22 Jan 2025
Vet Times
Job Title
Hannah Tombs with her new book.
A vet has written a book she hopes will help colleagues save the lives of seriously ill hedgehogs.
Hannah Tombs runs a hedgehog rescue alongside her role at Ashworth Vets in Farnborough, Hampshire, and has brought all her knowledge together to guide other vets when treating the prickly creatures.
Hedgehogs: A Practical Guide for Vets aims to help vets with their assessments of sick hedgehogs and, where necessary, administer emergency treatment to stabilise them so they can be transferred to a wildlife rescue centre for specialist care.
Dr Tombs, who has examined and treated more than 1,500 hedgehogs since she set up her own sanctuary four years ago, said: “As soon as a hedgehog comes out in the day it is usually a cry for help and they should be taken to the vets or a rescue centre as a matter of urgency.
“I wrote the book to help vets who are more familiar with treating small pets like dogs and cats know what to do if a sick hedgehog is brought to them, and to increase their confidence when treating wildlife. There are three simple things that every sick hedgehog needs, which are warmth, fluid and pain relief.”
Dr Tombs cares for up to 60 hedgehogs at a time in a converted garage at her home, which she set up during the pandemic in 2020.
Animals are brought to her from as far as Basingstoke and Reading by members of the public, vet practices or other rescue centres and in the winter she treats them for the effects of the cold, dehydration, malnourishment and parasite infestations, while abandoned hoglets and strimmer injuries are common in the spring.
She added: “Hedgehogs are such fascinating creatures and it’s devastating that numbers are suffering. It’s hard work running the rescue centre and most days I’m up at 4am to feed, administer medication and clean the cages before I leave for work, but it is so rewarding.”
Visit Dr Tombs’ Facebook page for more details of the book.
