# Hedgehog Hurt Paw!!



## Ghost216 (May 20, 2010)

I came home from work and saw my hedgehog sleeping in his wheel. I picked him up and sat him on my lap and noticed his right paw was bent downwards. He tried walking and was walking on the top of it while it was bent downwards. I checked it and its a little red and has a bump. At first I was worried that he broke it but he grabbed my finger with it soo it can't be that. At least I don't think. I think it's either dislocated or just hurt. I don't have the money for a vet. What should I do? And is it broken even though he can grip things?


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## Ghost216 (May 20, 2010)

also im taking out his wheel for tonight so he doesnt try running and break it


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## shaelikestaquitos (Feb 2, 2010)

Umm... well I don't know anything about putting his foot back into place... but just curious, why didn't you think of having money saved up in case of emergencies such as this?

I don't remember from where but it was mentioned somewhere on this forum that before adopting a hedgehog you should always make sure to have extra cash stashed away for emergencies such as this :/

Anyway, me rambling about this will not help with the situation...

Are you sure it isn't broken? I mean, if he's walking on top of it it seems like he can't get it back into place... What do you mean he can "grip" things though?


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## Ghost216 (May 20, 2010)

shaelikestaquitos said:


> Umm... well I don't know anything about putting his foot back into place... but just curious, why didn't you think of having money saved up in case of emergencies such as this?
> 
> I don't remember from where but it was mentioned somewhere on this forum that before adopting a hedgehog you should always make sure to have extra cash stashed away for emergencies such as this :/
> 
> ...


yeah i had money stashed away but i had to use it to get my car working again because the cam gear ripped off and cracked the head so i had to buy a replacement. Even if I did have money right now, all the vets are closed right now. Im looking for something temporary until the morning when i can call the vet. and what else can i mean by gripping? its like when you pick your hedgehog up and he tries climbing out your hand, he kinda wraps his fingers and claws around ever he can get a grip of to pull himself out. or when hes ssitting inside his food bowl and you go to fill it up and he holds on to it. basically he has no problem moving his fingers or pushing with his right arm. if it were broken, it would bend back when he pushes with it but he seems to be able to push fine with it which im trying to keep him from doing. im thinking of taping or tying something to his hand to keep it straight until the morning.


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## Ghost216 (May 20, 2010)

shaelikestaquitos said:


> Umm... well I don't know anything about putting his foot back into place... but just curious, why didn't you think of having money saved up in case of emergencies such as this?
> 
> I don't remember from where but it was mentioned somewhere on this forum that before adopting a hedgehog you should always make sure to have extra cash stashed away for emergencies such as this :/
> 
> ...


what im thinking is it happened in the wheel. he usually just spreads out and falls asleep in his wheel after a good run. he has a solid wheel that has ridges for grips. maybe, HOPEFULLY he may have just tripped and sprained it since he can function his fingers and it just needs time, sleep and love to heal. at this moment, thats the best scenario but i will still call a vet in the morning if it doesnt look any better.


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## Ghost216 (May 20, 2010)

ok so he was masturbating until he heard me eating dried bananas. he stuck his nose out from under the blankets like he usually does when he sees me coming or hears food (hes learned the sound of food crunching and wrappers opening and most of all, food dropping into his bowl. i offered him some and he had no problem using his right paw to slap it out of my hand (although he doesnt actually pick it up obviously, he uses his fingers and claws like a hook to yank it), grab it and make a dash for it. his normal self. so far it looks to be just a sprain or injury to soft tissue. also to let everyone reading this know, he just dropped anchor in his litter box and fell asleep next to it. must have worn the little guy out. even disabled, hes still a little champion.


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## LarryT (May 12, 2009)

Sounds like you have a comfort wheel  from your description. Sometimes the ridges inside the wheel will hurt a hedgies little feet,just a thought.


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## shaelikestaquitos (Feb 2, 2010)

Yeah I think he just maybe sprained it or something, because he should not be able to carry his weight on it if it were broken. I have a comfort wheel, and sometimes it hurts my hedgie's paws too (the ridges are a little hard on them so the skin at the bottom sometimes peels off), so maybe he tripped on one of the ridges. It is quite likely that he hurt himself while he was running.

Hopefully he is fine ^-^


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## Ghost216 (May 20, 2010)

LarryT said:


> Sounds like you have a comfort wheel  from your description. Sometimes the ridges inside the wheel will hurt a hedgies little feet,just a thought.


no i started off with the comfort wheel. it rubbed his back and i had to modify it to get it to actually spin easier. he was having hard time running because it was so tight. also it wobbled so bad. so then i tried the flying saucer. he couldnt stay on it. finally i got him the silent spinner. quiet, smooth spinning with no wobbles, easy to clean,easy for him to run, nothing rubbing on his back, and very silent. best wheel in my opinion. i dont want to get him a flat surfaced wheel because it would be slippery and harder to use without anything to grip on.


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## Nancy (Aug 22, 2008)

*Silent Spinners are dangerous!* The split down the center and the drainage slits can catch little toenails and toes and is most likely how he got hurt.

The nuts on both back and front often come undone causing the wheel to fall.

The wheel itself extends out past the frame and can cause the wheel to tip over when the hedgehog enters or exits.

Unless he is a very large hedgehog his back shouldn't rub on the center shaft of the Comfort wheel unless it is not the largest sized comfort wheel, 12".


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## Ghost216 (May 20, 2010)

shaelikestaquitos said:


> Yeah I think he just maybe sprained it or something, because he should not be able to carry his weight on it if it were broken. I have a comfort wheel, and sometimes it hurts my hedgie's paws too (the ridges are a little hard on them so the skin at the bottom sometimes peels off), so maybe he tripped on one of the ridges. It is quite likely that he hurt himself while he was running.
> 
> Hopefully he is fine ^-^


i go with the 12" silent spinner by super pets. its a lot better. the ridges are needed so he doesnt have a hard time running. i would rather him sprain his foot every once in a while and still enjoy his wheel than getting him a ridgeless wheel that he will have a hard time running in and sliding around and getting stressed out and most likely fat from the lack of running. its a lose lose situation. i would rather him have fun. for now i will substitute his wheel with swimming until his foot heals. he loves swimming. swam for a whole 2 hours before and still didnt want to get out but i thought that was enough because he started taking breaks more frequently and the 2 hour mark. Sonic is tough so i think he'll be fine. hes still doing his usually things with no problems. i stayed up until 3 am to watch him and make sure he was ok and all seemed well


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## Ghost216 (May 20, 2010)

Nancy said:


> *Silent Spinners are dangerous!* The split down the center and the drainage slits can catch little toenails and toes and is most likely how he got hurt.
> 
> The nuts on both back and front often come undone causing the wheel to fall.
> 
> ...


i taped off the center split awhile ago when i first got it for him. i will start tightening them everyday. i got the biggest silent spinner which uses a locking nut in the back instead of the kind that you put though the cage bars and twist to lock. those lean. the bigger ones seem more steady and safer. have you seen the bigger ones? if not i can send a few pics. the support on them are a lot different from the smaller ones and seem a lot safer. the comfort wheel always leaned when he got in it and he would slide out every once in awhile. also once it came undone because it wobbled so much that the back unlocked. it had the kind that you put through the bars and twist.


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## LizardGirl (Aug 25, 2008)

> i would rather him sprain his foot every once in a while and still enjoy his wheel than getting him a ridgeless wheel that he will have a hard time running in and sliding around and getting stressed out and most likely fat from the lack of running.


So, you'd rather him get hurt than to give him a good wheel? That seems a little, um, awful.

Wheels without ridges are not difficult for hedgehogs to run on. The smooth surfaces are safer for their delicate feet and toes, and also a lot easier to keep sanitary. It's ridiculous to think that your hedgie would have a problem with a smooth surfaced wheel when nearly all of the owners on this board use them without a problem.

Silent Spinners ARE dangerous, whether you like it or not. They have caused deaths (hedgehogs and other animals alike) from toppling over onto the animal, the slit is a problem (I don't see how you can just tape it, when you'd have to take the tape off every other day to clean it), and overall it is just a very low quality wheel compared to safer ones out there.

Just saying. Even if a Silent Spinner has worked for you for a short period of time, there is NO guarantee that you will continue to be lucky. My advice is to learn something from other people's mistakes and grief and get a better wheel.


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## LarryT (May 12, 2009)

Most likely the hedgie hurt it's paw while running on the silent spinner.


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## Ghost216 (May 20, 2010)

LizardGirl said:


> > i would rather him sprain his foot every once in a while and still enjoy his wheel than getting him a ridgeless wheel that he will have a hard time running in and sliding around and getting stressed out and most likely fat from the lack of running.
> 
> 
> So, you'd rather him get hurt than to give him a good wheel? That seems a little, um, awful.
> ...


ive looked for the bucketwheels everywhere and cant find any and the cake walk supreme has been back ordered for awhile. if you can find me one i can order, then ill happily get it but until then, im stuck with this wheel and swimming.


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## LarryT (May 12, 2009)

Ghost216 said:


> LizardGirl said:
> 
> 
> > > i would rather him sprain his foot every once in a while and still enjoy his wheel than getting him a ridgeless wheel that he will have a hard time running in and sliding around and getting stressed out and most likely fat from the lack of running.
> ...


viewtopic.php?f=20&t=4844


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## Ghost216 (May 20, 2010)

LarryT said:


> http://hedgehogcentral.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=20&t=4844


that looks pretty decent and an litter pan that comes with it is awesome. you've got me bought dude. just gotta make a run to the bank tomorrow to deposit money. thanks


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## Ghost216 (May 20, 2010)

went out and bought Sonic his own personal swimming pool, let him swim for a little while, gave him some mealworms to let him know he did a good job, and put him to bed. he seems to be doing fine. tossed out all his wheels.


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## tie-dye hedgie (Dec 19, 2009)

Ghost216 said:


> LarryT said:
> 
> 
> > http://hedgehogcentral.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=20&t=4844
> ...


Good choice.

Did you find a good vet yet?


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## Beanie (Jun 9, 2010)

Ghost216 said:


> went out and bought Sonic his own personal swimming pool, let him swim for a little while, gave him some mealworms to let him know he did a good job, and put him to bed. he seems to be doing fine. tossed out all his wheels.


I'm glad that you decided to go with a CSW. I have two hedgehogs, they both have one and have no trouble running on it at all. I'm also happy that you were willing to listen to people. So many people just get stuck in their ways and refuse to change them. I hope he feels better!


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## Ghost216 (May 20, 2010)

tie-dye hedgie said:


> Ghost216 said:
> 
> 
> > LarryT said:
> ...


the closest one was about an hour away and she said they don't do hedgehogs. so i called another one and he said he cant splint Sonic but take out his wheel and give him plenty of rest. didnt seem like he knew anything about hedgehogs but then again theyre rare in my area. I already tossed out his wheels and got him a swimming pool until he heals. also one of the other HC members told me some quick healing remedies she used when her hedgehog had the same issue.


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## Ghost216 (May 20, 2010)

Beanie said:


> Ghost216 said:
> 
> 
> > went out and bought Sonic his own personal swimming pool, let him swim for a little while, gave him some mealworms to let him know he did a good job, and put him to bed. he seems to be doing fine. tossed out all his wheels.
> ...


this is my first hedgehog and learning new and better methods is a big part of raising one in my opinion. if i were to do something wrong and kept doing it, which is an asinine thing to do, i would get the same negative outcome. so far this is the only issue ive had with him. yeah hes still doing well. a hurt foot doesnt stop him from being his crazy self.


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## tie-dye hedgie (Dec 19, 2009)

Where do you live? Maybe if someone is near by you, they can give you a vet they recommend.


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## PJM (May 7, 2010)

Obviously you care alot about your hedgie. If you get the Carolina Storm Wheel, you will be very happy with it. It is SO much easier to clean, not to mention safer. I know that you hate that your little guy got hurt. Hopefully he will heal quickly. We can all learn from this. It was a good thing that you searched for some answers. And I'm very glad that you were able to find some on this site. Your hedgie will be safer for it. Thank goodness nothing more serious happened. When we know better, we do better.


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## Ghost216 (May 20, 2010)

PJM said:


> Obviously you care alot about your hedgie. If you get the Carolina Storm Wheel, you will be very happy with it. It is SO much easier to clean, not to mention safer. I know that you hate that your little guy got hurt. Hopefully he will heal quickly. We can all learn from this. It was a good thing that you searched for some answers. And I'm very glad that you were able to find some on this site. Your hedgie will be safer for it. Thank goodness nothing more serious happened. When we know better, we do better.


Hecks yeah! I love this little guy. He's my little companion. Anyone else picks him up he curls into a ball and stays that way until i hold him. Then he climbs to my shoulder and chills. Yeah it does suck that he's hurt but he's a tough little champ.


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## Puffers315 (Apr 19, 2010)

He sounds like a well socialized hedgie, but yeah after getting a good look at the Silent Spinner of Death, if I had to guess he probably caught his nail somewhere in that center ridge, tape or no tape and of course with the wheel spinning it jerked his foot backwards and sprained it. He's probably keeping it at that angle cause its where it doesn't hurt so much.

You won't be disappointed with the CSW, silent, easy to clean, several level adjustments and it can be tilted forward or back. You might try off the start to have it tilted a touch back until he gets use to it, might take him a night or so since it spins so freely. I know my Loki it took him a couple of nights getting use to swinging back and forth from the movement, but then again Hester who never had a wheel, took her 5 seconds.

Knowledge is power, that is for sure, its why I'm planning on making a site that just covers the basic care information about hedgehogs, the more sites with the right information, the better educated the public will be. And of course a big giant link to this place.


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## tie-dye hedgie (Dec 19, 2009)

Did you see the vet yet?


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