Bruno in the dog house !!

Had a lovely walk with bruno this afternoon, lovely and sunny and he was happily rooting around the fields offlead.

Got back to my inlaws as was picking up Luca, and let bruno out in their garden......

Their garden is quite overgrown, with lots of low hanging bushes which are tightly packed together. Bruno decided to go in one and he immediately started barking at something, I couldnt see a thing as its totally overgrown and I couldnt see him for the big leaves. I bent right down and stuck my head into the overgrown leaves just as I watched him dig out a poor wee hedgehog from its nest....

stop reading now if you dont like to hear whats coming.


I was shouting at him to leave and drop but he was in full terrier mode and shaking it, he was right up against the fence so he walloped it off the fence shaking it so I really hope that killed it straight away. He wouldnt let it go, I was trying to grab his scruff through the hedge but couldnt get hold of him. I shouted for my mother in law to get a spade and used that to shove it between him and the hedgehog when he dropped it, but he sure was determined, I ended up having to get a stick and prodding him hard in the side until he came out of the hedge.

I got the hedgehog out to make sure it wasnt still alive and in pain, but it was dead, but I am worried whether it would have had babies or not?? It was in a nest buried in beside this shrub but had been dug in as Bruno dug it out - would it have babies at this time of year ?? I couldnt get into the growth to get a good look.

It was horrid watching him kill it as i have never seen him like that before as he has never caught anything before apart from a frog which he scooped up in his mouth and quickly spat back out again.

Also in the process of trying to get him off the hhog, he shook it right into my arm so I got all the prickles in my skin, I have 3 black dots on my finger which is sore and my arm is all lumpy where it hit me - can I get any diseases from that I should worry about ?

Also I imagine Bruno would be likely to get tics/fleas from the hog - i washed him down as soon as it happened as he had blood on him but I havent got any frontline in the house so is there anything else i can use on him??

It was horrid and I never want to deal with it again !!! Makes you realise you have a terrier but I have never seen him so determined.

I once witnessed this with our old patterdale terrier- the more he shook it the more the spikes hurt him so he just got angrier and more violent
There is a good chance she had babies as they tend to find dark places, including holes to have them- can you go back and check? or were they completely buried? as i suppose they would have suffocated.
As for the ticks and fleas, as hes short haired i would imagine they would be easy to spot.

Only got to where you said stop I guess the poor hedgehog didn't make then

Elaine xxx

I really couldnt see anything - its a dark corner with lots of overgrown plants and there was nothing obvious but couldnt really get my head in to have a look. Suppose there isnt much can do now.
it didnt sadly elaine no.....

It may have had babies, as they are born around may-july, though it's just as likely to have been sleeping under there. It's a shame but you're right, it does remind you that dogs think differently. They can carry ringworm and lepto, and obviously plenty of bacteria, I would just keep an eye on it.

I always thought that a hedgehog's prickles were quite good defence but I've heard of a few cases now which show that they aren't.

I hope your arms recover quickly - did Bruno not get spines stuck in his face?

Unfortunately these things happen. My Terra dug out a baby rabbit the other day. With regards to fleas etc I would just give him a good wash with shampoo to minimise any infestation, if youhave a tea tree oil one then the better. As for your injuries just make sure they are kept clean and you should be OK.
Becky

Our 2 get hedgehogs all the time...

If the fleas manage the transition, they will die soon after feeding, as they are species specific (but will make you itch!). We've never had a problem with it.

However, we always have to be careful with their spikes, as they can get caught in jowls and inside mouths

Awwww, my favourite little garden creatures and so few and far between and now there's one less...... I assume, coz I only got to the bit where you told us prickly lovers to stop Norty bruno norty, norty Bruno You can tell me if this did have a happy ending though if ya like????

OMG Dani how awful for you to witness something like that. Nature at it's most violent eh? Hope all the injuries heal soon xx