Finding a vet

Finding a vet is quite difficult, especially as a novice keeper. However, having the contact details of a vet experienced with captive hedgehogs is very important. If something unexpected happens to your hedgehog, you want to be able to go somewhere quickly. The most famous clinic in the Netherlands where you can go is the University Clinic for Companion Animals in Utrecht. You will then enter the ‘Birds and special animals’ department, where veterinarians are present with experience with hedgehog species that are kept in captivity. But of course there are more clinics where you can go. Make sure to check whether the vet has experience with European hedgehogs or specifically with African pygmy hedgehogs, Lomg-eared hedgehogs or North African hedgehogs, because the variety of known health problems differs quite a bit between the species and of course the basic needs of the animals also differ enormously. A vet who has experience with European hedgehogs, but not with hedgehogs in captivity, will have less basic knowledge of the African species that are kept as pets.