"If you suspect a bone fracture, seek the advice of a vet, who may wish to X-ray the hedgehog. The vet will advise you on splinting the injured limb. In some cases, the vet will need to anaesthetize the animal to apply the splint. You can make splints from household items, such as two cotton buds or lollipop sticks held on with sticky tape or plaster tape. Specially made aluminium strips with foam lining are ideal. Be careful not to make the splint too tight, otherwise it will restrict circulation; nor too heavy because it could then pull on the break.

" For compound fractures, where the bone has broken through the skin, thoroughly clean the area before applying a dressing or splint. Leave a gap so you can monitor any cuts. Hedgehogs with fractured limbs often make the original injury worse by walking around on the damaged limb and by the resultant wounds becoming dirty and infected. Hedgehogs rarely rip their splints off, but if they do you will need to fit the hedgehog with a cardboard Elizabethan collar (see p. 46)."