RSPCA braced for spike in calls about sick or orphaned hedgehogs in Milton Keynes

The charity is bracing itself for a spike in calls from people who have found one of the prickly creatures in distress,

August is always the busiest month for hedgehogs, but the heatwave means more will be struggling to find water and food.

RSPCA experts are urging people to leave food out for them – but it should NOT be bread and milk.

"Never feed hedgehogs milk or bread - milk can cause diarrhoea and bread isn't very nutritious,” said RSPCA scientific officer Evie Button.

She added: “People can help hedgehogs during the heatwave by supplementing their natural diet, leaving out fresh water and foods like tinned dog or cat food and crushed cat or dog biscuits.

“If the hedgehog is very young - roughly apple-sized - you'll need to soak the biscuits in water first. You can also get good quality, meaty hedgehog food from wildlife food suppliers.

"Check the food and water bowls each day and top them up with fresh water and food and remove any food that hasn't been eaten.”

The charity has produced an online guide on how to help hedgehogs in a bid to keep its national helpline free for emergencies.

A total of 6,120 calls about sick, injured and orphaned hedgehogs were made to the RSPCA’s national helpline last year and nearly half of which (2,591) came in during the busiest months of July, August, and September.

Most of the calls related to sick or weak hedgehogs, followed by injured hedgehogs. In August alone, the RSPCA was answering an average of 23 calls a day about sick and injured hedgehogs.

The staff at the charity’s four wildlife centres were also kept busy in 2021 with 2,165 hedgehogs admissions - an average of six hedgehogs a day, rising to 11 a day in August.

Evie said: “Calls to the RSPCA about sick and injured hedgehogs always peak during August, but this summer’s heatwave could sadly make things even worse, as the little animals’ food and water sources are likely to have been affected in many areas.”