A bloated hedgehog the size of a football has been found in England. The animal needs immediate veterinary care – unusual “inflation” of the body is a symptom of a serious illness that may lead to its death.
On Tuesday, volunteers from British hedgehog charity Wild Hogs Hedgehog Rescue received a report from the county of Gloucestershire in western England. A passenger on a bus passing through the town of Quidjili discovered a huge hedgehog in a field. The animal was the size of a football.
Balloon syndrome
Volunteers noticed that the female hedgehog appeared abnormally swollen. They also explained on social media that the animal suffers from balloon syndrome. This happens when air gets trapped under the hedgehog's skin – because it can curl up into a ball, it has a lot of space there. “Swelling” occurs as a result of trauma or infection that develops in the wound. A sick animal should receive veterinary assistance as soon as possible, because balloon syndrome may lead to its death.
– She has grown so much that you can't see her legs, and her skin has stretched to the limit – said Emily Harper from the foundation. – She was huge, but healthy.
To help the animal, it was necessary to remove the accumulated air. For this purpose, the volunteer made a small hole in the hedgehog's skin. A good sign was that the female did not swell again immediately.
“There is still some air that needs to be emptied, but we will do that under the supervision of the vet when we take her for the x-ray,” Harper added.
BBC, Saving the Wild Pig Hedgehog
Main image source: Saving hedgehogs from wild boars @Facebook
