weaseldropping
Well-known Member
Cavy Gazer
- Joined
- Jan 28, 2005
- Posts
- 423
- Joined
- Jan 28, 2005
- Messages
- 423
I found a hedgehog in our back garden. It was small and sick. The long drought had dried up all the normal sources of food and she was slowly starving to death. I took her to the vet, who said there was still hope, de-bugged the little girl and gave me the number of a wonderful hedgehog-lady. We spoke many times on the phone, and Hedgehog and I spent the next three days and night stinking of pureed cat food. She was only about 3 weeks old - had hardly any teeth and was wobbly on her feet. It was going so well - she was taking about 5 ml every 3 hours and uncurling willingly and trundling about on my lap making little whuffling noises then collapsing asleep in a pile just like a puppy.
Suddenly, she refused a feed. She couldn't stand up. Her belly and chest were CRAWLING with gigantic maggots. We rushed back to the vet who removed them all - they had been eggs laid under her skin which had hatched and then broken through. It was just too much her poor little body to cope with - she refused all further feeds and I just cuddled her till she drifted away several hours later.
It has been very strange. I have never before been so upset over the death of a creature. Maybe it was sitting up with her for so many hours, talking so she knew my voice and wasn't scared. She never once tried to hurt me even though she must have been bewildered and terrified at first.
She is now resting at peace with my departed piggies and buns in a special corner of the garden.
Suddenly, she refused a feed. She couldn't stand up. Her belly and chest were CRAWLING with gigantic maggots. We rushed back to the vet who removed them all - they had been eggs laid under her skin which had hatched and then broken through. It was just too much her poor little body to cope with - she refused all further feeds and I just cuddled her till she drifted away several hours later.
It has been very strange. I have never before been so upset over the death of a creature. Maybe it was sitting up with her for so many hours, talking so she knew my voice and wasn't scared. She never once tried to hurt me even though she must have been bewildered and terrified at first.
She is now resting at peace with my departed piggies and buns in a special corner of the garden.