Each time the phone rings, Nadia Al-Dujaili waits with bated breath to find out the condition of the little hedgehog in need.

It is a scenario that has played out all too often recently, with the unusual summer weather making it difficult for many hedgehogs to access enough water and food.

The small hedgehog rescue charity has had to place a pause on accepting any more at the moment, apart from extreme emergencies, as they are full to capacity.

In recent weeks, some of the rescues at Forth Hedgehog Hospital have come into their care with their long nails scraped down to the little blood vessels in their nail, a sign which shows their desperation in search for food in the hard soil.

Tell-tale signs of dehydration have also been evident.

"I've never seen so many really thin and dehydrated [hedgehogs], adults in particular," Nadia says.

"I've seen a difference this year. They are so dehydrated - it's been terrible.

"I had a horrendous week where I lost eight in the one week. They were painfully thin, a bag of bones. They couldn't stand.

"They had still been recovering from hibernation.

"And because the mums aren't hydrated enough, they can't produce milk.

"We are thinking there is going to be a decrease in babies survival this year because the mums haven't had enough water to produce enough milk and the babies have suffered."

A recent plea from The Hedgehog Street team - ran by wildlife charities the British Hedgehog Preservation Society (BHPS) and People's Trust for Endangered Species (PTES) - is urging people to help hedgehogs by building a hedgehog house and providing a safe haven that's cool, cosy and comfortable.

This is something Nadia has also been encouraging, adding that no matter how big or small an outdoor space you have, there is always something that you can do to help the little creatures she is so dearly devoted to.

"I always suggest people to put out wooden boxes," she says. "They have a little tunnel bit at the front of the box and that protects against cats going into the box. It is a wooden box with a hinged lid.

"You put straw or some hay inside it and put it in a sheltered area that is shaded, it has got to be nice and cool. They are a lot of help.

"And you can put out meat-based cat or dog food and water," she adds.

"The more gardens they have access to, the more food there is available.

"Any garden, no matter how big or small, can do something. Even if it is just a shallow dish of water.

"The food and water is really important."

Nadia first set up the hedgehog hospital in 2014, after working with animals for many years.

In the charity's first year, they received 53 hogs. The following year this grew to 105, then to 180. Already in 2018, they have helped 108 hedgehogs, and 90% of that number has been from April onwards.

All of the sick and injured hedgehogs are treated by vets, and rehabilitated back to full health by Nadia. This year, rising vet bills and additional food has added extra pressure.

Once cared back to good health, the hedgehogs are rehabilitated in outdoor runs before being released, with a small team of volunteers on hand to help with the rescue and release efforts.

While primarily based around Fife, Edinburgh and the surrounding areas, Nadia also devotes a lot of time to raising awareness online about how the public can best care for hedgehogs and who best to contact for help, even if not within the local area she covers.

This year, she says this message is more important than ever, as she asks people to look out for hedgehogs during this hot spell.

"Adult females, if they have young they will keep looking for food," she says.

"They could start from 7pm at night and go right through until 8am, especially in summer and especially during the dry season.

"If you see one out during the day, past 11am at the latest, get it into a box with a wee hot water bottle and then phone either me or SSPCA if not near me.

"Hedgehogs are just remarkable little animals," she adds. "They are so resilient.

"I just want to get as many better as I can and get them back to the wild and get the population in inverse of decline."

For more information, visit Forth Hedgehog Hospital, and for advice on how to make a hedgehog house, visit Hedgehog Street.