# Suddenly very huffy and neurotic?



## katherinetaylor (Apr 13, 2011)

Fredrick has always been a sweet, curious, and very well behaved hedgie. Hes always been a bit huffy if I were to wake him up, or move him from his burrow, but he was always quick to calm down. But as of yesterday he's been extremely huffy and hes acting completely neurotic!

He runs circles around his cage, endlessly, and he even trashed his cage last night. He burrowed under two layers of fleece and pooped in his castle (where he sleeps). Also, every time I try and pick him up or even open the cage to feed him he huffs and huffs and huffs! He huffs so hard he jumps and he hardly ever relaxes his quills. 

I gave him a bath a few days ago and am now worried that it dried out his skin and his bothering him, so I rinsed him off a little more during today's foot bath and he still is very huffy. I had to throw away his old wheel, he got his toe cut up pretty bad about a week ago from the wire (it was a mesh-wire wheel, bought from a small mom-and-pop pet store where we got him from). But even before I got him the wheel when he was young he never acted this way.

Hes eating fine and still drinking plenty of water, I don't know what could be wrong! Any suggestions (besides getting a new wheel, I'm saving up for a CSW as we speak!)


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## MissC (Nov 15, 2010)

How old is he?


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## katherinetaylor (Apr 13, 2011)

MissC said:


> How old is he?


About 14 weeks old!


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## panda (May 23, 2011)

so he currently doesnt have a wheel?.. that may be a part of the issue? is he quilling?
if he has dry skin use some oatmeal.. shea butter is also good for dry ears


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## katherinetaylor (Apr 13, 2011)

panda said:


> so he currently doesnt have a wheel?.. that may be a part of the issue? is he quilling?
> if he has dry skin use some oatmeal.. shea butter is also good for dry ears


He doesn't have a wheel, but before I got him the wheel he was fine, never did anything like this. And all week hes been fine without his wheel, hes just begun acting up. I think hes still quilling, he seems to be loosing quills at a quilling rate.

I'll try oatmeal and shea butter and see if that works. I used an Aveeno wash, not specifically the baby formula, but one that was just as gentle with extra moisturizers in it. Thanks for the help!


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## panda (May 23, 2011)

mine is also quilling as well.. they get awfully unhappy and uncomfortable during it.. if you do an oatmeal bath, put the oatmeal in a sock rather than right into the water.. you can also use a small amount of olive oil in water. the lotion i bought works wonders on Norma's ears, its st. ives oatmeal & shea butter. :]


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## katherinetaylor (Apr 13, 2011)

panda said:


> mine is also quilling as well.. they get awfully unhappy and uncomfortable during it.. if you do an oatmeal bath, put the oatmeal in a sock rather than right into the water.. you can also use a small amount of olive oil in water. the lotion i bought works wonders on Norma's ears, its st. ives oatmeal & shea butter. :]


Thank you for the suggestions! I'll try the oatmeal bath and the lotion. Hopefully he goes back to the sweet playful hedgie I had before!


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## panda (May 23, 2011)

he will, just give him some time & keep handling him as you would before... my Norma is going through a veryyy crabby phase right now as well, you just have to be patient. :]


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## katherinetaylor (Apr 13, 2011)

panda said:


> he will, just give him some time & keep handling him as you would before... my Norma is going through a veryyy crabby phase right now as well, you just have to be patient. :]


Fredrick is getting better every day, and hes not loosing as many quills and not itching as much. I'm pretty positive he was quilling and coming to the end of it. Hes almost back to his normal self  Thank you for all the help, Panda!


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## panda (May 23, 2011)

so glad he's doing better and finishing his quilling! i cant imagine how uncomfortable it must be for them! glad to have helped some! :]


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