# Any Tricks to Bandage a hedgehog Foot



## bubu (Feb 2, 2012)

As I put in another post our Lil' Prick chewed off his toes the other day, we managed to bandage him up really well afterwards and the vet then put another one on him (quite badly IMHO) ..

Now the first time we did it was not _too_ much trouble after realized he was fighting a losing battle, probably due to him being pretty weak, and of course the blood loss he suffered. But now its just a nightmare !!!

We managed to eventually get the Vet's bandage off bit at a time, cleaned off the area. But he just won't under any circumstances give us the leg to get a bandage one on ! Thankfully the Benedine has turned him off trying to chew himself for now and the wound is sealed o nicely and looks clean and dry (no leaks).

Any tips on getting a dressing on here ... 3 hours+ so far, and we are more worn out than he is and really cant leave it exposed overnight.


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## hedgielover (Oct 30, 2008)

oh it seems like an impossible task until you get it on and then you have to do all again shortly to change the bandage. :roll: We've been using surgical tape to bandage up our guys legs to stop him from scratching at his face (he had surgery to remove his eye), after a few days the adhesive started to irritate his feet so we had to switch to a surgical tape that only sticks to itself not skin. It takes two of us fighting him to get the leg out. Luckily he's not big on balling up even when he's upset/defensive. I found a way to roll him up tightly in a blanket with just the limb we want sticking out. Basically I fold the fleece so it's a long narrow piece (about as wide as he is long) and then I lay him down on it and roll him up in it. I call it the hedgehog burrito. His face sticks out one end along with his front leg, we can also pull back the blanket to get access to his back legs. It's very tricky but it seems to help us hold him still and get him positioned so he can't get his legs back in. We pre-cut all the pieces of tape we will need and have everything ready before we get him ready. We've been doing it almost every night for about a week because I want to make sure his skin underneath the bandages stays healthy so I check it clean it, dry it and re-bandage it. Also if we leave it too late in the evening it is more difficult because he is way more awake and able to fight us more. Changing his position when he's squirming and waiting until he sticks his leg out himself have also been working for us. For instance if we try to get the bandage on and fail when he pulls his leg back in I hold him for a few minutes without trying to get his leg then I reposition him until I get access to his leg and we try again. I definitely takes two of us I don't think I'd be able to do it on my own. I find when I'm working on the back leg it helps if I let him burrow his front half into the blanket so that his face is covered I think he feels more calm that way.


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## bubu (Feb 2, 2012)

Unfortunately our fella balls up ridiculously tight and its his back foot that needs bandaging, under normal circumstances I can normally just pull out his feet and hold them between my fingers for nail cutting etc, but seeing as this is a really painful area even a touch of gauze on it and he's retreating into an impenetrable ball of spikes. 

Might try the towel idea (or variation of it) .. I'm just glad he's been splat most of the night and not attempting to walk around on it, guess a bit of air on the area wont hurt either. 

we'll give it another shot once my better half wakes up (he really tired her out) - its 100000% a two person job at least.


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## smhufflepuff (Aug 28, 2008)

I would be very carefully evaluating the need for bandaging. If there is any way you can get away without bandaging, I'd be in favor of that. 

The problem with bandages is that you may end up with the problem you had before... but on a larger scale. Many hedgies will pull/tug at their bandages. If they come off... so be it. But if they pull them tighter... now it's not a hair wrapped around a toe, but a bandage wrapped around a foot or a leg.


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## bubu (Feb 2, 2012)

Well he's been just about as impossible as a hedgehog gets the entire morning and night, refusing to let us bandage him up at all. 

On the upside, all the swelling and most of the bruising has completely gone away overnight without having a cover on it, and the wound is completely dry and scabbed over.... he hasn't attempted to lick/chew at it (phew!). 

We do need to get something on him though for sure as he's going stir crazy in his box and boredom setting in (judging from other peoples posts) does lead to self mutilation, so want him to be able to run around a bit, go tubing etc ... He still seems quite capable of moving at a hefty speed despite lacking his toes!

Any other suggestions ?


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## hedgielover (Oct 30, 2008)

For a hedgehog that balls up like that I'd normally suggest a bath but you can't bandage a wet foot so I'm really at a loss. I think just trying to keep the area clean and dry is all you can do at this point. Is he on pain killers? I'd be surprised if he's not. You might have more luck if you try bandaging when the pain killers start to kick in so maybe half an hour to an hour after giving them when they are strong. It might work, since it sounds like the pain in his foot is the main thing that's causing him to resist the bandage. Also I agree with Smhufflepuff that bandages can cause problems of their own. I'd be checking it once or twice a day just to make sure the bandage is not too tight and the skin on his leg isn't getting irritated. 

Did the vet put in stitches? because that's another thing to consider, wounds with stitches can't get wet before a certain point so for sure don't let him wheel unless you can bandage the wound. Just letting him run around in a play pen or on the floor will help him not be bored but if there is anyway you can leave him in a playpen or larger cage at night that might help too. Just make sure he can't climb the walls of wherever he is. 

Another trick I've seen people suggest is putting them on a wire grate (like a square from a C&C cage) and then lifting the grate so that the leg dangles down between the bars. It doesn't really sound like it would work to me but I thought I'd put it out there in case you can think of a way to make it work.


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## bubu (Feb 2, 2012)

He's just his personality he's just so darn active when you try to hold him, not so much balling, but the squirming LOL I dont want to put too much tug on the area either as its quite nicely dried up and healing. 

Have to keep him in a big plastic box for now, as we have a cat too (who's really kinda peeved that his playmate is not coming out to see him) ... also he's normally free running, no playpen or anything. 

He doesn't seem to be in pain at all and the vet reckoned it wasn't needed (despite us asking). Main concern is that the wound needs to close up fully with scar tissue and walking around on it is just not going to help with the healing process (he's been pretty splat all day with the temperature here right now though).

Found one supplier of Co Flex (same as vet wrap) within an hour of here so going to try hitting them tomorrow, pretty sure I can make a kind of "cap" from gauze and that than can stick over the exposed area and allow him to walk on it - the vet didn't know where I could buy it (despite having it himself), go figure.

We tried a tiny bit of benedryl to calm him (and slightly sedate him!) last night without any luck, at least if the scab is irritating it would help with the ichyness anyhow. 

As for climbing, he almost managed to get out of his box (1ft hight!) by climbing ontop of his igloo and grabbing the top of the box - ninja hog!


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