Meet "Tripod", the hedgehog

[LaFoto]

We now know that Tripod is a woman.
She finally allowed us to "check her out".

And while you don't normally see hedgehogs (other than those poor flattened ones in the middle of the road ), and at the most hear them rustling through the undergrowth and old leaves in the evenings, I believe that once they do come out and present themselves to us humans in the way Tripod did, they sort of ask for our help. Whether it be medical care or food or both or something else. When they do show themselves, they are in need.

And that is probably, why my daughter could pick her up and she did not try to limp away (apart from the fact that limping away must have been painful!). With hedgehogs, you must not be afraid of touching those pricks, though, of course. When they roll themselves into prickly balls, they ARE quite prickly!

 

[c.cloudwalker]

Well, thankfully the vet treats wild animals that people care for for free, so there are no vet bills coming up for Tripod.

Here's a newest one of Tripod, taken about 20 minutes ago:

Wow, lucky you. The most we've ever gotten were discounts. Plus avian vets are fairly rare in the US so you don't normally have much of a choice. I'm wondering how that is in Europe but since we are close to the capital, we figure we'll find one...

Really like that new image. Would like it even more if you cropped the blue on the bottom.

 

[Wino]

Hi LaFoto,

How's Tripod doing?

 

[LaFoto]

Thanks for asking, Wino.
Well, for one, we now know that Tripod is a girl/woman (age forever undetermined).
And she's still with us. But today she no longer lives in the mover's box, indoors, but my daughter went to the DIY for material and built her a new enclose that gives her a lot more space to roam around, and one that we could set up outdoors, on the verandah.
The stump is healing and not healing, as it seems to itch, and she keeps scratching the new skin open with her claws. Silly girl... we can explain and explain that she shouldn't, would she listen? Understand? No. And she had a severe cough, so we're now still treating her with antibiotics (no injections, a powder that can be mixed into her food), and we keep cleaning the stump with the disinfectant.

This is her, NOT wanting the lovely "dinner" my daughter had collected for her in the garden (easily spoilt with the tasty cat food, now earthworms seem to be too plain...)

Mia, the cat, meeting Tripod (and being somewhat suspicious as to the softness - or not? - of the "fur")

And a total of her

And her new home

We put the old screen door with its broken hinges on top as a protection from above.
I haven't taken any new photos ever since we moved her outdoors into her new home.

 

[Wino]

Well done. She's looking good in the pics. I wish I could read your cat's mind.

 

[Fedaykin]

She's gorgeous! I wish there were hedgehogs here...

 

[Wino]

HI LaFoto,

How's Tripod doing?

Is she going to be a permanent member of your family, or do you plan to release her one day? I suppose that as she has a foot missing she will be better off with you.

 

[LaFoto]

Sorry, Wino, I can only reply to your question now, as I was away on vacation from 7 - 21 June, then had to prepare a garden party, then had to fight the remains of said party, and now...

Well. Mrs Tripod is NOT well.
Actually we're fearing for her life.
It's not the foot - or stump. That one's healing nicely, actually.

It's her infection of her respiratory tract. She is very ill with that.
She started out coughing hard when we first had her and she got a 10-day antibiotic treatment to fight that. She ate nicely (and did "the other thing" well, and in large quantities (ugh)) and all looked well.

Then, while we were away, my daughter informed us by phone that she was deteriorating, eating a lot less, coughing up blood, and having not only a nose that ran clear mucus, but sticky, yellowish mucus.

This is the stage we're at just now.
The vet said: OK, one more antibiosis, we got the medicine and syringes and have to apply the doses subcutaneously now ourselves. And inhalation treatment (she's been sleeping, and sleeping soundly, for hours on end now in the transportation box for the snakes, top covered, with a glass of hot water and some eucalypt or menthol oil thing in it, and I do hope all our efforts will bring success.

If not, then - so the vet said - it is more humane to put her to sleep than try on and on and on with a critter who might have a chronic lung disease.

Keep your fingers crossed!
I'll post a new photo just a little later. (Not her nose! That's not a nice sight just now).

 

[LaFoto]

Here she is, photo taken last Tuesday:

She no longer needs to walk with the bandage. A bit of aluminium spray will do the rest.

If only the nose ... !

 

[LaFoto]

Just in case you're still around, Wino, this is to let you know that the life of our Mrs Tripod ended this morning at shortly after 11, with the vet's help.
What life she had in the end was no longer a hedgehog's life, it was suffering, and sad as it may be, this had to end. She lost more than 150g of weight within three days ... could no longer eat, only sleep.

She was in "intensive care", inhaling in the snake transportation box, and getting a new round of antibiotics, and nothing helped, so on Sunday she was like this:

On Monday like this (she could still drink but hardly ate anything anymore):

And this morning, my daughter and I were in one mind about not waiting even a day longer.
Hedgehog heaven must be better than her life was down here where she was starving and could hardly breathe.

 

[caveman]

Lovely shots and well done for being so caring for the little darling. If it wasn't for his spikes he'd be soooo cuddly :hugs:

 

[pmsnel]

I'm sorry to hear you had to let Mrs. Hedgehog go. At least she didn't have to suffer somewhere hidden under a bush. You did a really good job!

It's nice to know that there are still people caring about the little creatures living around us.

 

[Wino]

Hi LaFoto,

So sorry to hear the sad news. My hat is off to you for the care you gave her.

Wino