# Hedge in need! Need advice.



## Zombie (Feb 2, 2011)

Yesterday, I went and bought a brand new hedgepig from a girl, who seemed respectable, that went to school nearby. She seemed kind of fat (the hedgepig!) and not very well taken care of, but I felt she'd find a better home with me anyway, so I went ahead and bought her. I brought her home and immediately gave her a bath, and I noticed some odd yellow-white lumps on her sides and legs that I've never seen on any other hedge in the past. She also had gross, dirty eears (that seem to be all better now that I've bathed her), and some dry, flaky skin on the outside of her ears. I was wondering if anyone has seen this sort of thing before, and what I can do to help the poor dear?


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## shaelikestaquitos (Feb 2, 2010)

Take her to a vet for a wellness check-up. You should do this with every hedgie you get.

I have no idea what those bumps could be :| Maybe mites?

Also I noticed her nails are in serious need of clipping, maybe get that done while you're at the vet's or do it yourself?

At any rate, she's supah cute


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## MissC (Nov 15, 2010)

I think I read that yellowing under the armpit area may indicate obesity which may mean liver issues. You said she's fat...can she curl completely into a ball?

A vet visit is definitely a good idea! Obesity in hedgide can ver bery serious.

Kudos for buying her...sounds like she's in way better hands already!


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## Zombie (Feb 2, 2011)

shaelikestaquitos said:


> Also I noticed her nails are in serious need of clipping, maybe get that done while you're at the vet's or do it yourself?
> 
> At any rate, she's supah cute


Thank you so much! I took care of that as soon as she got out of the bath and I took these pictures. She was kept in seriously dirty conditions - she's albino and was practically gray when I brought her home!


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## Zombie (Feb 2, 2011)

MissC said:


> You said she's fat...can she curl completely into a ball?
> 
> A vet visit is definitely a good idea! Obesity in hedgide can ver bery serious.
> 
> Kudos for buying her...sounds like she's in way better hands already!


She's definitely a hefty girl. If I hold her bum to force a ball, she doesn't put her legs up all the way and grunts the entire time. I don't think she could do it if she tried. I bought her some really high-quality weight control food yesterday and put her on a diet. I think a vet visit is definitely called for. :/ I definitely don't want to give her back - her life must have been horrid and I adore her already - but I would love to have a little hedgepig that will be with me for a while, Poor girl.










Another picture of her lumps. :/


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## shaelikestaquitos (Feb 2, 2010)

Zombie said:


> She's definitely a hefty girl. If I hold her bum to force a ball, she doesn't put her legs up all the way and grunts the entire time. I don't think she could do it if she tried. I bought her some really high-quality weight control food yesterday and put her on a diet. I think a vet visit is definitely called for. :/ I definitely don't want to give her back - her life must have been horrid and I adore her already - but I would love to have a little hedgepig that will be with me for a while, Poor girl.
> 
> Another picture of her lumps. :/


Poor girl, I'm so glad that you brought her home! Those bumps look strange, maybe they're swollen hair follicles or something :| I have no idea... Hopefully the vet will know.


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## PJM (May 7, 2010)

Welcome to HHC!! Good for you for taking her! Sounds like she's already better off. I don't know what the bumps could be. I also take my hedgies for a wellness visit with the vet. Usually we suggest waiting a week or so, but I think in this case, sooner is better. Please let us know when you find out. I'm sure someone will be on soon to give a bit more help.


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## ThePliny (Jun 3, 2010)

Well done you for giving her a fantastic home. She is definitely better off with you. As the others said, she needs to be checked out by a vet. Flaky, dry skin can indicate mites, which will make her itchy and uncomfortable. For dry skin you can use flax seed (get the capsule form as the bottle stuff goes off really fast) and put it on her food a couple of times a week; or you can put a couple of drops on the shoulders, but if her skin is really dry, this might irritate it more.
I wonder if the lumps might me an allergy? Something like hives? If she was filthy when you got her, who knows what she was into/living on. They also look like little fatty lumps, or as Shae said, enlarged follicles. Hopefully someone more experienced will be along soon. 
She looks like a total sweetie though! Have you got a wheel for her to run on? 
I know someone else has been dealing with an overweight hog, also an albino. Hmmm, maybe they eat to feel better because some people find the red eyes weird?!


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## ThePliny (Jun 3, 2010)

Here is the link to the thread about poor pudgy Pete! 
viewtopic.php?f=6&t=8386&st=0&sk=t&sd=a&hilit=Overweight+Hedgehog


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## susanaproenca (Aug 14, 2010)

Congrats on taking her home with you! She looks a lot like my Pete!


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## Zombie (Feb 2, 2011)

ThePliny said:


> For dry skin you can use flax seed (get the capsule form as the bottle stuff goes off really fast) and put it on her food a couple of times a week; or you can put a couple of drops on the shoulders, but if her skin is really dry, this might irritate it more.
> I wonder if the lumps might me an allergy? Something like hives? ...
> 
> Have you got a wheel for her to run on?
> I know someone else has been dealing with an overweight hog, also an albino. Hmmm, maybe they eat to feel better because some people find the red eyes weird?!


LOL I do that myself sometimes, but I tend to prefer french fries ...

I have an allergy to casein, and I have a steroid cream to help when my skin breaks out into rashes. Do you think it would be safe to put on her, just to see if it might be an allergy? I'm not sure what they were keeping her in, but I just switched her to pine, and I just switched her food from MeowMix. She's too chubby to lick herself (the poor thing can barely anoint- can you imagine?), so I don't think she would ingest it.

The flax seed is a great idea. She doesn't have any other signs of mites, like dry rings around her quills, or itching. It's just her poor ears that are flaky. Can you get flax seed in any drugmart vitamin isle, or would I have to go to a health-food store?

I did get her a wheel, but I don't think she likes it as much as her old one. The girl I bought her from said that she loved to run on her wheel all the time, and since I brought her home she's only touched it once, maybe twice, only for a few minutes. Instead, I've been letting her wander around my hedge-proof room and play in towels.


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## Zombie (Feb 2, 2011)

susanaproenca said:


> Congrats on taking her home with you! She looks a lot like my Pete!


Your Pete is beautiful! Everyone can appreciate a full-figured lady.


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## ThePliny (Jun 3, 2010)

I wouldn't use the cortisone -it might be too strong for her. How is she acting otherwise? Eating/sleeping/pooping etc. If you have a safe hedgie-proof place in your home, you could make a playpen for her to let her run around. Pliny loves waddling around my apartment with a toilet paper tube on his head! 
I would still take her to a vet for a check up. They might have ideas about getting her to loose weight and such.

Oh - and a lot of us use fleece/flannel liners for bedding. They are dust free and it makes the cage waaaayyy easier to clean (no bits of shavings all over your house either!)


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## susanaproenca (Aug 14, 2010)

Zombie said:


> susanaproenca said:
> 
> 
> > Congrats on taking her home with you! She looks a lot like my Pete!
> ...


Thank you! We are Pete's 4th family. Sadly she wasn't in great shape when we adopted her but we've been working on it. We are trying to get her to loose some weight -- even though she is a gorgeus full figured lady, we want he to be with us for a long time!


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