# Hedgehog eye looks like it exploded!



## crobbins2009 (Apr 20, 2014)

Hey Everyone.

I feel like I only come here when I have an emergency, and I always get good advice.

So I ended up with this hedgehog a few weeks ago because someone didn't want her anymore. After I got her, I noticed that one of her eyes stuck out much further from her head than the other. The issue kept getting worse. I took her to my vet (who has been great with my other hedgehog) who thought that there might be an infection behind the eye causing it to protrude from her skull. Her suggestions were it could be an infection or a tumor. No tumor was visible however.

She was given antibiotics (which she finished yesterday), and tonight I just went downstairs to get her out, feed her, and take a look at her. I think her eye has exploded, and there is blood all over the place. She is just running on her wheel like it's an everyday thing, and I'm sort of freaking out.

I've called every vet in the area, and so far no response. Any suggestions on what I should do? I asked the other vet if she could do surgery to remove the eye, and she told me that she only knew one vet that would attempt it. I talked to him and was advised (he's a board certified pet optometrist) that there was no gaurentee she would make it if he attempted the surgery, and that it would cost me thousands of dollars. I have a lofty emergency fund for my pets, but I'm not sure that I have thousands for a surgery that may not work.

Has anyone every heard of this happening? Any suggestions? Should I have her put to sleep? I really don't want to, but I'm sick to my stomach thinking about her suffering. 

I am thinking that the people who I got her from might have noticed that something wasn't right, and decided they didn't want to deal with it :/


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## nikki (Aug 28, 2008)

She may have scratched it out if it was bothering her. I would take her back to the vet to make sure it doesn't get infected. They should be able to either stitch the eye closed or it can be left to heal up on its own. Many hedgehogs do great with only one eye. 

Unfortunately it could be a tumour behind the eye that caused it to bulge. I'd have them check her mouth and if they don't find anything else then I would just keep an eye on her to see if any tumour shows up.


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## crobbins2009 (Apr 20, 2014)

nikki said:


> She may have scratched it out if it was bothering her. I would take her back to the vet to make sure it doesn't get infected. They should be able to either stitch the eye closed or it can be left to heal up on its own. Many hedgehogs do great with only one eye.
> 
> Unfortunately it could be a tumour behind the eye that caused it to bulge. I'd have them check her mouth and if they don't find anything else then I would just keep an eye on her to see if any tumour shows up.


Thank you for the info I am STILL waiting on my vet to call me back. Apparently she wasn't in office today so she had to be paged, so I sort of get the delay, but I'm getting a little frustrated. I take my dogs and my hedgehogs to different vets, so if I don't hear anything back by end of business day today, I'm going to see if my dog vet will take a look. He's told me before he isn't an expert in exotics, but he'll be happy to apply any knowledge that he has. I know a lot of the times you'll get better advice on hedgehogs from retired and/or active breeders than you will a vet.

I just REALLY don't want her to suffer, and I REALLY don't want someone to have me put her to sleep if that isn't needed. For some reason I'm afraid the vet is going to suggest putting her to sleep, but after I read that a lot of hedgehogs do this and survive, that's not what I'm wanting at all.

I asked the vet tech that I've talked to a few times if we can get antibiotics and pain meds for her until it heals, but the tech said she'd probably want to look at her. I'm find with this, but I hate moving her back and forth to and from the vet when she's already stressed enough. Plus -- it costs every vet visit. I'm totally fine paying for the visits if they fix her, but it's a little frustrating when the outcome is usually what I suggest. I am hoping her eye can heal on its own, then I can take her and have her put out so they can take a look in her mouth.

I should've known what I was getting into taking in a rescue :/ The little gal is so sweet though that I just couldn't resist.


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## Kalandra (Aug 25, 2008)

Depending on how badly its wounded, I'm wondering if it won't need a cleaning. Honestly, my opinion, is that any good small animal vet should be able to look at it and help determine what needs to be done, that is if you cannot get your exotic vet to look at it anytime soon. The biggest risks when using non-familiar vets is medication dosage and anesthesia. If he has access to the resources to learn, then he may be a good vet to use for her too for emergencies.

If a vet recommends euthanasia, you have the right to say no and get a second opinion. If she dug out the eye because there is a tumor growing behind it, then euthanasia may be the best option as those types of tumors are often deep in the head and causing pressure already. However, if a quill poked her and it irritated her and she dug it out, seems silly to PTS when she may just need a good cleaning of the socket and time to heal.


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## crobbins2009 (Apr 20, 2014)

Just to update in case it can help someone in the future.

Her eye did explode. The vet put her on pain medication and antibiotics to see how it would heal on its own, and it looks great. There is still a hole where the old eye was, but it is healing. Every since the other eye came out she has been acting much better running on the wheel and eating tons, so i honestly think that it was probably best that it came out, and she knew. The only thing that I'm worried about now is that when she is done on her antibiotics it may not be healed all the way opening the door for another infection. hopefully this doesn't happen, but if it does I have the vet on speed dial 

Of course a picture is attached. I'm trying really hard to keep her wheel clean thinking that it may aid to an infection if the dirty wheel has a chance, but we all know how hard that can be !


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## Prue (Feb 20, 2016)

I'm so glad to hear everything was resolved! She looks great, and it sounds like you made all the right choices!


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