# Hedgie not eating been to vet



## Guest (Apr 10, 2012)

Quillo hasnt been eating on her own for 2 days.i took her to the vet and they cant find anything wrong with her. nothing has changed and shes still wheeling ive been trying to feed her some kibble when i have her out but she only eats a few. Tried coaxing her with other foods like veggies. she doesnt appear ill just not eating. 

woundering if there is anything else i can try to coax her to eat more? like softeing her food ? or should i syringe feed her to make sure shes getting enough


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## DasIgelPoggie (Oct 21, 2010)

Will she take any mealies?


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## Guest (Apr 10, 2012)

2-3


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## Lilysmommy (Jan 7, 2009)

Yes, I'd start syringing her if it's been two days. How old is the food? Is it a new bag or old one? If it's new, the manufacturer may have changed the formula and she's not happy with the changes. If it's old, try replacing it; the kibble might be stale and that's why she's lost interest. If it's neither of these possibilities, try giving her three choices - whole kibble, crushed, and softened w/ water. See if she's interested in any of those options. Have you tried coaxing her with any meat foods? Cooked chicken/turkey, baby food chicken/turkey, etc? Maybe those would entice her more than veggies.


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## Guest (Apr 10, 2012)

the sweet potatoe is sweet potatoes chicken puree that i make. and shes never liked any other meat but i will try. the food is about 3 weeks old and she was eating it fine but ill try offering it differntly as well. If i have to syringe feed her any suggestions on best ways to do it with minimal stress to her?


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## Lilysmommy (Jan 7, 2009)

I would use the puree that you make that she usually likes, and maybe crush some of her kibble up to mix in with it. I would make sure you run the mixture through the syringe a couple times before giving it to her, to make sure it runs through smoothly. Otherwise it gets stuck, then SPLOOSH - they get a flood of food in the face. :lol: Make sure it's warm, but not too hot or cold. 

When you go to syringe her, go in from the side of the mouth, rather than the front. I think Kalandra's said before that they're less sensitive on the side than on the front, and you'll also have less chance of her choking on the food from that angle. Also, try different positions to see which is most comfortable for both of you. Sitting in your lap, holding her with her back against your front, or if she's absolutely not cooperating, perhaps wrapped in a towel. Try to avoid feeding her in a ball on her back in your hand, since that can pose a choking risk, but sometimes that may be the only position that works (I know a friend whose hedgie does best syringe-feeding in this position). 

Other than that, just try to keep the lights low (but so you can still see what you're doing) and minimal noise so she's not stressed out by anything else. Go slowly and hopefully she'll catch on that this thing in her mouth is giving her tasty food. Good luck!


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## Guest (Apr 10, 2012)

thanks ill let you know how it goes shes up now a little worried though casue she peed and pooped in her blankie all over herself and doesnt want to walk  . doesnt look like shes moved since last checked on her. and the vet called and said all her blood work and labs came back clear.


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## Lilysmommy (Jan 7, 2009)

Awww, the poor girl.  A sick hedgie is no fun at all. I hope you guys figure out what it is and she gets better soon! Keep us updated on how she does tonight.


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## Guest (Apr 11, 2012)

That was easy. she took to the syringe really well i think she was hungry.any idea how much i should try and get her to eat. i mixed some ground up kibble with the puree and she ate about 5 mls. got a wieght in to shes down a whole ounce.


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## Lilysmommy (Jan 7, 2009)

That's great!  The advice usually given for syringe-feeding is see how much they'll eat, then feed again after that many hours. For example, if she's eaten 5 mLs, feed again in 5 hours. However, you can adjust that so that you can maybe avoid getting up at night, and maybe coax her to try the different offerings of kibble tonight. Maybe you could feed her once more before you go to bed tonight, then let her be for the night and see if she eats any kibble. If she doesn't, I'd feed her again in the morning and see how much she takes. The other catch of them not eating is once they don't eat for awhile, their tummy feels yucky and makes them not want to eat even more. So once you have some food in her belly from the syringe-feedings, maybe she'll feel better and give the kibble a try.

I would also call your vet and let them know what you're doing and ask for any advice or recommendations from him/her as well. See if they have any other ideas for what could be wrong, and keep them updated on any changes - such as the pooping in bed and reluctance to be active. Keep an eye on how her poop looks and smells, and note any changes so you can pass those on to the vet.


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## nikki (Aug 28, 2008)

Whats the temp in her cage? Is she getting 12-14 hours of light a day?


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## Guest (Apr 11, 2012)

74 degrees, and yes she gets day from 7am to 8pm everyday.


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## Guest (Apr 11, 2012)

she peed on herself again today in her blanket, hasnt used her wheel and still isnt eating on her own. today i did take her out and offer her the bowl and she ate some when i brought her right to it. but i still syringe feed her and she ate that. She doesnt seem to want to walk around but when she does its kinda slowly. the vet saw her again today and still cant see anything wrong with her. checked for broken bones, ran labs for parasites checked her mouth for tumors, did xrays, and cant find anything wrong with her. She basically told me to be on the look out for symptoms of wobly hedgehog. Im kinda upset


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## Lilysmommy (Jan 7, 2009)

Did you happen to get a blood panel done at either appointment? Perhaps that could give some sort of clue on whether there's anything up with her on the inside. I can't say whether it sounds like WHS or not, not having any experience with it whatsoever, but I really hope it's not.  Healing thoughts to you and Quillo! *hugs*


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## Guest (Apr 12, 2012)

yes she took blood on both occassions and they all came back normal.  i dont know if maybe shes just defaulting cause she cant find anything?>


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## Nancy (Aug 22, 2008)

It sounds like she is sick, but those symptoms do not sound like WHS. Often vets will pull out the WHS diagnoses when they can't figure anything else out. 

WHS hogs typically do not quit eating until they are immobile enough that they can't get to their food or crunch it. Same with peeing and pooping in bed. They will also wheel until they are no longer able. WHS also doesn't come on that quickly. 

Has your vet done a urine sample, ear swabs, fecals? Was the blood checked in house or sent out? It usually takes about a week for results if it's sent out. 

It's rough when they can't find a diagnoses.


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## Kalandra (Aug 25, 2008)

Her symptoms do not sound like Wobbly to me either. Much too fast onset, and without balance issues, I would assume there is something else going on first. Sometimes determining what is happening can be difficult. In additions to Nancy's questions:

How hydrated is she? If she is not getting up to move, she likely is not drinking much. If she isn't drinking much she will become dehydrated. Dehydration makes them weak, and they won't get up to go get drinks, or move around. Its a downward spiral.

Was there any signs of her wobbling before she stopped eating? Was she running on her wheel normally then suddenly stopped? Does her balance seem off? When she is standing, does her head tilt to one side?


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## Guest (Apr 12, 2012)

yes she did a fecal ear swab, blood and a urine sample first visit. i dont think they sent it off but i dont know really , it wasnt a week for the results the first time tho and she did more blood yesterday.

ive been giving her food and water by syringe so i dont think shes dehydrated but its possible shes eating about 5 mls of food and about the same of water twice a day, when i took her out yesterday i offered her a bowl of krushed kibble and she did eat but only when i brought it right to her face and only ate a few kibbles.
she stopped using her wheel about 2 days before she stopped eating but since she was still eating and appearered okay when i took her out i didnt think anything of it. 

as for wobbling before she stoped eating i cant say. i dont know what woblbing would look like?. shes never really been one to explore she normall sit in my lap and sleep or just circles around under her blanket so i can say her movement definatly is different .i put her on the floor yesterday to try and watch her move, and she was reluctant to do anything more then kinda sit there but when she moves its kinda jerky and slow.  best i can describe it .


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## Kalandra (Aug 25, 2008)

Slow and jerky could be from weakness or from a balance issue. When she is sitting with you, do you notice if she scratches at all? In particular up towards her face? Does she twitch an ear, or have facial twitches? Tilt her head towards one side?

Did doc have any thoughts about an inner ear infection? Sometimes those can really throw them off of their food, as it can hurt to crunch kibble and they don't want to get up to move because their balance is off.


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## Nancy (Aug 22, 2008)

What she sounds like to me is that she isn't warm enough. Try upping her temperature a bit and see if it helps, or give her a heating pad.


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## Guest (Apr 12, 2012)

she looked in her ears. 

I will try and turn up the temperature. if thats whats wrong how long should it take to see an improvement?


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## Guest (Apr 13, 2012)

vet still is at a loss, shes not using her left back leg today and the vet says it doesnt appear injured

i did turn her heat up yesterday and it hasnt seemed to help so shes still being fed by me twice a day


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## Immortalia (Jan 24, 2009)

How did they X-ray? Sedated? Alternate views? Did they X-ray her entire back end? 
What did they say about her hip, her pelvis? What about possible tendon or muscle damage?

Did the vet try giving some pain relief and see if anything gets better? It may not seem like there is damage, but also remember that prey animals, especially when scared(like being poked and prodded at the vets) usually will not show injury.


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## Guest (Apr 14, 2012)

she was sedated for her xrays, and took some at different angles again today.

shes been put on an antibiotic and pain killers, the vet doesnt think its an injury, shes basically trying to tell me its wobbl hedgehog but i asked her to keep testing for other things, so she finally gave me antibiotics and pain killers to rule that out. shes having trouble walking without the use of her leg and has not moved in her cage he keeps peeing and pooping on herself.shes not using her back left leg still and still wont eat unless i put her face right up to the bowl or use the syringe  

im just a little upset i dont want to resign to wobbly hedgehog if its something curable


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## Rainy (Jul 27, 2011)

I know your family had problems with that other exotics vet, but maybe just a couple visits to either confirm or deny what your current vet is saying may help. If they say that it's something other than your current vet does, then you can take those findings back to your vet and try treatment for that diagnosis. I know you don't like that other vet, but maybe one visit for a second opinion will help. What do you think?


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## Guest (Apr 14, 2012)

ive been avoiding it but i may do that im gunna see if they will see her monday


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## Guest (Apr 19, 2012)

forgot to update new vet said she probably had a stroke


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## Rainy (Jul 27, 2011)

Did the new vet have a care plan or anything? When do you go back and did you change your mind about this vet or do you still not like them as much? Praying for you guys and thinking of you.

This is the thread I was telling you about. If you search for Zorropirate's threads, you can see all of the inventive things that she came up with for her Daisy. This is the one about the "neurological episode". Maybe something in here will help. http://hedgehogcentral.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=13460&st=0&sk=t&sd=a&hilit=daisy


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## Draenog (Feb 27, 2012)

My first hedgehog had the same, stopped eating, slept a lot, walked a bit weak. Ate the syringe food without any problems though. Turned out (when she died a week later) she had heart failure (probably her whole life), vet couldn't find anything but she died of an attack. If you're sure it isn't the cold it must be something else. I really hope it isn't something bad.


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## Isismommy (Nov 16, 2011)

A friend had this happen to her hedgie too. It sounds almost identical. We figured it was probably a stroke as well. Is her back left leg stiff or limp? My prays to you and your baby.


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## Guest (Apr 20, 2012)

its limp, she kinda just drags it around. ive been moving it for her doing stretches and taking her out to eat on her own


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## Isismommy (Nov 16, 2011)

I am sorry. It sounds like she had a stroke. I would talk to the vet about future care and maybe prevention if there is such a thing of future strokes. My friend lost her baby about a month or two after the first signs. She just tried to make her life as full and happy as possible. We think that she had a few mini strokes after her big one. Best of luck and my thoughts are with you.


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## Guest (Apr 20, 2012)

Shes getting around better she can walk some but cant wheel. ive been taking her out for some exercise just on the couch . they didnt mention any preventitive care so i didnt know there was anything i could do? do you know what your friends vet did so i can maybe call and suggest it to the vet


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