# Is my hedgie sick?



## rexi10 (Jan 17, 2012)

Rexi has been staying in her igloo or in her pineapple house a lot and she also hasnt been wheeling. The only time she gets up at night is to eat and go to the bathroom and then back to bed. I gave her a bath earlier to see if her legs were ok and they seemed fine her nails werent to ling does anyone know whats up? 
Thanks!


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## sonichedghehogbreyer (Jul 23, 2013)

How old is he or she? When my hedgehog, Sonic was elderly, he did not use his wheel much.


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## rexi10 (Jan 17, 2012)

Almost 2 year she turns 2 in november


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## rexi10 (Jan 17, 2012)

I should also add shes a little chubby too but she just doesnt seem like herself.


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## sonichedghehogbreyer (Jul 23, 2013)

Maybe have a vet see her? I don't really know what to tell you. I am sorry.


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## Stellara (Nov 12, 2011)

Is she eating as much as usual? And is her cage temp the same as it was? What about lighting schedule?
When you have her out of cage is she still active and acting normal?


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## rexi10 (Jan 17, 2012)

She seems to be eating normal and the temp is fine i dont know if shes drinking its hard to tell. She always sleeps when i take her out sometimes shell wander then just sleep on my lap. Try to keep everything kind if on a schedule but its hard durring the summer so once school starts up again shell be on a real schedule.


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## Lilysmommy (Jan 7, 2009)

What kind of wheel does she have? Is it possible she could've had a bad experience on it - nail caught, slid out while running, or that the wheel is running funny (wobbly or something like that)?

Also, have there been any changes in the room where her cage is recently? Are there any lights at night, like night lights, street lights, even moonlight? Some hedgehogs won't run unless they have absolute dark. 

Does she lethargic, or just doesn't seem to want to run?


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## rexi10 (Jan 17, 2012)

My room hasnt moved around at all and its always really been the same light in my room always dark my curtain is never really open just durring the day and she has a carolina storm wheel. Like Sonichedgehogbreyer said is she just elderly? Is 2 years considered elderly?


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## rexi10 (Jan 17, 2012)

Shes really chubby so maybe she just doesn't feel like being active anymore and if she doesnt run shell never lose weight. Even when i take her out shes not active she just sits most of the time some days if im lucky shell get up and walk around bite a pillow or something and then come back and sleep on my lap


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## Lilysmommy (Jan 7, 2009)

2 years isn't quite elderly...more middle-aged, I'd say. What kind of food is she on? She may need lower fat in her diet if she's going to become less active now, to keep her from gaining too much. You can try encouraging activity other ways - one thing you might try is finding some low fat treats that she likes (frozen-thawed crickets, maybe a veggie, small bits of lean meat, etc.) and hiding them around her cage to encourage activity. Moving her food and water further from her bed makes her walk more for that as well. Is she a fan of water? If so, you could try swimming as a good form of exercise, but if she panics in water like most hedgies, don't force it.


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## rexi10 (Jan 17, 2012)

Hey guys thanks for your answers but rexi wheeled last night but she still doesnt seem like herself i guess ill just wait and see what happens and if she needs to go to the vet.


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## rexi10 (Jan 17, 2012)

I feed her frozen crikets every once in a while because shes just a tad over weight but she gets fed Spikes Ultra. And she LOVES swimming! So ill defintily try that.


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## Lilysmommy (Jan 7, 2009)

Definitely keep an eye on her.  If anything else changes or she continues to seem "off", a vet visit wouldn't be a bad idea at all.


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## rexi10 (Jan 17, 2012)

I do have a great vet but he always has to put her to sleep so i dont like taking her there but i will definitly try to get her to exersise thanks guys!


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## Annie&Tibbers (Apr 16, 2013)

Did I read correctly that she currently eats Spikes Ultra? Generally, hedgehog foods are pretty low in nutrition & high in fillers, so you could try slowly transitioning her over to high-quality lower-fat catfood (any of the older-cat, indoor, or diet ones on the dry food list) as a way of pairing diet changes with exercise to lose weight. You've probably read the warnings before, but when possible it's better to make any food changes slowly and gradually so you can reduce the risk of upset-tummies.


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## rexi10 (Jan 17, 2012)

I asked my vet a while back and he said the hedgehog food is better then the cat foods. He recomended i still use the Spikes Ultra food.


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