# bad vet visit caused change in behaviour



## lil Kakashi (Jul 16, 2015)

Hello everyone!!

I'm a first time owner and this was Kakashi's first time at the vet. I believed she might have mites due to severe quill loss and dry skin. So, the doctor performed a skin scrape, which is where things went WRONG! Kakashi was squirming a lot, normal behavior, but the doctor was being very impatient. At this point, I let the doctor do his thing since he should have some experience with hedgehogs. His "thing" was to make Kakashi ball up and have the nurse move her around to get better access at her skin. At first Kakashi balled up a normally and tried to wiggle her way out of the nurse's hands. HOWEVER, after they kept messing with her, she curled up in the tightest ball I have ever seen her in!!! 

After the exam, they have her a low dose shot of ivermectin (which I more know is BAD!!) because they didn't find mites but will she might be in the early stages. We went home and she went into her pouch. At night she ate and drank some water and played around a little. However, yesterday she stayed in her house all day and only moved around her cage when I took hey out and placed her near her food and water. 

What concerns me the most is that she balls up every time I try to touch her!!! It makes me sad to know she might have been hurt our traumatized, and I let it happen. She was a nice docile lady, but now she hisses and balls up every time I go near her. WHAT SHOULD DO!!!!?? Should I give her more time (I took her to the vet on Tuesday and more it's Thursday)? Should I hold her more and try to bond with her?

Thank you!


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## writergirlmel (May 16, 2015)

Definitely be persistent and keep trying to bond with her. She may still be a little traumatized, or she may not be feeling well. But if you simply leave her alone, she'll learn her defensive behaviors result in her being left alone -- which is exactly what she wants and you _don't_ want most of the time.

I'd also consider a different vet. If the only way a vet can examine a hedgehog is to force it to act defensively, he probably shouldn't be treating hedgehogs, in my opinion. (There are so many other ways to do it...) Add to it that he went straight for the most dangerous option for treatment of a condition he isn't even sure she has, and I'd be out of that practice in a heartbeat.

If she doesn't markedly improve soon, I'd consider seeing another vet sooner rather than later. I really don't know what the side effects or symptoms of a bad reaction to ivermectin are (as I haven't read up on them since I already knew to request Revolution before my hedgie even came home), but I'd want to make sure her behavior really is just a matter of stress rather than due to the medication or the worsening of her condition.


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## writergirlmel (May 16, 2015)

Yeah. Get her to another vet ASAP, in my opinion.

After reading this thread regarding the effects of ivermectin, I'm concerned your girl may be experiencing a bad reaction. It's also possible she's just traumatized from the exam and the injection, but it's better to be safe than sorry, in my opinion.

If you're having trouble finding a different vet in your area, feel free to PM me, and I'll do what I can to help. The Hedgehog Welfare Society Vet List and the HHC vet listing sub-forum are good places to start.


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## liam1 (Feb 15, 2015)

Something similar happened when I took Liam to his first vet. The doctor examined him, made him ball up for a skin scraping and all seemed good once he left the room. He came back to tell us he did have mites and Liam was running across the exam table. It wasn't until the vet gave him an ivermectin shot that his personality changed (at that point In time I had no clue it was bad for them). He was grumpy the whole ride home, wouldn't come out of his ball, and when I tried to grab him or even step within 8 feet of his cage he'd start to huff and puff. This lasted for about a week or so afterwards until he returned to his old behaviors of being a sweet little boy. I can't say that it wasn't the doctors fault, but from my experience I believe it was the ivermectin shot. So please just keep an eye on him and if anything seems completely off take him to another vet, and also PLEASE DO NOT GIVE HIM ANOTHER SHOT OF IVERMECTIN, opt for revolution even if it is a little more expensive.


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## lil Kakashi (Jul 16, 2015)

Thank you all for your input and advice!! Now I know better and will treat little Kakashi with more care. I don't think she was overdosed with the medication because they have her such a small dose (0.02 mg). I will give her a week or so to see if she improves. I will continue to bond with her and hopefully she gets better.


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## Soyala_Amaya (Aug 1, 2011)

If you are seeing quill loss to the point of bald spots, it would not be "caught early" Bald spots is a later stage of mite or fungal infection, and should be treated as such. I agree, cut that vet out of your life. I've taken many hogs to vets, super friendly cuddle bugs like my Henry to freaking out balls of nope I just got in. My vet does everything they can to get the hog to unroll and be calm, scruffs to get a good look at a defensive hog, and would never torment a hog to get an exam. 

It's why I'm with them, they prefer treats and bribes to getting a hog to relax, or at worse, a tupperware dish with an inch of warm water. The water is the most aggressive way of handling a hog I've ever seen them use, and then only used so they can get a good scruff. 

Take the time you have while keeping an eye on her to look for a new vet.


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## shmurciakova (Sep 7, 2008)

It is not unusual for a good exotics vet to give a hedgehog isoflourene(sp?) gas for a thorough examination. All of the hedgies that I have had have been knocked out several times for examinations. That way #1, the hedgehog is calm, #2 the vet can get a good exam in look at teeth, and do skin scrapings if necessary. I recommend that you find a different vet, one that specializes in Avian & Exotic animals. They can then prescribe Revolution or whatever medicine your hedgie needs in the case of a fungi or yeast. Best wishes to you & your little one. I am sure your hedgie will come around in time, but don't wait too long to schedule another appointment w/ a knowledgeable vet. We have to drive 2 hours to our exotics vet! so, even if it is a bit of a drive it will be worth it in the long run.
-Susan H.


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## valeriekim86 (Apr 27, 2015)

Im going through something very similar...I have a hedgehog who is the most sweetest, calm and social hedgie ever! Even our vet waived our exam fee because he said it was so easy and only took 5 mins. Anyways, I put this plastic stuff around her cage 2 days ago and as soon as she smelled it she balled up and started hissing and clicking and jumping so hard her igloo flew off her. I took it off a few hours later cause she wasn't relaxing and she still wouldn't stop. Again, it's been two days now. Ever since she wont let me touch her, shes barely eating and shes actually pooping herself while shes in a ball. Im terrified that I traumatized her and that she'll never be the cuddly Fiddlesticks that I love so much.
Has your hedgie calmed down at all since you posted this?
I feel so helpless.


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## twobytwopets (Feb 2, 2014)

What plastic stuff did you put around her cage?


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## valeriekim86 (Apr 27, 2015)

It was chloroplast


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## twobytwopets (Feb 2, 2014)

Is she still behaving like that?


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