# Pneumonia & Green Poop



## hedgieball (Sep 4, 2008)

Cocoa was diagnosed on 2/6 with pnemonia, she had a sniffle and occasional sneezing, was licking her nose a lot, and not much else. I went to a vet from the vet list here, and she took xrays and prescribed her 2 weeks of 1.4 mL clavamox twice daily. Because Cocoa is so picky about her food, I was feeding the medicine to her mixed with a some baby food (in addition to her nightly bowl of baby food veggies).I went back monday 2/22 and we decided to keep her on the medicine for another 2 weeks just to be safe. She lost 5g between appointments, but the vet said that wasn't enough to be concerned about.

On and off after the first vet visit, I would see sticky greenish feces in her cage (usually on the middle level, not the bottom where she usually goes) but I convinced myself that starting antibiotics and/or the increased amount of baby food could possibly change her feces, but now after 3 weeks of medicine I just found more (this time with a small amount of dark and sticky looking stool) and I wanted to see if it was a reason to think that she's still not better, and needs more help, or if it's just a sign that her diet has changed (like I know it has). I stopped feeding her any green baby foods last week just to make sure that wasn't one of the problems, but it's continued.

She still has some small, normal feces (dark brown and solid, not sticky) but by now it's almost common that she has one that's larger, stickier, and slightly off hue even if it's not very green. She lives in a 3 story cage with her wheel/bathroom area on the bottom, food/water/toys in the middle and polar fleece stump/blankets on top. She never goes to the bathroom on the top level, and the 6 or 7 times when she did poop in the middle instead of the bottom, it was usually greenish/sticky. I still find poop around the bottom level and on her wheel, so I know she's at least somewhat active, and she always eats (probably half the reason she comes downstairs at all) ALL of whatever babyfood I put in, and between 10 and 15 g of dry food.

*****So once again, what I'm wondering is if this poop should be normal for a hedgehog with pneumonia who's getting all her medication and getting better, or if this is something I should take her back into the vet for *****

[attachment=0:ax402ubo]pooppost.jpg[/attachment:ax402ubo]


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## Kalandra (Aug 25, 2008)

I haven't had a hedgehog with a URI before (thankfully), but I can tell you that green stools and a little loose are commonly seen in hedgehogs that are on antibiotics. Often a little sprinkle of acidolphilus on the hedgehog's food (given mid way between antibiotic doses) helps.

Black and tar-like stools are very concerning to me though. Black and tar-like often means there is blood present. If there is blood it often comes from high in the GI system (upper GI or stomach).

Are you certain that stool is black and not just a deep moss green and is mucousy? A nasty moss green stool could be caused by the antibiotics really messing with your hedgehog's GI. 

One option you have is to take in a couple of stool samples for examination. I'd call the vet, and tell them what is going on and that you would like to bring in a stool sample for examination. Scoop up a black and tarry stool and a green one in separate plastic baggies. I usually label them with my name, hedgehog's name and date as often these are being left for the vet to look at when he has time between clients. If there is blood present the veterinarian will be able to determine that and should be able to modify your hedgehog's treatment accordingly. Usually a fecal float is very cheap.

I'd also add a probiotic (acidolphilus) to the hedgehog's treatment to help combat the GI upset caused by antibiotics. Give them mid way between antibiotic doses though, else the antibiotic kills the probiotic and you get no benefit. I would only do this if blood was ruled out though.


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## Nancy (Aug 22, 2008)

I agree with Kalandra that the cause of the greenish stools is most likely the antibiotic but pneumonia will cause green as well. Try taking one of the black tarry looking stools and wet it and rub between paper towels. That usually will show if it is just a very dark green but taking a fecal in is a good idea. 

Pooping in places other than normal usually happens when they are sick and not feeling well. Often when sick they poop in bed too. 

How is her runny nose and sneezing? Has it gone away. What about her appetite?


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## hedgieball (Sep 4, 2008)

Her appetite has never diminished, she eats approximately 1 T babyfood and 10-20 pieces of kibble nightly, leaving around ten in her bowl. She doesn't run quite as much right now but she always does run some. 

Her sniffling sounds like it's gone and she isn't licking her nose at all. On that same note, I only found normal poop in her cage this morning (and didn't think to keep the poop from last night after I took pictures) should I have them examine what I have? (I imagine it would still have some traces of blood if she was bleeding internally)

I'm not too worried about where she poops, just wanted to equate that she was maybe not feeling well when passing the greenish poop, which is why she didn't bother going all the way down. Cocoa is a VERY tidy hedgehog, and even with this pneumonia I have still never found poop on her sleeping level.


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