# Stopped Wheeling- Overreacting or Cause for Concern?



## Waffles (Dec 26, 2011)

I've had my hedgehog 2.5 weeks and when I brought her home, everything was awesome- she adapted really well. She never even had any green stress poops, etc. After a few days when I made sure she was eating and drinking, I introduced her wheel. It's a Carolina Storm from Larry T. She was using it every night, etc. and loved it. Well, she hasn't wheeled since Friday 1/21. I know this because I cleaned the wheel on Saturday morning and it hasn't been used at all. 

She's eating and pooping, so I know she isn't constipated, and she did JUST get done quilling. I did give her a bath in case she was constipated, but she just pooped in the water (yay). She's been sleeping through the night (boo). Last night I even woke her back up before I went to bed, and placed her outside of her igloo in attempt to prompt her to explore the cage, etc. She just went right back to bed. The cage temp is 77 degrees, so I know she isn't cold. Also, I do have cats but they don't bother with her and she was wheeling in the past with no issues. Last, I even covered her cage last night with fleece to give her more privacy just in case the cats were the issue. 

I guess I assumed that she would likely wheel every night. Does anyone else have a hog who sporadically wheels or has stopped wheeling all together? Or maybe quilling has left her tender skin sore, leaving her no desire to wheel and irritate it more? 

I just don't know if I'm overreacting and this is normal behavior- or if i should be concerned. Any input at all would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!


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## moxieberry (Nov 30, 2011)

You can never really be sure whether the wheel isn't being used, unless you have an odometer set up to record how much your hedgehog runs on it every night. Poop on the wheel is a pretty obvious indication that it's being used, but if there's no poop there, that doesn't automatically mean your hedgehog isn't using it. It could be an indication that it's being used less, or just that she happens to not be on it when she does her business. 

My boy, Archimedes, is getting to be a bit wheel-crazy after being kind of inconsistent in the beginning, but he was still a baby (brought home at just over 6 weeks) and mostly liked sleeping for the first week or two. We don't have an odometer set up yet, but I know he uses the wheel a lot because I'll see him on it at various times during the night. He's the kind of hedgehog that kind of runs in spurts, which may be because he's still small and the momentum of the wheel gets away from him - this is what it seems like while watching him. He'll frequently pause on the wheel for a few seconds and then resume, or get off and take a few steps (poke his head in his dig box, or go behind the wheel, or nibble a piece of kibble) and then go back. The result is that sometimes there's little to no poop evidence on the wheel in the morning, even when I saw him wheeling quite a bit - I assume because he does it during the moments while he's taking a short break. I've also noticed that the amount of poop on the wheel (and his cage in general) varies depending on the amount of time he spent with me and my boyfriend the evening before - and whether he spends that time sleeping or exploring, etc. (exploring/playtime being when he'll poop more when he's out of the cage with us).

If there are no changes in her appetite or general activity level (no lethargy, etc.) or any other physical signs that something is wrong, then it's most likely nothing to worry about. Also, since she's still fairly young, if not exactly a baby anymore, there might just be days (nights) when she still just prefers to spend more of her time sleeping.


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## Waffles (Dec 26, 2011)

What would I do without you, Moxieberry? Haha thanks so much. I was making my determination by the absence of potty on the wheel. I'll keep an eye on her for other symptoms but hopefully the constant sleeping is just because she's 11 weeks old and isn't lethargy.


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## LarryT (May 12, 2009)

Is there any light in the room? Make sure the wheel is spinning freely and check her nails they could need a trim.  Hope it's not a health issue, fingers crossed.


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## Waffles (Dec 26, 2011)

Hi Larry,
There is indirect natural light in the room in addition to an overhead light. Think I should put a lamp next to her cage during the day instead of relying on the dimmer overhead light?

Also, her nails do need clipped but she is not in ANY way cooperating with a nail clipping. The wheel is spinning freely, she'd just missing from it. Hmm.. maybe it is the nails..
It's 11pm and I just put her back in her cage from a cuddle session... and she just went right back to bed. Bah.


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## hanhan27 (May 12, 2011)

It's easy to brush it off as a "oh, my hedgehog is silly and inconsistent" thing, but don't be quick to do that... 

A few months ago my hedgie stopped wheeling for 3 days which was not like her as she loves to run. I figured it was just a fluke, she had been more tired than normal lately, she was wheeling but I just didn't see any poop, etc., but on the 4th night when I took her out for cuddle time, I happened to see that one of the nails on one of her back feet was extremely long, to the point where it was causing her toes to splay out awkwardly when she was standing. It was so bad that the skin between that toe and the one next to it was an open sore from being pulled so far apart. I somehow missed that nail during nail clipping 2 weeks before, so that nail had a good 4-5 weeks of growing before I finally saw it. I cut it for her and that night she was wheeling again.

Do a close inspection of tiny footies and the wheel.  I put a softball on my hedgie's wheel once every few weeks or so and spin it to make sure it is sturdy, but I'm a way paranoid hedgie mama and have nightmares about her bucket wheel breaking and landing on her and hurting her. :roll: :lol:


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## LarryT (May 12, 2009)

Sorry my wording was not good, happens so much lol! I meant is there any lights of any kind on at night that could be keeping her from coming out?


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## Waffles (Dec 26, 2011)

Oh no worries Larry! Nope, at night, after cuddle time and she's put back into her home, it's pitch black. No distracting lights at all. Day four came and went and no evidence of wheeling. I covered the cage again last night and got up a couple times in the middle of the night to try to sneak a peek. Nothing. She was sleeping each time. I'm pretty sure she slept through the night again.

I'm going to have to take another look at her toenails. I'm just at a loss as to how i'm going to successfully cut any nails. Mishka is not tolerating me whatsoever yet, and tweaked the last time I tried to cut a nail. All in all, I'll do a thorough toe inspection and will post the results in a bit 
Thanks so much for the help!


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## LarryT (May 12, 2009)

If she's not coming out any at night it could be a lot more serious than a toenail, lets hope not.  Maybe one of the mods will see the thread and give some helpful advice, I don't like to give advice on health stuff, if something bad happened to a hog cause of something I said I would just die.


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## Kalandra (Aug 25, 2008)

Its really hard to say what is going on with your little one. I had one recently who is a wheeling manic who I noticed was not wheeling as much. I measure distance. She went from 5 miles to 4, to 2 to under 1. The first 3 nights, she ate well, drank well, pooped and seemed ok. The under 1 mile night... no poop, but yet she ate everything I gave her. I finally got her to poop for me, and she's been going consistently for me again and is also back up to 5 miles a night. I still have no idea exactly why it happened. There was only one change before it happened... instead of a snuggle bag, I gave her a cuddle cup in her cage. She doesn't use either item. But I have added the bag back just because...

As long as he is eating well, his weight is gaining (he is a baby right?), poop is normal and there is enough of it... I would keep looking for another cause. Like is there a radio on that wasn't before, have you rearranged anything his cage, added something new, removed something, is the wheel tilted slightly different than before, did you use something different to clean the wheel, a night light at the end of a hallway that wasn't there or was moved... etc. Look at everything in his life for up to a couple of days before the inactivity to see if there is any change. Oh and that list... yes its from personal experience. I have had a hedgehog who stopped wheeling because of each of those reasons. They can be really picky sometimes about even the slightest change.


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## Waffles (Dec 26, 2011)

Kalandra, you bring up some really good points. I did clean her wheel with a different soap than before. I'll wash it again in case that's it. Other than that- nothing has changed in or around her cage except that it might be warmer. It really may be her nails.. maybe they're too long and it hurts to run. They are long (esp the inside toes), but not so long that they curl. They do need cut regardless. I managed to clip only 3 nails last night, but apparently that didn't help because it doesn't appear that she wheeled or pooped yesterday. I'm inquiring with my local pet store (family owned) to see if anyone there would be comfortable enough to trim some nails for me. Mishka barely noticed (other than biting the clippers) but my pulse and anxiety were through the ROOF. 

Out of curiosity, where does one buy an odometer?


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## LarryT (May 12, 2009)

Here's the one a lot of us use, I got mine at Walmart.  
http://www.amazon.com/Schwinn-SW654-6PK ... =8-1-spell

This thread will help you ste it up  
viewtopic.php?f=20&t=4844&st=0&sk=t&sd=a&start=80


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## Kalandra (Aug 25, 2008)

Get the other nails clipped, and then give it a night. I have had some that when one or two nails were too long they wouldn't use their wheels as much. I also had one who every time I trimmed her nail she wouldn't use her wheel for a night or two out of protest (or so it seemed).


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## Waffles (Dec 26, 2011)

Guess who wheeled last night?!

Well, I trimmed what nails I could (i've only gotten 6 total), removed a kleenex dig box that I had in her cage (Which was new), and re-washed her wheel with plain ole' blue dawn dish soap. Friday night she pooped and peed on the wheel, but it wasn't trampled so she at least sat on the wheel. However, last night she was full-blown wheeling. I have to say I've never been so relieved to see smashed up poop before, haha. 

All in all, I think it was a combination of things. Although she wasn't using the dig box to play in (she pooped in it), I think that was a big culprit for some reason. Maybe she was focusing on the box instead of the wheel? Also, I know I need to get her nails clipped in full, but I think maybe the few I did get to helped her. Last, the wheel was originally washed with scented cherry blossom soap. Maybe she didn't care for the smell.

Thanks everyone for all the advice and tips. I'm still figuring out the nail clipping situation, and plan on getting an odometer (thanks Larry!).


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## hanhan27 (May 12, 2011)

Yay! I'm so happy she's wheeling again! Our quilled friends can be so picky. :lol:


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## LarryT (May 12, 2009)

Glad she's wheeling again!  The odometer is so cool esp the first few weeks.


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## Kalandra (Aug 25, 2008)

Yippee! These little ones can be super sensitive sometimes.


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