# Traumatized?



## Churley (Mar 31, 2017)

Just got our second Hog. She's just old
Enough to be away from her mama. Stopped nursing and eating solids. So 5-6 weeks old. She sin a c&c cage with 6" coroplast sides. She managed to escape last night (night 2 here) I woke up because I heard my dog making noises. Dog and cat had her cornered but she had a basket and a piece of printer paper for cover. 

She has been super laid back since we met her several weeks ago. Only slightly quills her forehead out when someone sneezes or pronounces s's strongly. She loves to be held and snuggled. I held her for hours while she slept yesterday - she'd wake up happy and snuggle up under my chin and then back down to the blanket to sleep. Nothing like our last anti social hedgehog. 

I checked her over when I picked her up off the floor and she was unharmed and fine. I held her for a bit and her heart was pounding but she was still crawling on me and fine. I put her back in her cage and she ate and drank and tucked herself in to her pouch that we brought her home in. 

This morning I wanted to hold her and make sure she was ok. Knowing she had slept on me and hasn't been upset by being woke up to snuggle. Now she's scared of every noise and is puffin all around and quilling me even when I don't move at all. She has let me pet her and has crawled around but now it's just different. Even her exploring on me is different. She's on edge it seems. Super jumpy. If I pick in on her in the blanket on my lap she jumps and seems super scared. 

Do you think she's traumatized? Will she get over this? How can I help her? I want her back to her normal self ???. I'm so worried about her. 

I've attached photos of her cute self. Her name is Snoop Hog


----------



## ArizonaHazelnut (Nov 16, 2016)

How high off the floor is your C&C cage? If it wasn't on the ground, (and maybe even then since she's so little) it's possible your hedgehog could have internal injuries from falling, and needs to be taken to the vet. It could also be that your dog or cat hurt her before you found her, and you can't tell (once again, internal injuries). A change in behavior is usually a sign of illness or injury, and shouldn't be ignored. I would recommend a vet visit to be safe.

6" high coroplast walls are not enough, as you probably need to go 10-12 inches high. You also need a secure lid on your cage to prevent this in the future, especially since you now know you have a climber. I used additional wire panels to make a lid for my C&C, and have clips that hold it down so my hedgie cannot push it open if she were to get past the 11" coroplast walls.


----------



## Churley (Mar 31, 2017)

Thanks for replying! My cage is not on the ground it's slightly elevated but not much. I do have a secure lid on the top of the cage so that's good. She started to settle down after I made this post. She ate a lot and drank and tucked herself in. I'm going to give her a bit and see how she is after getting some rest. I'm calling around for a vet that will see her.


----------



## Churley (Mar 31, 2017)

I researched before I ordered my cage kit and everything I saw said 6" high was the typical and common height. This is the first time I've Had a c&c cage.  I was able to put something higher up to make the sides 11" tall or a little more.


----------



## Artemis-Ichiro (Jan 22, 2016)

Churley said:


> Thanks for replying! My cage is not on the ground it's slightly elevated but not much. I do have a secure lid on the top of the cage so that's good. She started to settle down after I made this post. She ate a lot and drank and tucked herself in. I'm going to give her a bit and see how she is after getting some rest. I'm calling around for a vet that will see her.


If you have a secure lid, how did she escape?


----------



## Churley (Mar 31, 2017)

My guess is she fit through one of the squares. I was asleep on the couch - cage is in same room. I have stuff pulled away from the edge but the ramp to the second floor is set because of how the cage needs to be put together. She could have managed to scale the side of the ramp and grab onto the cage and pull herself out. Again, speculation as I didn't see it. 

I feel like you're scolding me, I've had a hedgehog before and didn't have a climber. I read tons of blogs and threads on this page and watched a ton of videos on these types of cages. I looked at her and didn't think she would be able to fit through the square at all. I was sadly wrong on that. I appreciate your responses very much and have found two vets a half hour away but they aren't able to see us for a week - even after explaining what's going on and your thoughts on it.


----------



## Churley (Mar 31, 2017)

This is the cage I have. Though we have a ceramic heat lamp above it and have secured the lids down so kids plans animals can't mess with the lids

https://www.guineapigcagesstore.com/candc-cage-covered-deluxe-narrow-small


----------



## ArizonaHazelnut (Nov 16, 2016)

My guess is she did fit through the squares, since you mentioned having a lid...so making the smooth coroplast walls higher will definitely help with that. Is there any way to tie the ramp up and out of the way, so she can't use it to climb? 

I'm sorry to hear there's no vets that are willing to see you sooner. Maybe they can call you if they get a cancellation??? My vet does that for us. I still think it would be good to get her in somewhere, because of the change in behavior and potential for injury. I hope she gets back to her normal happy self soon!!


----------



## Aitorman (Mar 30, 2017)

She's so cute!

Maybe she's beginning the quilling process and that makes her a bit anti social... Check for quills on her cage.


----------



## Churley (Mar 31, 2017)

Aitorman said:


> She's so cute!
> 
> Maybe she's beginning the quilling process and that makes her a bit anti social... Check for quills on her cage.


Thanks! I did think that as well but I haven't seen any quills anywhere.  I was really hoping she's just scared


----------



## Churley (Mar 31, 2017)

ArizonaHazelnut said:


> My guess is she did fit through the squares, since you mentioned having a lid...so making the smooth coroplast walls higher will definitely help with that. Is there any way to tie the ramp up and out of the way, so she can't use it to climb?
> 
> I'm sorry to hear there's no vets that are willing to see you sooner. Maybe they can call you if they get a cancellation??? My vet does that for us. I still think it would be good to get her in somewhere, because of the change in behavior and potential for injury. I hope she gets back to her normal happy self soon!!


Yeah they would call if anyone cancels. I also asked what they could do as far as tests go, X-ray etc and if they found something what could be done to remedy it. They didn't sound hopefully that anything could be done at all if she has internal injuries. Just doing he tests to find out if it's the case or not. Didn't sound very promising for treatment if there are injuries.


----------



## Artemis-Ichiro (Jan 22, 2016)

Churley said:


> My guess is she fit through one of the squares. I was asleep on the couch - cage is in same room. I have stuff pulled away from the edge but the ramp to the second floor is set because of how the cage needs to be put together. She could have managed to scale the side of the ramp and grab onto the cage and pull herself out. Again, speculation as I didn't see it.
> 
> I feel like you're scolding me, I've had a hedgehog before and didn't have a climber. I read tons of blogs and threads on this page and watched a ton of videos on these types of cages. I looked at her and didn't think she would be able to fit through the square at all. I was sadly wrong on that. I appreciate your responses very much and have found two vets a half hour away but they aren't able to see us for a week - even after explaining what's going on and your thoughts on it.


Not trying to scold you just curious since with a properly placed lid they should not be able to escape, I have never heard of one fitting through the spaces of c&c cages.

And again, not scolding, but the ramp needs to be completely enclosed.


----------



## twobytwopets (Feb 2, 2014)

In addition to modifying the ramp, and extending the walls I would double check to make sure the lid is secure all around. I've had some serious escape artists. One in particular had to have the lid bungee corded down and a weight added to the top. He had skills.


----------



## Churley (Mar 31, 2017)

Artemis-Ichiro said:


> Churley said:
> 
> 
> > My guess is she fit through one of the squares. I was asleep on the couch - cage is in same room. I have stuff pulled away from the edge but the ramp to the second floor is set because of how the cage needs to be put together. She could have managed to scale the side of the ramp and grab onto the cage and pull herself out. Again, speculation as I didn't see it.
> ...


Thank you! What do you mean by the ramp needs to be completely enclosed? Like, I need to somehow put a top on the ramp that's inside the cage? What are your suggestions?


----------



## Churley (Mar 31, 2017)

twobytwopets said:


> In addition to modifying the ramp, and extending the walls I would double check to make sure the lid is secure all around. I've had some serious escape artists. One in particular had to have the lid bungee corded down and a weight added to the top. He had skills.


She seems to be not afraid of anything and I can see her being quite the escape artist as well. It is pretty secure. I can't tug on any spot and lift it up even a little bit. We have small children that I don't trust so we made sure to have it on lock down lol. I'll def keep that in mind! Thank you.


----------



## Artemis-Ichiro (Jan 22, 2016)

My c&c also has a loft and I put a plastic tunnel instead of a ramp. Let me find which one to give you the info


----------



## Artemis-Ichiro (Jan 22, 2016)

https://www.amazon.com/Ware-Manufacturing-Tunnels-Small-Inches/dp/B001LUH8YE

If the link doesn't work, its small plastic tunnel for pets and the brand is ware


----------



## Churley (Mar 31, 2017)

Artemis-Ichiro said:


> https://www.amazon.com/Ware-Manufacturing-Tunnels-Small-Inches/dp/B001LUH8YE
> 
> If the link doesn't work, its small plastic tunnel for pets and the brand is ware


Wow awesome! Thank you so very much for all your help. I was able to find one more vet not too far from me that can see us early in the week. She was able to tell me over the phone about what could and couldn't be done for testing and what she thought etc. she suggests to watch her a bit more since she's shown some improvement today from this morning. Said it could be very well that she's terrified and it will take her some time to calm back down. I have her number and can get in if I need to early next week.

I appreciate everyone that has helped me. ??


----------

