【joyful eroticism】

This gassy hedgehog has had a rough week.

He was rescued in Doncaster,joyful eroticism England last Monday after a member of the public called RSPCA about what she thought was a pregnant hedgehog.

SEE ALSO: Baby hippo gives mommy a mouth massage because hippo bonding is weird

When RSPCA inspector Sandra Dransfield arrived to collect the animal, she knew that the poor little guy in fact was suffering from "balloon syndrome."

Original image has been replaced. Credit: Mashable

According to a press release from the RSPCA, the condition occurs when an underlying infection causes gas to collect under a hedgehog's skin. Because the skin over the animal's back is large to allow for rolling up in a ball, the space fills with gas and expands.

Mashable Light Speed Want more out-of-this world tech, space and science stories? Sign up for Mashable's weekly Light Speed newsletter. By clicking Sign Me Up, you confirm you are 16+ and agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Thanks for signing up!

"It’s the worst case of Balloon Syndrome I’ve seen," said Dransfield in the statement. "This poor chap was almost twice its natural size, literally blown up like a beach ball with incredibly taut skin."

Original image has been replaced. Credit: Mashable

Thankfully, veterinarians and the Stapeley Grange Wildlife were able to "pop" the ballooning hedgehog, relieving the gas and pressure from under his skin. The hedgehog is currently on antibiotics to clear up his underlying infection.

"He is still under observations but he is doing well and the team are hoping he will make a full recovery so we can return to the wild," said Lee Stewart, manager at RSPCA Stapeley Grange Wildlife Centre.

We're glad the little dude is on the road to recovery. Get well soon!

---

Featured Video For You

---

Watch this orangutan play with a fidget spinner

---

• Life
• Shopping
• Deals
• Entertainment
• Tech
• Games
• Digital Culture
• Social Good

• Lego free Valentine's Day Heart: How to get free Lego
• On Hustles by Hanif Abdurraqib
• CES 2024: This wacky Lenovo laptop lets you attach a tablet to the lid
• Redux: All of This Was Out of Season by The Paris Review
• Best Presidents' Day deal: Save $250 on Peloton Bike
• Redux: Some Timeworn, Worm
• Why Do We Keep Reading ‘The Great Gatsby’?
• Bitcoin ETFs have actually been granted SEC approval now
• How to unblock xHamster for free
• The Art of the Cover Letter by A

• Netflix went down for lots of users on Friday
• 10 New Year's resolutions that will make your online life a little better
• 'House of the Dragon' has an official podcast to help you indulge your new obsession
• This squirrel eating an egg roll in a tree is New York's newest mascot
• President Obama tweets inspiring New Year's message
• 'Stranger Things: The Experience' gave me the catharsis the show couldn't
• What to expect from Apple's iPhone 14 September event
• The 15 absolute best memes of 2018
• MoviePass rises from the ashes with new credit
• White Elephant gets a wild twist at this family's holiday party

• You can now talk to Google's AI podcast hosts
• Charm and How to Come By It by Dubravka Ugresic
• A Message from the Board of Directors by The Paris Review
• Cooking with Andrea Camilleri by Valerie Stivers
• CES 2025: Everything to expect
• Google Assistant is losing 17 features: See the list
• How to find and buy Fruit Stripe gum online
• We Didn’t Have a Chance to Say Goodbye by Sabrina Orah Mark
• Google's data center raises the stakes in this state's 'water wars'
• CES 2024: Clicks keyboard iPhone case hands

• The Babelio sound machine is for babies. I love it anyway.
• A Message from the Board of Directors by The Paris Review
• Redux: Some Timeworn, Worm
• Stopping the Void
• Greenpeace activists charged after unfurling 'Resist' banner at Trump Tower in Chicago
• The Art of an Even Keel
• Bitcoin ETFs have actually been granted SEC approval now
• Redux: Idlers of My Kind by The Paris Review
• How to unblock XVideos for free
• Farewell to Ferlinghetti by John Freeman