# Help! swollen mouth of my hedgehog.



## hedgehog love (Dec 13, 2013)

Help! swollen mouth of my hedgehog..

My hedgehog is 4 years old. 
Two weeks ago, There was a little blood on the left side of the mouth. 
And seemed to be missing a teeth.

A few days later, the left side of the mouth started swelling.
I was worried my hedgehog.
So go to the hospital and received inflammatory medicine.

Korea the hedgehog treatment hospital is rare. So, treatment is hard.
Eventually, I received inflammatory medicine.
However, I don't know Whether to inflammatory and tumor.

My hedgehog is eat well, play well. 
But, the left side of the mouth seems a little uncomfortable.
After taking the drug, A few reduced swelling of the mouth parts.
Take medicine is reduces the swollen mouth?

Help me..


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## Lilysmommy (Jan 7, 2009)

I'm uncertain if tumors respond to anti-inflammatory meds...Kalandra may know the answer to that. I think they do, but I'm not positive. The other likely possibility if it's not a tumor is an abscess or something.

Can you get him to any vet that would be able to put him under anesthesia and thoroughly look at his mouth? It's important to find out whether it's a tumor (which would need surgery to remove, and unfortunately, that would probably not completely solve it...) or an abscess (which, if I remember correctly, can be lanced, cleaned out, and medicated). That's good that the anti-inflammatory meds helped reduce the swelling a bit, but my guess would be that it's only a temporary effect.


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## Kalandra (Aug 25, 2008)

Did your veterinarian offer any antibiotics? Abscess and tumor are two options. 

An abscessed tooth could cause swelling and teeth to fall out. But so can tumors. Tumors in the mouth are often inflamed and infected when first discovered. I'd expect to give the hedgehog an anti-inflammatory & an antibiotic initially. You may initially see a decrease in tumor size as the inflammation and infection go away. If the swelling doesn't come back, then its most likely just infection.

There are studies out there that show piroxicam (and metacam to a lesser degree) can help slow down some forms of cancer (squamous cell carcinoma ). Plus it’s a pain reliever, and that is definitely good.


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