Can animals experience anxiety? Surprisingly, it seems they can. Recently, a small hedgehog was discovered in a British yard, suffering from mental anxiety that caused most of his spines to fall off. "At first, we thought it was a case of mange or ringworm," says Lick Garner, the manager of a hedgehog sanctuary. "But a vet diagnosis revealed he was suffering from trauma and anxiety after a bird pecked all over his body when he was about two to three weeks old. In my 25 years working with hedgehogs, I have never encountered such a shocking case," she said.

The unfortunate hedgehog suffering from stress (Photo: SWNS.COM)

If that wasn't enough, the vet also found a large coin-sized wound, leading to a painful infection in his body. As a result and due to the trauma from the pecking, the small hedgehog began losing his spines and balding. "I hope the treatment he receives with us will manage to reduce his anxiety and eliminate it. It's sad to see that every time we try to treat him, he curls up into a tight ball, flails, and tries to eject his spines. But despite the difficulties he's experiencing now, he has a strong character, and I believe he'll survive."