Wild hedgehogs carry a variety of parasites and diseases that affect individual welfare and have implications for the wildlife rehabilitation and garden wildlife feeding sectors.
Disease in wild hedgehogs creates welfare challenges that interact with their broader vulnerability to habitat loss and road mortality. Individual hedgehogs with heavy parasite burdens are debilitated and may fail to gain adequate winter weight, making hibernation survival precarious. Recognising when a hedgehog needs rehabilitation - out during the day, unsteady, underweight in autumn - and knowing who to contact are practical welfare skills for members of the public. Maintaining good hygiene when feeding garden hedgehogs and providing supplementary food to underweight juveniles in autumn are direct welfare contributions.