A hedgehog which had ballooned to four times its normal size was saved from a potentially life-threatening condition thanks to a veterinary nurse who found it in her garden.

Emma Fox discovered the poor hedgehog struggling to walk in the back garden of her home in Hopwas, near Tamworth.

The prone garden visitor had swollen to the size of a football, so Emma rushed him to Linnaeus-owned Riversmeet Vets in Tamworth, where she is the lead nurse.

Scans carried out at Riversmeet showed the animal was suffering from ‘balloon syndrome’, caused by an infected wound.

An x-ray of the poor hedgehog which had ballooned to the size of a football.

placeholder image — An x-ray of the poor hedgehog which had ballooned to the size of a football.

The rare condition, which can be fatal if left untreated, leads to air becoming trapped under the skin, usually due to an injury or punctured lung.

Riversmeet vet Lewis Wescott used a drain to release the trapped air, along with administering antibiotics and pain relief.

Lewis said: “Balloon syndrome occurs when gas gets trapped under the skin, causing the hedgehog to inflate like a balloon.

“It can be serious but thanks to our dedicated team we were able to diagnose and treat this brave little hedgehog successfully.”

The hedgehog being treated at Riversmeet Vets.

The hedgehog remained at Riversmeet’s Tamworth practice for a week before being taken in by a local hedgehog rescue. He was then released in the area where he was found.

Lewis added: “We’re happy to report our spiky friend was back to his normal, happy self and has been safely released back into the wild.

“A big thank-you to our incredible veterinary team for their expertise. Stories such as these remind us why we do what we do.”

For more information about Riversmeet, visit: www.riversmeet.co.uk/.