# Help! New Hedgie Owner - runny poop with white pieces??



## LadyPearl (Dec 12, 2013)

Hi everyone,

Paranoid rookie hedgie owner here! I brought home my little Pearl (8 wks old) about two weeks ago and can't seem to shake the fear that something is wrong with her.

I've been watching her pooping patterns closely (and checking these threads constantly) and here is what I have been seeing:

- The first week she was home, there would be normal looking brown poopie piles in the morning and occasionally when we would handle her, it would be slimy-er and green but assumed this was due to being scared/stressed with new people.

- Over the past week or so, I've noticed that her poop when I wake her up/handle her has gotten progressively runny and all sorts of different colors (cream colored, dark brown almost red, green/bright green) - still saw some "normal" looking poops in cage for the most part

- Last night she started to poop while we were playing so we placed her on a paper towel and I just about fainted when I looked at it! It was runny greenish colored and had these little white masses throughout it. I picked thru it and got them out and they look more like a cartilage substance than anything (kind of squishy but still solidified) - there was one big piece that kind of even looked like a little tooth or bone or something? They were all different sizes (most were tiny) but I can't stop thinking about all of the possibilities of what it could be! Maybe she just ate something when exploring?

- Then this morning when I looked in her cage, it looked like she did eat/drink last night but poop was no where to be found!


Here is some additional information about Pearl:

Food: Spike's hedgehog food - trying to introduce her to other snacks/veggies like carrot & raspberries but no interest

Sleeping: She has a Super Pets cage with a fleece blanket underneath Carefree bedding. She has an include, and toilet paper toy, wheel and t-shirt of mine to nuzzle in. From what I've seen she sleeps most of day (maybe comes out for a quick snack) and not positive what exactly goes on at night but she seems to be active-ish?

Temperature: We keep our central heating at 70 degrees but we also have a space heater pointing at her cage as well as a heat lamp (red) on top. Our house has hard wood floors and can get freezing this time of year and I'm also paranoid about her going into hibernation even though she shows no signs.

Personality: She has a great temperament and seems to be acting very normally (other than not wheeling) - never hisses/clicks and very friendly in general. Sweetest little girl and pretty social so far!

Poop/Wheel: I tried potty training her for the first week (still failing...) so I just put in her wheel this past week and there are no signs of even the slightest rotation on the wheel. Right now she is pooping in her igloo and by her food bowl. She currently has a Comfort Wheel but we have a bucket wheel coming in the mail soon. Not sure what to do about the wheel thing but I've read that it can take up to a month?

Quilling: I've noticed some of her quills falling out as well so not sure if the weird pooping patterns have anything to do with quilling?


Any thoughts/suggestions? Not sure if I should be concerned or if I'm just being paranoid! Appreciate any feedback you can provide! 

Going to monitor when I get home tonight as well.


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## Annie&Tibbers (Apr 16, 2013)

I haven't encountered that in the archives before. I wonder if she ate something while exploring? Totally keep an eye on it. Green is pretty much expected for new home, particularly if she's had a food-switch. Take photos if the white-lumps reappear; it might help someone with more poop-experience than me figure out what's going on.

Wheel training: it can help to put her in the wheel, block her in, and gently rotate it so she takes a few steps and figures it out. Do it slowly/gently for a few seconds for a few days (don't wall in a panicked hedgehog and force her to run or fall, or anything nuts like that!). You can try dusting her wheel with a bit of flour to check for hedgie-footprints (maybe she's tidy with her wheel! Unusual for a baby, but not impossible), or hook up a bicycle odometer to track usage more carefully.

Hedgehog food isn't very popular on this forum, with most users opting for catfood instead. The problem with hedgehogs is that their nutritional needs haven't been very well studied, so most of the targeted petfoods are more, "If we put a picture of your pet on it, you'll buy it" than anything that is actually healthy for hedgehogs.

Sounds like you've been doing lots of research. If you haven't encountered it yet, check out this book. 

And welcome to the forum! Sorry that it's under stressed circumstances, though.


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## Nancy (Aug 22, 2008)

Sounds like she's eating the Carefree bedding. I'd get rid of it and just use fleece.


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## Brookie (Dec 13, 2013)

Hello LadyPearl, 

I’ve only been a hedgehog owner for about year and a half and before that I had done a lot of research. I own two hedgies myself. Most of the places I’ve read say that if your hedgie has had diarrhea or green stools for more than a few days you should take her to the vet. With out that said most the time if colours other than brown and green are coming out of your hedgie you should probably take her to the vet as I’m sure you’d go to the doctor if the same of happening to you. 

Food: Spikes hedgehog food is ok to feed your hedgie but only in a mix of other high quality foods, like a mix of cat foods. As for snacks I know from owning two hedgies they do not all like the same things. Estrella, my big girl, love honey dew and broccoli but Hufflepuff , my little girl, has no interest in any fruit I’ve put in front of her so far. They both love meal worms though, do not give them too much. Hufflepuff will only eat the live ones. 

Heres some other foods you can try with Pearl;

Meats: (baked, boiled, browned or roasted) beef, chicken, duck, lamb and turkey
Fish: most are fine except they can make your hedgie smell quite fishy (Estrella loves fish)
Fruits: apple, banana, cantaloupe, cherry, cranberries, honeydew, papaya, peaches, pears, pumpkin, squash, strawberry, watermelon, blueberries, kiwi
Veggies: asparagus, broccoli, cilantro, corn, cucumber, green beans, green pepper, peas, spinach, sweet potato, turnip and zucchini (Estrella like zucchini too) 
Eggs: scramble or hard boiled, no salt or pepper 
Baby food: all flavors should be fine

Temperature: Her cage should be within the 70’s F but you should get a thermometer on her cage to make sure its not too hot. The ideal temp is between 72-78 so if your above 80 its too hot. Just keep this all in mind. 

Poop/wheel: not all hedgies are nice and neat about where the relieve themselves. My girls usually go on their wheel or behind it. I have a flying saucer wheel. Sometime you need to show them how to use the wheel by simply putting her on it and turn the wheel slowly that she is forced to walk forward a bit. 

I do not think your being paranoid and in most cases its best to be safe than sorry. So my advice if shes still having consistent green stools and runs than you should take her to the vet. 

Hope she gets better soon, 
Brooke


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