Bertie'S R&R - Wildlife Rehabilitation And Release

In our last post we introduced our smallest patients of the year - that title has now been stolen by last night's late arrival. 3 baby mice not much bigger than a thumb nail!
First the bunnies - this picture was actually taken yesterday morning and they've grown even more since then. Their fur is really coming in beautifully and they are becoming very active and getting stronger by the hour. Wriggles and Flick, as they've been christened due to their individual ways of getti...ng themselves about, have exceeding all expectations and are loving their kitten formula mix day and night. We have now learnt their burrow was unearthed by an excavator which is how they became orphans - we will continue to work hard to help them thrive as wild rabbits are notoriously difficult to hand rear.
And the little mice - these babies still have an epic mountain to climb. We were contacted last night by a very upset lady who had accidentally disturbed their nest causing mum to flee. She did everything absolutely right and left them alone, watching for mum. But by last night it because clear mum was not returning and these babies were starving. Her husband drove half an hour at 10pm on a Sunday night to bring them too us. These babies are the smallest we've ever had at Bertie's and are being fed from a paintbrush. They've been with us 24 hours now and are all still alive but we are still being cautious with their outlook.
These babies require very frequent feeds day and night so I'm not ashamed to say I'm exhausted, but while they are fighting we will fight for them.
If you can help at all with their care donations would be very gratefully received via PayPal to madzdilley@yahoo.co.uk
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One more chance - can you please click the link and nominate Bertie's R&R - Wildlife Rehabilitation and Release for this prize? It would be so helpful for us at the moment.

The smallest patients of the year so far have now spent nearly 30 hours at Bertie's and, incredibly, are still holding on! (First 3 photos are last night - last photo is tonight)
They are baby rabbits, almost certainly born late Wednesday/early Thursday and have been with us since early evening on Thursday.
I don't have the full details of what happened but I do know 4 of their siblings had already passed by the time they arrived at my door so these ones were very touch and ...go.
They have been, and will continue to be checked 3 hourly through the night at least. They are currently feeding well so please keep your fingers crossed for our smallest babies. They have a huge mountain still to climb.
Donations can be made towards their care, and the care of all our animals, via PayPal at madzdilley@yahoo.co.uk Alternatively you can contact us for bank details or other methods.
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Could everyone please nominate Bertie's R&R - Wildlife Rehabilitation and Release for this? And any other competitions of this type that you see? It's Hedgehog Awareness Week so there is lots going on. Thank you!

A bit of comedy for you as our posts have been very heavy recently. Also a warning that I'm away until tomorrow evening so please call Fenland Animal Rescue or Unity if you find an animal in need.

I've spent much of the past couple of years trying to educate members of the public not to feed mealworms and other high phosphorous foods to hedgehogs, but up until now Metabolic Bone Disease is something I've only suspected, heard about from other carers, or seen videos of.
Yesterday I had my first confirmed case of Metabolic Bone Disease caused by mealworms and it has strengthened my resolve to teach everyone the best way to feed our hedgehogs and help them, without causin...
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The orphan season is beginning and we are gearing up for a very busy Spring time - we need some very specific items for babies to allow them a chance to survive and go back to the wild. We need to stock up on lots of our supplies but our funds are very low due to vet bills and having lots of mouths to feed over the winter. We hate asking for help - but we can't do this without you all. If any of you can help, either with donations via PayPal to madzdilley@yahoo.co.uk (please... contact me if you would prefer bank details) or purchasing much-needed items off our Amazon wishlist (link below) - we would be incredibly grateful. Thank you so much to you all - with your help we will continue to do everything we can to save the local wildlife in St Ives and the surrounding areas.
Amazon Wishlist: https://www.amazon.co.uk/hz/wishlist/ls/2 5G4XPKRYXNG8…
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Things like this are happening so often now - African Pygmy Hedgehogs are complex pets, they have very specific care needs and are expensive to look after. They are not ideal pets for children because they are nocturnal and do not like to be handled during the day. So pleased these two were spotted as they would not survive in the wild in the UK. If you need help with an APH please contact us and we will do our best to help you.

We often hear 'Oh but our hedgehogs LOVE mealworms' when we ask people not to put them out for hoggies - this poster explains why mealworms, and other phosphorus high foods, are dangerous to hedgehogs. Please share and help spread the word.

I try to share as much as I can with you all about what is going on here as Bertie's would not be able to function without the support we receive, and as much as possible I like to share happy tales of hedgehogs doing well.
However, I believe transparency is important and therefore will warn you this post does not have a happy outcome.
Last night some of our wonderful supporters George and Nelly, arrived on our doorstep with a very poorly hedgehog.
... I could tell instantly this hedgehog had pneumonia and was struggling to breathe. He was also extremely emaciated despite being a big hedgehog, and very dehydrated. I was able to quickly get some warm fluids injected into him and gave him pain killers and antibiotics. He was gently warmed and put into a nebuliser (very kindly donated by Pat Smith) to help with his breathing. We did everything we could to keep him comfortable and to keep his nose and mouth clear but unfortunately he passed away a few hours after arriving.
On closer examination I found what I believe to be tumours on his little body. I am not a vet, however from my experience and knowledge I believe this poor hedgehog had advanced cancer which had ravaged his body causing weight loss and many other problems. His organs had begun to shut down and his pneumonia was a secondary issue which was too much for his body to cope with.
The sad fact is that when a hedgehog (or other animal) comes to us, it is already very sick in most cases. Wild animals do not show weakness so for a human to have noticed a problem often means the issues are extreme. We are glad to say our success rate in rehabilitating animals and returning them to the wild is very good but we feel every loss (often with tears). We do this work because we love animals and it always breaks our hearts to lose one.
We take comfort that this poor boy did not die in the cold, he did not die alone and scared, he was not attacked by other animals. He was warm, free from pain and loved. Sometimes, unfortunately, that is all we are able to do.
I have not included photos as they are too distressing. I am sorry this post is not a happy one. However we are focusing on lots of upcoming releases over the next week - and getting prepared for hoglet season - which could start at any time now. We will go on - we owe it to all other other animals who will need our help.
Rehabilitation is expensive and any donation, however small, is very gratefully received. If you can donate towards our care costs you can PayPal us at madzdilley@yahoo.co.uk Alternatively please contact me if you'd prefer to donate via Bank Transfer or cash.
Thank you for all your support as always.
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A huge thank you to Kelly Jessop and her partner for taking such quick action last night and driving so far to get Harry to me.
Poor Harry was covered in ticks which had left him dehydrated and anaemic. He was given sub cutaneous fluid injections on arrival and, once checked over, he was left to rest for an hour with some food and warmth before we set to work on the ticks.
We removed approx 85 ticks from him last night and I think we've got less than 10 left to go (by midnig...ht last night my eyes had stopped working and I didn't want to stress him out any further so we stopped - although he was an angel letting me do as much as we did). They were all big ticks too and most were engorged so he must have been feeling pretty lousy.
He is like a different hedgehog this morning. Full of energy and with a big appetite for kitten biscuits! He can smell the other female in the intensive care area too I think as he's very keen to get to that side of his cage and sniff the air (Zelda is extremely elderly and not at all interested in him though!).
I'll be removing the last of his ticks today as well as checking his faecal sample under the scope. It's not a great colour or consistency at the moment but that's common shortly after hibernation (so it's possible he's just woken up) or after stress (unsurprising considering the night he had!). I'll treat anything I find and get him back to his finders as soon as possible so he can find some females and make some little hoglets!
He's not completely out of the woods yet but he's definitely in much better shape than when he arrived and I have no doubt without Kelly and her partner acting so quickly and kindly on his behalf his story would have a much sadder outcome.

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We've had a very busy day at Bertie's today. First speaking to vets about medications for Zelda as, on top of the Dental disease, arthritis, Coccodia and Crenosoma (lungworm) we're already treating her for, we've now discovered Fluke in her samples (I've included an image from the microscope so you can see just how nasty they are!) - her treatments have already cost well over £100 but despite her age I will not put an animal to sleep who I believe still has fight in them - an...d she definitely does.
We've also had a big rearrange to bring inside two of our hogs who were still hibernating and had started to lose a little too much weight. They've already woken up and have lots of water and a nice big bowl of high calorie kitten biscuits to dig into. All our hedgehogs who have overwinterered with us are preparing to go back to the wild as soon as this cold snap ends so if you brought a hedgehog to me and it made it through winter (we did unfortunately lose a small number) I will be in touch soon. A couple are being released here but I do aim to return as many as possible to their original home.
Seeing Harriet in particular was a big relief. It's so nice to see them all come through but Harriet's story touched so many hearts - mine included - when she arrived covered in maggots and so weak I didn't believe she'd survive the night. She faced so much in those first weeks and now she's woken up from her first hibernation. A milestone I never thought she'd reach!
And just look at Cookie, the bunny we picked up from the vets last week with fishing line around his middle. His wound has almost completely healed and he has finished his medications. He's gaining weight beautifully and after a few more days of observation he will also be ready to go to his new home.
Wildlife rehabilitation is hard work. It's constant, it's expensive and, at times, it's heart breaking but it is also so rewarding and as much as we will miss them, we can't wait to see these amazing animals go on to the next chapter of their lives.
If you can help towards our costs you can help out via PayPal at madzdilley@yahoo.co.uk or contact me if you'd prefer bank transfer or cash.
Thank you for all your support.
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Happy Mother's Day to all the mums who follow us. We hope you have a lovely day.
I'm working hard to get everyone fed, cleaned and medicated this morning so I can go out and enjoy the day with my family. Rescue work is full time work and you don't get a day off - but I wouldn't change it for the world. The rewards of helping these animals is always worth it.
I thought I'd introduce you to our latest baby. We collected Buttercup last Monday and she has settled right into our hearts with her huge personality and beautiful face. She's a pet African Pygmy Hedgehog and she is now in her forever home with us after her previous owners (through no fault of their own) were not able to give her the time she needed. We're honoured to take over her care and we all adore her.

This gorgeous girl is Zelda.
Zelda is a very old lady. She was taken to a Huntingdon vets on Monday and we collected her on Wednesday. She'd gone in with a weepy eye and we were told she was doing okay and just needed a bit of food.
As soon as I got her home I knew there was much more wrong. On examination she was incredibly dehydrated and underweight for her size. She was struggling to eat and when I checked I could see many missing teeth and a lot of dental disease. She's... also very arthritic and has very little energy - but then show me a very elderly person who does!
I got her straight back to a vet and got her put on antibiotics and painkillers. Going forward she will likely need some dental surgery done but that will depend on whether she's strong enough to survive an anaesthetic. For now we're keeping her dosed up on painkillers, feeding her soft puppy mousse mixed with rehydration fluids as well as giving fluids subcutaneously, and letting her have lots of quiet and rest to get her strength back.
Unfortunately we've also discovered Crenosoma (lungworm) larvae as well as Coccodia eggs in her poo so she's on two more medications for those.
We are taking each day as it comes with this ol' girl. At the moment she has a fabulous appetite and wobbles up to the front of the cage with her nose twitching every time I top up her bowl. She's also very calm in my presence, like she knows I'm there to help her. I doubt she will ever be able to return to a fully wild life but if she regains her strength we will look for or create a retirement home for her where she can live as close to a wild life as we can make it whilst being supported with food she can manage. As long as she's fighting, we will fight for her!
If you can help towards her veterinary bills and the others costs we have as a self funded rescue, we accept donations via PayPal at madzdilley@yahoo.co.uk Alternatively contact us for bank details or address if you'd prefer to give cash. Remember we cannot save all these lives without your support.
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I have a lot of updates for you all today so here we go with number one. I'd like to start by apologising for the distressing picture but I feel it's important this is seen.
Meet Cookie. We collect Cookie from the vets on Wednesday. He had arrived that morning with a piece of fishing line wrapped right around his middle which, as you can see, has dug right in and causing a horrendous injury.
Thankfully the vets were able to remove the line and clean him up and, as I was ther...e to collect a hedgehog already, they begged me to take him too. He's on a weeks course on antibiotics and is getting painkillers too. He's very young but thankfully has already weaned so he's enjoying his hay, leaves and goodies as well as some rabbit pellets, and rearranging/messing up his cage every day seems to be his favourite pastime!
Please please please pick up all your rubbish! Fishing line, plastic drinks rings (the 6 pack/4 pack holders), and elastic bands regularly cause these constriction injuries - plastic bags case suffocation - all the above and more can cause choking or cause animals to he trapped and die of starvation or infection.
If you see rubbish please pick it up and put it in the bin, educate others, share this post. This bunny was lucky to be found by a kind member of the public. Otherwise he would have suffered a slow and very painful death. And it could all have been avoided if rubbish hadn't been left behind.
You can donate towards Cookies care and all our animals via PayPal to: madzdilley@yahoo.co.uk Or please contact me for bank details or our address if you'd prefer to drop cash in. We can't do this without your support.
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Could you all do us a huge favour and please enter this competition. This would be amazing for our rescue!
To make it easier the answers are: 3 years 3 models... Weston-Super-Mare And all the options in the last question.
Please nominate Bertie's R&R
Thank you so much in advance. The more of you who enter, the better the chance we have of winning!
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Very excited and happy here at Bertie's tonight!
Who remembers Hoggle? Hoggle was the first hedgehog through our doors after we opened officially as a wildlife rescue. She was only 128g and incredibly weak. She had to be syringe fed a milk substitute until she was able to eat enough solid food herself. She was with us for around 6 weeks and we released her into our garden as the area she came from was very close to a busy main road.
Tonight we heard some snuffling in the gard...en and I found two hedgehogs shuffling about. I gave them both a quick check - the male wasn't a previous rescue and was a very good size so we let him go quickly. Amazingly Hoggle seemed to recognise me and decided she wanted to snuggle in my sleeve! I weighed her and although she's lost a little weight during hibernation she's still doing fine and there was nothing concerning. She's run off to hunt for bugs and beetles now!
This is why we do what we do. So these animals can live the lives they are meant to live. They can breed and have babies and continue the species. So they can be free.
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Do you remember little Pippin? She's not recognisable anymore!
Pippin arrived at the end of January, extremely underweight at 350g and with a horrible mite and ringworm infestation as well as lungworm. Thankfully she has thrived since arriving with us and is a little piggy with her biscuits (she made it clear early on she was not going to entertain wet food but was very keen on Royal Cainn kitten biscuits - she's got expensive taste, although thankfully she'll now eat all bis...cuits).
She's gone from a tiny, bare hedgehog to this massive round beautiful girl and is now topping the scales at 900g - if she isn't careful will need a diet before release (it's essential a hedgehog can curl into a tight ball so if she's too round to do this she must lose weight before she is allowed back to the wild).
She's beaten everything she came in with - Although I am doing a further week of ringworm treatment as she still has patches on the top of her ears - but otherwise she's well on track for release when the weather becomes more reliable. She has such a gentle nature and I'm going to miss her when she leaves us - as with all our little charges.
Hooray for Pippin 😊🦔
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