Thorny Headed Worms
Thorny headed worms live in the intestines. They have hooks on their heads that they use to attach themselves to the inside wall of their hosts intestines.
Hedgehogs get infected by eating woodlice.
Symptoms when in the wild are difficult to spot, it is also hard to spot in rescue. Symptoms range from abdominal pain, diarrhoea, weight loss and hyperactivity due to pain.
Thorny head can be seen in the faecal sample but only rarely due to the fact that they hook themselves in. The worms can be spotted without magnification as they are usually white and around 5mm in length.
Ensuring food dishes and feeding areas are clean can help in the prevention of these parasites.
