Prickles and Paws Hedgehog Rescue has pioneered the use of thermal imaging techniques in the assessment and treatment of rescued native European hedgehogs. Our existing thermal imaging camera is very old and becoming unreliable. We need to purchase a new, upgraded camera.
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Measuring the body temperature of rescued wild hedgehogs is difficult. Conventional rectal thermometers cannot be used, so assessment is often left to estimation by the carer based on touch and experience. This is unreliable. Temperature monitoring is vital when dealing with hypothermic hedgehogs and in assessing the effectiveness of treatment. To overcome this problem, our rescue has pioneered the use of thermal imaging to accurately assess the body temperature of hedgehogs in our care.
Since 2017 our charity has used a thermal imaging camera to assess the body temperature of hedgehog admissions and those undergoing rehabilitation prior to release. Our Rescue Director, Katy South, published a peer-reviewed paper on the subject in 2020. We have benefited from the use of a loaned camera since 2017, however this is now obsolete and is becoming increasingly unreliable. Therefore we need to purchase a replacement camera of an appropriate level of accuracy and resolution.
