# Poor Rhododendron :'(



## Chihirolee3 (Nov 27, 2012)

I've haven't had Rhododendron for quite a year. It's been a hard one for her, getting used to being handled and loved consistently. It's been hard for my hands (she bit me a lot but doesn't anymore). She is a rescue from a friend's family member who just did not know at all how to care for her. At the time, I just wanted to gain experience caring for one while waiting for my baby hedgie, but I ended up keeping her (see http://www.hedgehogcentral.com/forums/10-general-questions/19712-unexpected-hedgehog.html for our story). 
This last weekend, I started noticing she wasn't quite herself. And then Saturday evening she went into a seizure. It was about midnight when I heard a blood curdling scream from one of my hedgies. I checked on Pindsvin and he was running around his cage, acting a bit frantic (he must have reacted to Rhody's scream). I then went to Rhododendron after making sure Pindsvin was okay, and she was on her side just convulsing and looking purple. After realizing it was was a seizure, I took out her cage items around her, so she wouldn't hurt herself and then woke my husband up. I called our ER vet, who, by the time I was dressed and ready to take Rhody up to the vet (an hour's drive), Rhody had calmed down from her seizure and her color returned. 
I did not take her out of her cage, but instead, unhooked her CHE's, put a heating pad on full blast in our truck, and just set her and her cage on it. I put fresh water and food in, in case she could eat and drink and took her up to the vet. She didn't move for the longest time while I was driving, and I was worried she wouldn't make it until morning  but she started huffing again but was having such a hard time getting up. I remember i moved her water closer to her in case she was able to get up. When I got to the vet, he took her, and from there, I actually nodded off a bit (My life's been overtly stressful lately, so I was already sleep deprived). Anyways, at about 3am, I was able to take her home, and she seemed better (was eating and drinking). The vet told me she most likely has Wobbly Hedgehog Syndrome and will only get worse. 
I am very hurt by this, I've grown so attached to my huffy little ball of spikes. She's had a hard life until I took her in, so why does she have to suffer and slow, painful death . I already cozy-ed up her room to make things easier for her. Her right back leg seems to be bothering her the most, and she struggles to walk with it. Her right front leg has spazzed out a bit when I watch her sleep. She's still eating fine and drinking just fine and has run in her wheel. Her right side is just overall stiffer to her, but otherwise she's fully recovered from her seizure. I take her back to her normal vet (same place just not the animal ER) on Friday, and from there, if it's not an ear infection or some other problem, I'm preparing for the worst.


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## AngelaH (Jul 24, 2012)

aww. Fingers and quills crossed hoping for the best. She may have had a rough start in life, but at least she found you and knows what love feels like.


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## abbys (Oct 13, 2012)

Poor sweetie. We're sending good thoughts to you and Rhody.


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## Chihirolee3 (Nov 27, 2012)

Well, took her to the vet last week, and got results back today. There is no infection of any kind in her, no breaks in her bones, no tumors, and her health does not indicate any chance of her body trying to go into hibernation. 
With that and a few other possible problems eliminated, the vet just said to wait and see what happens. He can't confirm it's WHS until after she dies, although because of her good health, he believes this is what it is. And because we don't know her pedigree (she came from a pet store), there's no "family" telling us she may get it or not. 
So for now, I am just doing what I can to make things easier for her; there is a definite sign of stiffness in right back leg. She's become more aggressive towards me whenever I try to handle her. She's obviously in pain, but other than making her food/water closer to her and making her cage softer, there's not much more I can do.


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## Lilysmommy (Jan 7, 2009)

If she seems to be in pain, check with your vet about pain meds for her. She shouldn't need to suffer through it, even if you can't figure out exactly what's causing it.

Also...and I say this with NO experience with WHS at all, but it seems strange to me that there'd be pain too? Like...from what I've read of WHS, it's more of a paralyzing disease, where they lose ability to use the limbs, but it seems like that would also cause numbness in the limb - not pain. I could be totally wrong though.

I'm going to PM this to a couple admins with more health experience, just in case they haven't seen it yet. Maybe they'll have some more advice on some other things to check for or ways to keep her more comfortable.

As far as keeping her comfortable & making things easy for her, this site might be of use, whether it is WHS or not - http://www.angelfire.com/wa2/comemeetmyfamily/wobblyhs1.html I agree with padding things up for her (but try to make sure it doesn't get so squishy it'll be easy for her to stumble), move things closer, etc. I'd really check into pain meds though, if she seems uncomfortable. They can have side-effects as well, but if they give her a happier life for right now, it may be worth it.


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## Nancy (Aug 22, 2008)

This doesn't sound like WHS. Beginning with screaming and a seizure and now being in pain, are not WHS symptoms.


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## Chihirolee3 (Nov 27, 2012)

The vet gave us some pain medicine for her (maxolicam I think, I read the instructions last week). She seems to be doing better; I know pain isn't a known symptom of WHS, and I am not sure the vets know what's up either, since she's not injured or have any bodily tumors. I have to give the vet a report weekly on her condition, and from there, he'll tell if she come in again or not. Until then, I'm keeping a close eye on her and just trying to keep comfy while allowing her to be independent. She really doesn't like the medicine though, and her reaction to getting her first dose made me smile. She started shaking her head like she was saying 'no more, it's disgusting!'


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## Lilysmommy (Jan 7, 2009)

Blegh, yucky medicine does make it harder! Have you tried disguising the taste with something else, like baby food? You can measure the medicine into the syringe first, then suck up some baby food and lightly tap/shake the syringe to mix them. It can help a little with some. Or give her a "chaser" treat of something she loves a lot, if you've found anything.

Good luck with helping her feel better, and keep us updated!


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## Chihirolee3 (Nov 27, 2012)

I have been giving her mealworms after every dose. It's not hard getting her to take it (besides the squirming and biting, but i've caught onto her tricks and have gotten used to her teeth)


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## Kalandra (Aug 25, 2008)

Did the vet mention anything about stroke being a possibility? I know in some animals, seizures, paralysis, muscle spasms, etc are in the list of symptoms.

For hedgehogs, the few I have seen (not my own), afterwards have had limb stiffness/paralysis, head tilt, etc.


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## Chihirolee3 (Nov 27, 2012)

Yes, my normal vet said this is the most likely thing that has happened. The ER vet said she has WHS. But my vet said that he won't know for sure until some time goes by. He says that the hedgehog's he's dealt with that have had strokes have died soon after, so he's not leaving anything possible out. That's why I'm keeping up with him on how she's doing.

Edit: Rhody's still having a hard time with paralysis, but the pain medicine really seems to be helping her because she's bound and determined to be active. The vet told me to take the wheel out, because we don't her to stress her body any more than what ever happened to her already has, but she keeps making a mess out of her cage out of boredom (ripping up her litter tray's paper towel, and messing up what I do to make her comfy.


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## Chihirolee3 (Nov 27, 2012)

I am sad to say that Rhododendron has passed away. When I went about my morning chores, I found her under her blanket, not moving or breathing. I have just gotten back from taking her body to my vet for testing, to find out what was wrong. I thought she was getting better. I feel so awful knowing that she suffered. I don't know what to do now, I just feel hurt


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