# freaking out



## fracturedcircle (May 31, 2010)

Harvey is not walking right. i'm freaking out. what are the other symptoms of whs aside from not walking right? how does it get tested?


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## krbshappy71 (Jul 17, 2009)

I'm sorry you are going through this. I don't have experience in this area, but I have seen some videos on YouTube. Have you watched those? Perhaps it would show you what WHS usually looks like so you could compare to your baby?

Here's a website that seems to clarify what else it could be, perhaps it can help you until you can get him to a vet. I would definitely get him to a vet regardless.

http://hedgehogvalley.com/notWHS.html


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## Puffers315 (Apr 19, 2010)

Is his tummy and legs warm? Whats the temps been?


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## LarryT (May 12, 2009)

With harvey being only 1 year old I doubt it's WHS but i'm nowhere a expert on this either.


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## fracturedcircle (May 31, 2010)

the temps are good.

he ran on the wheel for a while, so that's good. he ate. his poop looks good. also, his nails may not have been trimmed, ever, so i'll have to rule out curved-under nails.


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## fracturedcircle (May 31, 2010)

OMG, his nails are HORRIBLE!!!!! the front paws are bad, but the hind paws are unspeakably bad. but i'm a bit relieved now.


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## LarryT (May 12, 2009)

Maybe the long nails were making him walk funny.


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## Sela (Apr 10, 2010)

It was probably the long nails, you'll definitely want to do those as soon as you can. Try not to worry anymore, hon, I would imagine it was just the nails if they're that bad.


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## Kalandra (Aug 25, 2008)

Long nails hurt, and they can make them walk oddly when they are really bad. When you try to trim them be careful. Do not expect to get them fully trimmed back the first time. I've had a couple come to me with overgrown nails... one was so bad that they were pushing into the pads of his feet. My experience from those couple of hedgehogs is that the quick often is overgrown as well, and you will have to slowly trim the nails back into shape.


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## Littlefootsmama (May 23, 2010)

My gizmo's were like that and I'm still trying to get his back feet into shape. Will I have to cut his quick in order to do so Kalandra?


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## hedgielover (Oct 30, 2008)

Littlefootsmama said:


> My gizmo's were like that and I'm still trying to get his back feet into shape. Will I have to cut his quick in order to do so Kalandra?


I will answer this based on what I know from dogs. If I'm wrong I'm sure someone will correct me.

You don't cut the quick (if you've ever done it by accident you know how much it bleeds!). Cut as much of the nail as you can without hitting the quick. After a few days to a week the quick will recede further into the nail. Then you can cut a bit more off. Keep doing this and eventually you will no longer have an over grown quick.


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## Littlefootsmama (May 23, 2010)

OKay, thank you! Yeah I didn't think you did that, but the wording confused me. Thanks for clearing it up!


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## Kalandra (Aug 25, 2008)

What was already posted is correct. Never purposely cut the quick. Doing so hurts. 

What I have done is to let the hedgehog have a foot bath. This helps soften the nail and to make the quick easier to see. Cut the nail back close to the quick. Typically I would look at them in about 5-7 days to see if the quick receded. How quickly you can trim them back will entirely depend on if the quick goes back fast. As I said it is a slow process of trimming them back.


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