# Help! Twisted ankle? Walking on 3 legs.



## alex_le_renar (Feb 21, 2011)

Hi all. I would really apreciate your help on this one, as I live in the Netherlands, and it seems that even though people here sell african hedgehogs, vets have no clue on what to do with them :/.
So Marquis de Sade is now around one year and two months old. We got him last February and has been very healthy ever since. Eating his meal worms, loosing a few quills now and then -problem solved with flaxseed oil baths-, running like crazy on his bucket wheel.. 
Two days ago, while he was sleeping on our bed, under his pillow, we picked him up to play a bit and realised that his front left leg in the height of the "ankle" was turned inwards and he did not step on it. After a few steps though, he seemd to walk normaly, so we assumed that he just slept on it and it was numb and put him in his cage to rest. At night, we heard him running, so we were happy and believed he was fine. But yesterday, even though he ate normaly his evening snack (aka 4 meal warms) he seemed not to be able to put waight on this foot again and kept it bent. I touched it to see if it is hurt, swallen, bloody etc, but it looked fine it he didn't seem to be in pain. I browsed through the forum and read some similar cases of soft tissue injuries, so today I bought him diluted arnica, mixed one drop with a capsule of flaxseed oil and massaged his leg twice. Since yesterday we got the wheel oit of hic cage and I moved his food bowl next to him, so that he wouldn't have to run around. Indeed, he ate his normal amount of food. I read that this kind of injuries take even more to heal than broken bones and that anti-inflamatories might be needed. Arnica is it's self antiinflamatory, I believe. I went to the pet store and they gave me a couple more vet phone numbers but they do not know about hedgies here in Delft, so I will probably head to Rotterdam this weekend, but I was wandering what else I could do until then. Would a warm bath help? Please help, i cannot stand seeing his little food fragile like that


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## alex_le_renar (Feb 21, 2011)

I see 41 views and yet no answer  Please please my beloved hog moms.. Any ideas? He keeps eating and drinking and I keep massaging his paw. I think that is is a bit swallen underneath, but still no signs of pain and he even "went to the bathroom" without his wheel. But he is still not steping on his third leg. How long do you think it will last?


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## Kalandra (Aug 25, 2008)

What a tough situation you are in. Keep looking for a veterinarian. It would be a good idea to confirm there is nothing broken and that it is only a soft tissue injury.

I have had one that sprained her ankle and we basically just gave her some metacam for I think a week to help with inflammation/pain and pulled her wheel for a while to try to keep her activity levels down until she healed. She started to put pressure on hers after a few days of metacam, but it took a couple of weeks before the swelling came all the way down (if I remember right, its been a long time since this happened).

A very wonderful hedgehog owner once introduced me to arnica and I'm a fan. If he is tolerating you rubbing the oil into his ankle, I'd also keep up with the arnica treatments. I'd do the treatments twice a day and make a fresh batch of the oil daily.


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## alex_le_renar (Feb 21, 2011)

Kalandra thanks a lot!
You made me calm down a lot.
I make sure that my oil-arnica mixture is fresh, as I use the flaxseed oil capsules and just pop one open every time I want to massage his foot. He does not twist around when I rub his foot, it doesn't seem to bother him, so I hope nothing is broken. For sure I will keep looking for vets. One I called though asked me if they hibernate... so, I could not trust him much. Do you think I could get metacam from the petstore? Or from the vet? In the worst case, even if the vet has no idea about african hedgehogs, but he has metacam, I could get some.
Thanks again for responding!


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## Claire_B (Sep 24, 2011)

Hi!
I'm from the Netherlands too and have been told this: http://www.dierenkliniekhoofdstraat.nl/ ... renkliniek
is a good veterinary clinic. I know it's not close to where you live, but maybe you can ask for a consult over the phone? Ask for Frank Verstappen, he specializes in exotic pets and has experience dealing with hedgehogs.
I don't have any experience with him personally, cause I've just got my hedgehog and have never needed a vet yet. 
Good luck and hope your little guy feels better soon.


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## alex_le_renar (Feb 21, 2011)

Claire! A million thanks! I do not mind travelling if my little one is to get better 
I am so happy this forum exists!


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## alex_le_renar (Feb 21, 2011)

I just called the clinic and there is indeed a person who knows of hedgehogs, but he is only there Wednesdays 9-12 and they did not know any alternatives. I hope if I keep the massages my little one will be fine until then


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## Kalandra (Aug 25, 2008)

Metacam is a prescription drug. I know in some countries it goes by another name, if Metacam is unfamiliar ask about meloxicam.

A veterinarian that is unfamilar with a hedgehog may still be helpful. If they could examine the leg and x-ray it they may be able to see if there is a break in the bone or not. Prescribing medication will be where they won't be comfortable and would need a formulary. If they see other exotics, they may have a book that has hedgehog information in it.

I would just question any other information they provide, and cross-reference it with the forum to see if it seems accurate.

I also sent you a PM with information in case it helps.


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## Claire_B (Sep 24, 2011)

alex_le_renar said:


> I just called the clinic and there is indeed a person who knows of hedgehogs, but he is only there Wednesdays 9-12 and they did not know any alternatives. I hope if I keep the massages my little one will be fine until then


I didn't know that, that's an awful long time to wait, you must be really frustrated. Fingers crossed things will improve soon, you're doing everything you can for the moment. 
I searched some online for you and found another vet who (according to the site) has experience with hedgehogs: http://www.dzeh.nl/ located in Eindhoven, maybe he can help.


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## shawnwk1 (Jul 8, 2011)

can't really point ya in the right direction, but just wanted to say good luck i know how frustrating it can be feeling so helpless when they are ill or injured and you can't help them right away. sounds like you're doing all you can. hope your little one gets better soon.


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## alex_le_renar (Feb 21, 2011)

thank you all!
you are a great support group. Kalandra also PMed me with extra advice and I feel better now. I will update you all tomorrow on how he is doing.
Its so comforting to have your positive thoughts with us


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## alex_le_renar (Feb 21, 2011)

Hi, justa quick uptade: I mailed the clinic in Eidhoven yesterday and they replied today that it is good he is eating but there are a number of things that could cause a front leg problem. The good news is that they are open every day until 19:30 (I finish work at 17:00) and even though they are a two hours drive from Delft, I will make an apointment for Monday  I hope my little one will be fine. A general chack costs 32 euros but of course scans and medicine are added. Still I think 32 is a good price for a generall examination, is that right?


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## Kalandra (Aug 25, 2008)

Ah good you found someone sooner. If you were in the US, 32 euro would be a good price for a general exam. It is well worth the two hour drive to have the leg checked out to determine that it is really just a soft tissue and not something else going on. Hopefully they will be able to help him and get him healing faster.

How is his leg looking today? Same/no changes? You two are in my thoughts.


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## alex_le_renar (Feb 21, 2011)

we agreed with my boyfriend to take him on Monday  It is in the end 1.5 h trip and we will be together the three of us, so I want spend the whole trip worying. The vet has a very impressive bio and it is a clinic with 4 doctors, each one specializing on different things.
Our little one is still the same -eating normaly and looks like himself, in the sense that he doesn't show signs of pain- and I keep doing the massages.
In two days we will know. In the mean time I try not to spend to much time in the "Health" forum as I get tons of bad ideas about what could be wrong and it only makes me worse :/
Kalandra, thank you so much! And Clair, of course who did all the Dutch googling for me!


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## Claire_B (Sep 24, 2011)

Any news? How did it go at the vet's office?


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## alex_le_renar (Feb 21, 2011)

Hi Clair!
The vet is GREAT! I highly recommend him! Dr. Stijn Peters took care of Marquis De Sade. He gave him an antiinflammatory (gave him a shot there and gave us dosages for a week to put on his food). His leg was just sprained, nothing serious, and he was doing already much better with the massages. He examined his legs, ears, teeth, skin.. He did a fecal examination and he also checked him for lumps. He asked many details about food brand, wheel, temperature etc.. His weight is 355 grams now. He managed to embarrass us by peeing and pooing all over the place and having a huge ehm.. erection..  But he is absolutely healthy and that is what matters  The clinic is very well organized. I absolutely recomend them. They even took a photo of Marquis and put it on their facebook page  And they printed it and gave it to us as memorabilia  And all that just for 74 euros. The regular visit is 32 euros, the rest was the shot and the medication. Thank you for recommending them


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## Kalandra (Aug 25, 2008)

Now that is great news! Well not great that he has a sprain, but great that it is only a sprain and its already getting better! Hopefully it will return to normal quickly and he can get back to his usual hedgehog activities.


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## alex_le_renar (Feb 21, 2011)

the poor guy, he is missing his wheel so badly  But what's important right now is to make sure that he is completely well  I can hear him roam around his cage the whole night and he keeps playing with his two plastic cat balls (no wholes, solid ones  ) which he was snobbing so badly before the foot - no wheel combination. hehehe..


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