Henrys Operation - 4th August 2010
It's finally happened! Henry is finally rid of those horrid teeth!
We dropped Henry off at the vets at 8:30 this morning, we explained that he didn't much trust other people and to be patient with him. We told them he probably wouldn't eat if he was being watched as he does not like to do that. We asked to be called as soon as he came out of surgery even if he wasn't ready to come home as we just wanted to know that he had made it through. We said our goodbyes and told our strong boy to have sweet dreams and told him everything will be alright. We came out of the vets at around 9 and had a wee cry in the car.
We received a call at around 10:30 to say he had made it through and was coming around and that they keep all Rabbits in overnight. We didn't want him to stay at the vets overnight in a strange place all alone so I insisted he came home. They eventually listened and here we are with our beautiful boy.
Henry has had his operation and is back home now. He has been such a brave boy and was very excited to see Mummy and Daddy. He has a bloody nose and is very sleepy now that he has been put into his night cage, but he was so happy to be home. He was bright and alert and wanting to explore when we got home, but ofcourse me being a very mean Mummy said he had to rest. We had a cuddle and if Bunnys could hug he would be hugging me so tight. His little paws were pushing so tight into my tummy and he was dozing off in my arms bless him.
He is now asleep in his night cage.
We're so HAPPY to have our boy back home.
The great escape - 10th July 2010
This was the day we had set for Winters introduction back into the wild, after spending 7 months with us getting over the lungworm he had when he came to us as a baby. Winter had let us know he wanted to find a girlfriend, we gave him a teddy to play with but he wasn't really interested in this after a little while, he wanted a real girl.
We set up a run in our Hedgehog foster Mums garden, we gave him the hut he had been using at the rescue and some paper to make himself a nest. The garden was home to 3 other wild Hedgehogs so we knew this would be the perfect place to release him. Foster Mum Sheila was going to give him fresh water and food everyday and keep us updated on any changes.
All was going ok, untill the early hours of the 12th of July. Sheila could hear some noises outside and looked out the window. She could see a large Hog wondering around the garden but thought it may have been the other family of Hogs that live there.
The other family that we have seen that visit the garden is Baby Summer and his Mummy. Autumn is also a regular visitor to the garden. Winter must have wanted to meet Summer and his Mummy so much because when Sheila checked on him in the morning, he had dug his way out from under the run.
Our boy just couldn't wait any longer to be back in the wild. I'm sure he is happily making more babies and exploring with Summer, Autumn and Mummy Hog now.
We love you Winter and we hope you continue to visit us at night for some food.
Rally's story - 9th May 2010
Whilst out riding one night we rode along the river, where we know hedgehogs are living.
We found a little hedgehog, approx 3-4 months old, he didn't curl or run when approched. I checked him over on sight but couldn't see anything immediatly wrong with him. We took him home for a better look with the intention of if he is ok then we will feed him and let him go tomorrow night. He wasn't ok, he had several ticks around his head. So we gave him some fluids and some of Winters food and allowed him to rest over night here at the rescue. We then made contact with a couple who have had a lot of experiance removing ticks from hedgehogs. They took him home with them and successfully removed all the ticks. Within a week I received an email to say he was ready for release. So on the 20th of may 2010 he made his way into the big wide world for plenty of hoggy adventures.
Have fun little one.
Murphys story - 1st May 2010
Murphy was found wandering around a back garden not far from the rescue. A couple managed to catch him and bring him to Popcorn Paradise Animal Rescue. He arrived at the rescue covered in parasites, cuts and abscesses. He was suffering from scurvy which is a vitamin c deficiency. His tooth was loose and his gums where bleeding. Daniel decided that he should be called Murphy after Bleeding Gums Murphy from the Simpsons. He had open wounds to his neck and face from either a cat or a dog bite. He was given some nuggets, grass and water, which he just lapped up and loved. Once he was calm I popped the abscess on his face and drained the fluid/puss. I then cleaned his other wounds, gave him medicine and let him have a break from all the drama. After about 30 minutes rest we started the bathing ritual to rid him of his parasites, he didn’t like having his bath and was glad when it was over. The next day his loose tooth fell out but not to worry, Guinea Pigs teeth regrow. Within 3 days his tooth had grown back.
Murphy is slowly getting used to being handled but is still very scared of human contact, he is doing very well health wise.
Unfortunately people just let their pets go in the wild because they cannot afford to keep them. We hope this is not what happened to poor Murphy. If anybody is struggling to cope with the financial cost of keeping a pet please get in contact with a rescue, please do not just let them free.
Our winter miracle
This christmas was an extremly cold one, a very tough start to the year for some of us. An even harder one for a baby hedgehog found on new years day by a lovely couple in Brigg. With the horrendous weather we were having and the havoc this was playing with the wildlife, the couple took him in and kept him warm and gave him food. On the 9th of January we receivd a phone call from the couple, asking if we could help them. Knowing how unlikly it was for him to survive very long, we arranged for him to come to us at Popcorn Paradise Animal Rescue immediatly. He weighed a very tiny 302 grams. He was far too small to survive the winter. We immediatly started treating him for lungworm (the biggest killer of hedgehogs). After his 18 day course of medicine he is doing great and becoming very active. Winter now weighs a healthy 600 grams and growing. I would like to thank that lovely couple for taking him in and calling us. You saved a life this year. THANK YOU.
At Popcorn Paradise Animal Rescue, we urge you to bring your animals into your warm home when its cold. We have had many reports this year of Guinea Pigs and Rabbits dying because they have been left outside.
I would also like to say that if you find a hedgehog out in the day or a hedgehog that doesnt curl when approached, to call us immediatly.
Henry's story from his point of view
My owners left me outside in the cold, day and night. I didn't have much food or anything to drink. My bottle was full of alge and i couldn't use it. Then one day they just left me.
Some people came to see me, I didnt know who they were or what they wanted to do to me.
A lady opened up my home and started to talk to me. She told me her name was Kayleigh and not to be frightend. When they came to collect me I was rather scared and I didn't know she was here to help me. I accidently cut her very deeply on her wrist and she lost a lot of blood. She has never held this against me. She spent weeks trying to calm me down and gave me lots of cuddles and encouraged me to eat when my gums where sore. She would stay up and feed me and give me lots more cuddles. She would hold me and talk to me when i needed to have my teeth cut. Sometimes at night I would have terrible nightmares about the abuse i received before I arrived at PPAR, but whenever i opened my eyes Kayleigh or Daniel were there to comfort me. I do not have nightmares anymore. Instead these have been replaced by dreams of what I get upto during my day. Now I am living happily with my new Mummy and Daddy at PPAR.
I am so grateful to Kayleigh (my new Mummy)
and Daniel (My new Daddy), without their care
I would not be here today. Everybody had
given up hope of me surving when i refused to
eat. I often refused my vegetables, so Kayleigh and Daniel would make sure they were cut up really small so I could eat them even with my really bad teeth.
Many of us here are too ill to go to another home and must remain at Popcorn Paradise forever. It is a great place to be, money is short but we never go without. We are promised big new cages so that we can stretch our legs, but now I need an operation we have to wait a little longer for the cages.
Could you help our slaves to raise the funds for bigger cages?
Henry's story
It was the 11th September 2009 when the phone rang. The message was, "I'm moving but leaving the Rabbit." Before she had the chance to put the phone down, I begged the caller to give me her address. I raced around to find a travel case and to get everything ready before finally setting off to collect the bunny. The owners were just leaving as we turned up. They had just abandoned this beautiful bunny and weren't going to look back.
Henry had been kept outside. His cage was rotting and so was the veg inside. He had no hay, no bedding and no other food. The water in his bottle was green with algae. I then opened the cage to find a very petrified bunny. I tried to calm him down before putting him into the travel case. This was when Henry taught me the value of thick gloves and my scarred arms still remind me of that horrid day.
When we got Henry home we checked him over to discover the horrific state of his teeth and bottom. He was so sore. His teeth were twisted and had grown around his mouth but, luckily, not up into his face. I suspect he had been dropped as a baby. I immediately got some critical care into him and some fluids, then took him for an emergency tooth trim.
Since September Henry has had his teeth cut and trimmed twice a month. He needs an operation to remove all his front teeth as they are now beyond repair and cause him so much pain. He copes well with eating with his lips but he won't touch hay. He eats a fibre enriched diet with vegetables and small amounts of grass.
Henry is an extremely shy bunny. He's a lot happier and heavier than when he first came in. He has the odd nightmare waking up suddenly and stamping his back feet. He's comforted and made to feel safe. I'm thankful Henry's owner actually called to alert me. He could have been a dead Bunny by now.
