did she enjoy when she smelled the big world outside. Thank you so much for adopting her and for your support. Attached are pictures from the BIG event: Free at last.

Warm thoughts,
Kis

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