# Swimming hedgehogs?



## HedgehogsAnonymous

Has anyone seen this video on youtube? 




it's a hedgie swimming in a bath, upside down etc...is this safe? It's very cute, I just haven't read much on them swimming so I was curious.

Thanks!


----------



## Ophelia

Lots of people have said they know the hedgehog and that he enjoys it.


----------



## leosowner

from what i heard its ok. just babysit them if they have trouble help. i assume that everyone here thinks that is common sense. i have read that hedgehog can good swimmers because if they have to be in wild, in case they fall into water. 

i totally agree with you, its totally cute.


----------



## hedgielover

Some hedgehogs will enjoy water and swimming but it is sort of rare. If you want to see if your hedgehog likes water start with a small amount of water in the bathtub. Make sure that the shallow end of the tub barely has any water so that your hedgehog can get away from the water if he/she wants. If the hedgehog wades into the deeper end and seems comfortable you can add a bit more water (and so on, I would do this over a few days). During any swimming sessions make sure that there is something there for your hedgehog to climb onto to get out of the water. Swimming cannot be done that often because it dries their skin. Once or twice a month is basically the limit for an adult. Like with a baby never leave your hedgehog alone in the water and as with a bath let them fully dry off snuggled with you to stay warm before you put them back in the cage.


----------



## pooka dotted

To me when I saw this video I didn't like what I saw because there was too much water and obsticals in the bath for my liking. It seemed like after she turned the hog upsidown he wanted to give up on trying to swim to a shallow part. One of his eyes is submerged under the water when he is upsidown. To me that wouldn't be comfortable. he also looks a tad overweight...


----------



## abrowndog

The first time I saw that video I thought it was adorable. The more I watched it, the more disgusted I got, though. That hedgie looks HUGELY obese. Maybe it's just the way he looks in the water, but if he isn't flat out FAT, my Priss is undernourished.

During most of the video, both of his eyes are submerged. Look closely and you will see it. At times, his whole face appears to be submerged. This seems to go on for an excruciatingly long time, too.

I really hope I am misguided here, but that looks like animal abuse to me.


----------



## Ophelia

There's been a thread on this already.

viewtopic.php?f=18&t=8125&p=68928&hilit=swimming+hedgehog#p68928

Like I said, he likes it.


----------



## precious5525

Your post made me curious about hedgehogs swimming and I tested it out on mine. I left the water at the end of the tub to where there toes can touch but toward the front they had enough space to swim. I have three hedgehogs and they all swam just fine but only one seemed to really enjoy it and she is my curious one she just floated around and swam in circles. I know she liked it because she didnt try to climb out of the tub. I had them each in their for only a few minutes at a time and all seemed happy and cuddly when they got out.


----------



## hercsmom

There is another thread. As Nancy states there, this hedgie likes to swim, but it is very rare. Most hedgehogs do not like the water or swimming.


----------



## hedgielover

abrowndog said:


> That hedgie looks HUGELY obese.


He does look big, the reason for his size is mentioned in the post that Ophelia linked to. However I would like to say that swimming has been recommended as exercise for hedgehogs that are obese. Assuming they enjoy swimming. Seeing an overweight hedgehog does not automatically mean that there is abuse or neglect happening.

I share your concerns about the head going under water. I think I would have my hand in helping a lot more but I don't think that I would go as far as saying that it is abusive that his owner is not helping him.


----------



## mtnwmn

Shocktop loves to swim, and is completely comfortable in the water. She doesn't go upside down. 

What concerns me is how critical and judgemental people on this forum can be. I have nothing to do with this particular hedgehog, but I feel uncomfortable posting videos of my hedgehog (and pictures) if it will be received with such judgement and hostility.


----------



## lmg_319

mtnwmn said:


> What concerns me is how critical and judgemental people on this forum can be. I have nothing to do with this particular hedgehog, but I feel uncomfortable posting videos of my hedgehog (and pictures) if it will be received with such judgement and hostility.


I totally agree.


----------



## abrowndog

Forgive me if I seem judgmental or hostile -- this was NOT my intention. I was simply stating my opinion as asked in the OP. I never condemned this owner, I simply gave my impressions of this video. I don't know the back story and I didn't read the comments about the video. 

I can only speak from the little I know and what I've learned here about hedgies. I was certainly not trying to offend anyone here and I am sorry if I did. 

I will refrain from commenting about such things again.


----------



## mtnwmn

Abrowndog, I have enjoyed all of my other interactions with you. That post was not only in reaction to what you said.


----------



## abrowndog

Thank you. I don't want you to feel uncomfortable posting your pictures or videos here because of me.

As I stated in my first post in this thread, I hope I am wrong in my opinion of that video but for some reason it just feels wrong for me. I am no expert, though, and I am sure the other voices that expressed their opinions here are much more accurate than mine.


----------



## HedgehogsAnonymous

I just figured I'd ask, while it looks really cute, I can't help but worrying about things like water getting in their ears (if that's safe or not) and then letting them float on their backs.

My Rum loves water and turns into a completely different hedgie when we go into the bathroom but I don't know if this is something I would try (we don't have a tub anyways). 

Just figured I'd see what the other opinions out there are


----------



## MoonbeamHH

I didn't like the video myself either, being upside down for so long with his eyes open. I would keep my hands near my hedgehog, Snowball. Snowball HATES baths, but if she sees my arm or hands she would come toward me and cling onto me til I finish her bath. She swims around for a bit then she wants to get out. So I agree with most of you on that video.


----------



## Nancy

As I have said before, what bothers me about the video is that many people would see it and think their hedgehog would like water and would do that too. While there are some hedgehogs that enjoy the water, the majority don't and some are terrified. I've had some that their little hearts beat so fast and just about pound out of their chest and their eyes bug out. 

While many people are intelligent and have common sense, as we all know, there are many others that would fill a tub with water and dump hedgie in. It is this type of person that the video worries me. 

I know that particular hedgehog loves the water but if people don't read about him as many don't, they would just blindly try it with any hedgehog. 

Yes, there is a concern about water in the ears. It can cause an ear infection and like humans, some hedgehogs would be more prone to getting an ear infection from the water than others. Obviously, it could not have been a concern with Schming.


----------



## Mary

Shming has passed away. I really do not think his owner would like to see this thread. I have complete respect for his owner. The owner explains a lot in the description box. I picked the most important stuff. Read the whole thing on the YouTube video. 

RIP Shming 



Shming the African hedgehog plays, swims, and floats. HE is 3 years, 7 months, and 11 days old in this video. YES, HE CAN REACH THE BOTTOM. If he'd had difficulty for a split-second longer at 0:33 one of us would have helped him up and, in fact, was about to do so. He was in no danger.

DO NOT try this with an inexperienced swimmer. Shming is an excellent swimmer, but you could drown one if you don't know EXACTLY what you're doing! Even the best swimmer should NEVER, EVER be left alone! 

If you allow a hedgehog to swim, please monitor the condition of the ears to make certain no infection develops.

Please do not make rude comments about his weight, as the circumstances have already been explained. He is on a prescription diet, which can not be changed.

Hedgehogcentral.com is a very good place to start.


----------



## ChristinaP

Mary said:


> Shming has passed away. I really do not think his owner would like to see this thread. I have complete respect for his owner. The owner explains a lot in the description box. I picked the most important stuff. Read the whole thing on the YouTube video.
> 
> RIP Shming
> 
> Shming the African hedgehog plays, swims, and floats. HE is 3 years, 7 months, and 11 days old in this video. YES, HE CAN REACH THE BOTTOM. If he'd had difficulty for a split-second longer at 0:33 one of us would have helped him up and, in fact, was about to do so. He was in no danger.
> 
> DO NOT try this with an inexperienced swimmer. Shming is an excellent swimmer, but you could drown one if you don't know EXACTLY what you're doing! Even the best swimmer should NEVER, EVER be left alone!
> 
> If you allow a hedgehog to swim, please monitor the condition of the ears to make certain no infection develops.
> 
> Please do not make rude comments about his weight, as the circumstances have already been explained. He is on a prescription diet, which can not be changed.
> 
> Hedgehogcentral.com is a very good place to start.


Yes, unfortunately there seem to be many functionally illiterate people on YouTube.
These things have been addressed repeatedly:
His diet was NOT OPTIONAL
He could reach the bottom
He could and did climb onto the paving stone when he wished to do so
He intentionally, as did many others, put his eyes below the surface, even in water that was so shallow they had to squat to do it
There were almost always at least two people to supervise him very closely (as in a few inches away) - that you cannot see the hands that are close by does not indicate that they are absent

As a matter of interest, Shming's mom is a member of the International Hedgehog Association (IHA) and the Hedgehog Welfare Society (HWS) and is an approved rescuer of domestic African hedgehogs.


----------



## Nancy

Mary and Christina, you are both absolutely right. Schming's owner is a wonderful person and I'm sure she would be upset to read continual negativity about her video. 

That is my whole point too. The reasons there are negative postings about it is because people ARE NOT reading about Schming to know why he is overweight and about his love of swimming. People get angry about it because they don't know and haven't read Schming's history. The same people who get angry about it and feel it is wrong, are people who are not going to go ahead and force their hedgehog to swim. My concern is all the others who also haven't read about Schming and will just go ahead and dump their hedgehog into water expecting him/her to love the water like Schming did. 

I think in a way, it is good that people continually find fault with the video because it opens it up for discussion and then we can correct any false ideas impressions people get. Yes, they are only getting false impressions because they aren't reading about Schming, but the fact is, people make judgments all the time without reading the facts.


----------



## ChristinaP

Good point, Nancy.  Even if some people are too lazy to read the facts or do research on their own, their negative responses could, as you said, open matters up to discussion and help set the record straight for many others.


----------



## ChristinaP

Nancy said:


> ...people make judgments all the time without reading the facts.


Well said.


----------



## abrowndog

I do not consider myself lazy. I am a full time wife, mother of two, educator of children with special needs and I volunteer several hours per week at shelters for both animals and abused women.

Obviously I was incorrect in my assumption about this particular animal, as I had hoped to be. Slinging insults at those of us who care enough to be outraged at our perceived treatment of a species we adore makes the person doing so no better than those they are insulting.

I will not continue in this thread as I love this board and do not wish to feel uncomfortable here nor do I wish to make others feel that way. If I had the ability to delete my comments, I would, not for my sake but for the sake of others' feelings. 

Was I wrong for my perceptions? Obviously so. Was I wrong for my initial discomfort and outrage at what I thought I saw? I don't think so. This board is here to give and get advice as well as state opinions and learn. I did exactly that and if I am going to continue to be bashed for it, so be it. I'm a big girl.


----------



## Nancy

abrowndog, nobody is centering you out. Many many people have gotten the wrong impression about that video and I think everyone is speaking people in general, I know I was. You are far from being the only one who didn't read about the video. I rarely read about the videos I watch and could probably count on one hand the number of ones I have read. 

You had good initial impressions of the video. Okay, so you didn't read about it but you are in the majority of people who don't. No big deal. It's straightened out, you brought the video out again for people to comment on and yes, correct initial outrages, but sometimes, as in this case, it's a good thing.


----------



## abrowndog

I don't read the comments on most youtube videos because I feel as if I lose IQ points every time I do.


----------

