# Emergency! Regina not responding, curled up.



## ReginasMommy (Apr 13, 2011)

Please help I'm so scared, All of a sudden she curled up and she's not responding. She was absolutely fine until then. Now she's barely responding and all pricked up. I'm on the phone with the e-vet. The temperature in her cage is consistent and warm. I'm so scared.

It seems like she's barely breathing. I had used vinegar/water in her cage and had some on my hands--could she have a reaction to that? Or a stroke. They want me to wait a little while longer but I'm so scared. Please please help. Please pray for her.


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## trixie557 (Sep 12, 2011)

(((hug))) I'll be thinking and praying for her and you tonight!


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## ReginasMommy (Apr 13, 2011)

I'm afraid that she had a stroke. Her nose is sniffing a bit but she's just rolled in a ball still. She's breathing, and when I make a sniffling noise she reacts, but other than that she's just sitting there in a ball. I think I saw her right foot twitching a bit, but when she curled up it didn't look like she was really pulling it in.


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## Hissy-Fit-Hazel (Jul 15, 2011)

Saying a little prayer for your girl! How is she doing? Breathing is good sign!!!


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## ReginasMommy (Apr 13, 2011)

She's still breathing and her nose is sniffing, and it's wet so I can tell she licked it. But she's still curled up.

I'm going to take her to her vet as soon as they open tomorrow morning. The emergency vet does not know hedgehogs that well and I would rather take her to someone who's familiar with her. Please keep praying for her.


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## Hissy-Fit-Hazel (Jul 15, 2011)

will do! sending good thoughts

Hopefully it's nothing...maybe she is just super upset about the vinegar smell. It's scarey when they ball up and don't move or respond! 

It's not actually common for animals to have a stroke in the same way we think of one in people. Generally if they have a neurological event you can tell they are having one if you are with them, not always tho if it's not severe. I don't suppose it's easy to see much in a balled up hedgie though.


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## ReginasMommy (Apr 13, 2011)

Well, she seemed like she was doing better for a while... she finally moved her legs and she scuttled a couple of times. I put her in her cage to go get ready for bed, and she went over to her bowl and drank some water by herself. Then she went under the liner and was just staying there. Her quills are still up and everything. But when I lifted the liner off her she balled up again, and now she's laying balled up on her side on top of her hedgie bag. I mashed up her kibble with some water so if she wants it it'll be easier to eat. I took out her wheel and everything except for her bag, and I put her snuggle safe wrapped up in the cage too. I feel so helpless. I want to stay up with her but I need to sleep too. I'm scared to go to sleep.


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## ReginasMommy (Apr 13, 2011)

So, I just heard the sound of scrambling from Regina's cage. I caught her attempting to climb the walls of her cage. I put her wheel back in, and now she's on it. But when I reached in her cage, she seemed a little afraid of me.

Before all this happened, I had picked her up to put her in her PVC pipe. That was when she first balled up. Could she have gotten so scared that she went into some weird defense mode? Cuz now she's walking fine and on her wheel.

I'm glad she's active, but I'm really confused. I'll be calling the vet tomorrow morning, and maybe (most likely) taking her in, but I wanted to ask--Has anything like this happened to anyone before?

Also, I have work in the morning, from 9 til 2. Do you think a vet visit could wait until the afternoon, or should I try to get in as early as possible? I already emailed my boss saying I might not be in to work.


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## Hoshi (Sep 8, 2011)

I hope Regina is doing okay. ((((((((((((((Hugs))))))))))))))) for both of you.


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## Nancy (Aug 22, 2008)

It almost sounds like something really scared her. I've had some that have gone into super defense mode over things as simple as me reaching in the cage to get a dish out and I've startled them. 

A vet visit certainly is a good idea, especially since she'd been having other issues recently. 

Sending hugs and prayers.


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## susanaproenca (Aug 14, 2010)

I also had that happening to me. I was replacing Pete's food (as I do every single day) but this one time she got really scared and wouldn't unball, no matter what. Next day she was fine, like nothing had happened. :?


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## ReginasMommy (Apr 13, 2011)

This morning, she is still somewhat quilled up, and she is huffing at me a little everytime I try to touch her. But she seems alert and physically mobile. She also ate some of her food last night, and pooped on her wheel. I'm going to call the vet and talk to her, and see what she thinks. Regina had a vet visit last Friday, and the vet put her on an antibiotic for her poop (she still had an abnormal amount of clostridium). Could the antibiotic be affecting her? It's not clavamox, which she usually gets, it's metronidazole. She's in a bag on my lap right now, and every time I move she makes a little huff. Her quills are still half-up. I'm worried that I've accidentally scared her so badly that she doesn't trust me anymore. I can understand why she'd be scared, because last night when I reached in her cage and went to put her in her PVC pipe it was kind of fast... I hope she doesn't hate me now  I'm going to try to bribe her with some crickets...


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## Hoshi (Sep 8, 2011)

Please be sure to let us know how Regina takes to your bribery.


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## Quinn (Apr 24, 2011)

let us know what the vet says. I hope she's fine.


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## DexterTheHog (May 22, 2011)

Oh no! Regina! Maybe the antibiotic is making her not feel well... like her little tummy hurts. When I don't feel well i'm pretty rude haha 
Maybe it was a mix of antibiotic making her feel ill and the smell of the vinegar? Sensory overload?
I hope she is feeling better!
Dexter and I send our love!
I guess it's a good thing we're not coming tomorrow. Give the little baby time to rest!


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## PJM (May 7, 2010)

I hope she snaps out of it soon! 

Zoey has done this twice to me so far. The first time was when she had her molars removed & was coming back around. The next time was a few days later when I was doing the morning routine of cleaning the cage, putting in new food & water, and checking on her. I figured I had scared her or perhaps she wasn't feeling great after the procedure.

I hope it's nothing serious. I'll be thinking of you both.


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## cylaura (Jan 13, 2011)

Just sending you more well-wishes, healing thoughts, and good vibes. I'm so sorry you guys have to go through this scary time. Keeping all my quills crossed that Regina's vet visit goes well. 

HUGS!


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## Rainy (Jul 27, 2011)

Oh, praying for you guys. Please let us know what the vet said about Regina. HUGS.


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## ReginasMommy (Apr 13, 2011)

Thank you all for the concern and well-wishes. It's so great to have a place I can turn to for support 

I gave her two crickets this morning, which she greedily gobbled up. I also caught her slinking out of her bag to eat some food, which is good! She's huffy and quilly and skittish still, but she let me stick my hand under her tummy a bit this morning, and she didn't stay all balled up.

I called the vet's office, and am waiting to hear back from the vet. They told me she was performing surgeries this morning so they weren't sure when she would be able to call back.

I feel a lot better now, after seeing Regina eat and run. She's alert and responsive.

I'm at work now, worrying about her, of course. I have work and class until 5:30, but I'm considering being a little late to my 2 o'clock class in order to go check on her.


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## Sar-uh (Sep 6, 2011)

Sounds like she's doing better. So glad to hear it!


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## sweetergrrrl (May 5, 2009)

I am glad she is feeling better. I know when I paint my nails, if I don't wait long enough my hedgies have always freaked out. Maybe it was just the vinegar that made her so grumpy?!


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## ReginasMommy (Apr 13, 2011)

Well, I'm back from class, and I came home to a poo and pee under the liner from my Regina. She seems less skittish, she let me hold her without balling up, and now she's in a bag on my lap digging away. I plan on keeping an eye on her and from now on, always announcing my arrival to her by calling her name and sllloooooooowly reaching in her cage to get her so she doesn't freak out and get startled.

Her pee was yellow and her poop was brown and green, but she's on antibiotics now because the blood and mucus (prior issue) had started to return to her poop, and I know antibiotics (and stress) can cause green poo. She had eaten the rest of her food and drank some water.

I will be keeping a close eye on her. The vet called me back, but left a message because I was in class and my phone wasn't on. Regina's vet will not be in again until Monday, but she said that if I needed to bring her in for any sort of emergency service the other doctor is in, and I have seen the other doctor before and she was also helpful and had treated hedgies.

I'm feeling a lot better about Regina, she's seems to be having a ball, digging furiously and wiffling like mad into the corner of the bag 

Now, to nap, because I only got about 3 hours of sleep last night...


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## Nancy (Aug 22, 2008)

Yay, that's great news. Sounds like she is fine.


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## Quinn (Apr 24, 2011)

that sounds great! I'm so glad to hear that she's doing better!


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## PJM (May 7, 2010)

Keep it up Regina! Keep feeling better!


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## LarryT (May 12, 2009)

Praying she's back to her old self real soon!


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