# Not drinking water



## Dillyhog (Nov 16, 2011)

just noticed that my hedgehog is not drinking water and his poops are tiny (smaller than they used to be). It's been a couple of nights now. Any suggestions what should be done or how to encourage him to drink some H2O? I cranked up the heat in the house cause we are having a really cold weather, but that's just about it regarding changes.
Dilly is about 8 month old.
Thank you in advance


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## Immortalia (Jan 24, 2009)

What type of water are you using? Tap? Filtered? Bottled?
How are you giving water? Bowl? Bottle?
What food is he on?
Have you counted kibble to make sure he is also eating? If so, is it normal? More than usual? Less than usual?
Have you done a skin tent to see if he's dehydrated? (pinch a bit of his skin and pull outwards slightly, not too hard. If dehydrated, skin will take longer to "bounce back" to normal)

What is the temp exactly?
Do you have an extra lamp for supplemental "summer" lighting? -> 12-16 hours of "light"


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## Dillyhog (Nov 16, 2011)

I am using tap water (the same water as for my other hedgie and myself)
He is used to drinking from bowl- but the level of water every morning is the same as it was previous night.
I give him fresh water every evening before I go to bed.
He is not drinking during the day either (i monitor his cage regularly and he usually sleeps all day in his hideaway space).
He is on Innova cat food plus I give him sunflower seeds and dried cranberries and pumpkin seeds also I give him "Ultra bites Fruit and Veggie for Hedgehogs" 8 in 1 brand.
He is eating. I counted. But it is less than he used to. He tends to eat LOTS of sunflower seeds- usually none left in the morning. Also I give him rice and other fruit- sometimes he eats it sometimes he doesn't. He gets meal worms almost every night (my partner loves to spoil him)...but would it be too much?
I just did the skin test and it seems his quills and skin is going back a bit slower...though his quills are quite shiny and healthy looking.
I have noticed his pee is darker in colour and is more stickier than usual. Darker like not brown or anything just more yellow.
He is quite a small guy. He was like that from the beginning. 
The temperature in the house is at about 25-27 C.
And no, I don't have a supplemental light :-( what would you recommend?


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## nikki (Aug 28, 2008)

Some of what you're feeding isn't healthy for hedgies. They shouldn't have seed, like pumpking or sunflower, dried fruit isn't good for them either. Seeds are way to high in fat and can cause liver problems and dried fruits are to high in sugars and can get stuck in their mouth. The Ultra Bites contain raisins, which can cause renal failure so you shouldn't feed it either. The best food for him is high quality, low fat cat food with no corn or by-products. This could have something to do with with his small poops and him not drinking. Mealworms are great for him, especially if he's smaller.

It sounds like he's dehydrated, the skin bouncing back slower, more concentrated urine, which means you need to start syringe feeding him water. If he doesn't improve or gets worse by tomorrow he needs to see a vet.


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## Immortalia (Jan 24, 2009)

Personally, I would probably call the vet tomorrow morning. Because of the raisins in the treats you've been feeding, it would be best to take him to the vet. (Mind you, this is also coming from someone who recently last year dealt with renal failure, so I'm just extra paranoid now... but...better safe than sorry, especially since there is a higher risk right now). But, as Nikki said, if there are no improvements, or if he gets worse, take him to the vet asap.

On the light side note... Most people just use normal desk lamps, or any light really. Most just prefer desklamps cause they can be plugged into a timer, and then the wall socket. This way, the light will turn on/off whether you are there or not. Especially since winter is coming, it means shorter daylight, which can trigger hibernation attempts. I have my timers set to turn on at 8am and off at 9pm. That way, there always be 12-14 hours of light, rain or shine.


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## Dillyhog (Nov 16, 2011)

Dilly never eats raisins. He tends to leave those alone. The cranberries I feed him (he tried it and ddin't really finish) only because I have read that they are good for them. So many opinions on those extra treats for hedgies I am kinda lost.
I will try to force some water in him tonight .
So what kinda extra treats or food would you recommend since he is on a smaller side? He's always been smaller than my other hedgie. I just want to "bulk" him up a bit.
I tried to give him cheese- he really likes it. Also cantaloupe and watermelon are among his favorites 
About the lamp- thank you for the advice!


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## Lilysmommy (Jan 7, 2009)

Be careful with cheese, hedgies are lactose intolerant, like most animals. The best treats for them are insects, such as crickets and mealworms. Is he skinny-small? Or just small-small? He may just have a smaller frame than your other hedgie, so try to judge his weight on whether it looks healthy for his body size or not. If he does need to put on more weight, or at least keep what he's got, mealworms would be a good treat, as well as waxworms if he'll eat them. You can also offer pieces of cooked chicken or turkey (plain cooked, no spices or flavorings added). Look around in the nutrition section, there's lots of threads about different treats that are okay for hedgies.


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## Dillyhog (Nov 16, 2011)

Oh, thank you. Yeah Dilly fancies meal worms and king warms. He is indifferent about crickets:-(

I counted kibbles this morning- through the night he ate 5 out of 40:-( and didn't touch the water. But he was running all night on his wheel. I put some egg white down for him he seemed not to be interested in it.
Allin all he had about 13 meal worms yesterday during the day (between me and my partner).

Should I start doing something about this situation? I am worried sick now.


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## Christemo (Oct 5, 2011)

I would syringe feed him water.
I would also think about a trip to the vet soon. With those other foods, I would do it just in case.


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## Immortalia (Jan 24, 2009)

Personally, I would start syringing water AND food(with the lack of eating too now, FLD can develop), and then call the vet first thing in the morning and make an appointment asap. They are so little that any small ailment needs to be delt with quickly. 

Also, are they live mealworms? Exoskeleton is hard to digest as it is(sometimes if you feed too many, you can see undigested exoskeletons in the poop) which is why people say to increase the number of live mealworms slowly. And you should never feed freeze dried as more than the occasional treat as their exoskeletons really can't be digested easily. Is he used to being fed a larger number of mealworms? I wonder if a slight impaction can be the cause of the minimal eating and drinking as well.

Most people here average about 5 live mealies per night. Unless the hedgie needs a higher fat diet, then they have slowly increased the number.


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## Dillyhog (Nov 16, 2011)

mealworms are live. never dry frozen. he eats those no problem but he doesn't want to eat anything else. I tried to give him his fav. cantaloupe- nope! nothing!
I forced some water in him this morning. But that's it. He slept all day -never came out to eat or poo or pee. Tried cantaloupe again- nothing again.

I have our vet appointment tomorrow morning.
I wonder if I should remove wheel so he won't exhaust himself. The amount of pee is smaller today than yesterday. (well , no intake of water)
My partner said she fed him 5 worms without me watching or knowing...so all in all he had 15 yesterday.
I am lost and worried. He is acting normal- loving and all- maybe a bit groggy than usual.


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## nikki (Aug 28, 2008)

You need to syringe him water every few hours and food too. You can grind up the cat food and mix it with water to syringe feed him


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## Dillyhog (Nov 16, 2011)

I took Dilly to the vet. She said he was very dehydrated and lost some weight. So they injected some liquid into him (water I assume)...tomorrow we have an appointment for x-ray and blood work.
He didn't pee last night and produced two small very stiff poops full of mealworms exoskeletons (that's the only thing he ate).
He also had 3 or 4 tiny nibbles on honeydew.
At the vet I tried to gave him one piece of cat treat (medi cal)- he munched that no problem but he refused to have another one.
The doctor thinks it might be due to the change of diet (I gradually took him off hedgehog diet 8 in 1 brand) and switched him to Innova for cats. He was kinda iffy about it. But he ate it.
Yesterday I bought Chicken Soup for cat lovers for indoor cats and blue buffalo for indoor cats and also wet food (chicken soup for cat lovers...). He didn't touch the wet food, but he nibbled on ONE piece of dry food.
Doctor sent me home with Clini Care liquid food for canine/feline. It is liquid almost cream-like. I managed to squeeze 4 ml of that into him as well as our vet managed to inject 2 ml of liquid into him.
Fingers crossed for my little Dilly. Poor boy :-(


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## Immortalia (Jan 24, 2009)

Awww  praying he gets better soon!

Just remember to keep force feeding him round the clock. 
The general rule of thumb for handfeeding babies is 1ml every hr, 2ml every 2 hrs, 5ml every 5 hrs etc etc. 
I would assume it to be the same for a sick hedgie as well. So since you managed 4ml of food, feed him again in 4 hours. 

Was she able to feel his abdomen and bladder? Did she say if it was empty, bloated, hard? Soft?


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## Dillyhog (Nov 16, 2011)

just managed to get 4 ml of critical care for felines into him (mixed with water). He didn't want to take it in but he did at the end(with my forces...I hate to force him doing anything- but right now it is critical to do so). Poor little guy is so brave and so good at all that he has to go through. But now he doesn't want to do anything with me. He bit the paper tissue instead of my finger he is so good. He never bit me or hissed or rolled into a ball- right from a hoglet stage.

Anyways, our doctor felt his abdomen and stomach- she said it was soft and empty. He also was listening to his breathing with stethoscope and she said he sounded normal.
Tomorrow while he is under the gas  they will check his teeth,do x rays, etc...oh my God it scares me so much he has to go through this. It sounds horrible.
Did any of you had to go through procedures when they use gas? Sounds scary to me. My poor little boy.


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## StellaWithaBow (Dec 18, 2009)

Hi there! I'm not sure how Dilly did on the anesthesia but I thought I may try to reassure you. My Stella just had a leg amputation and the vet did a wonderful job with the anesthesia, she came right to just after her xrays then when she went under for surgery he said she did really well coming back out. 
Some hedgies, depending on age can have adverse reactions- but even my girl who's thought to be around 4 now came through with flying colors. Have you had much luck with the little guy since this post?


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## Dillyhog (Nov 16, 2011)

Hi: we are going in this morning...for the tests to be done
I cooked some chicken and rice, so Dilly had all of that! Not even a small piece left-usually he doesn't fancy rice. And it seems like he had 3-4 kibbles as well. 
I also got him some spring filtered water. He didn't touch it. Again.
So he is eating, but not drinking at all! I am lost.

He used his wheel last night and usually it is all poopy by morning- but this morning it was clean. 
So I don't know if it is worth do do all this gasing or just wait a bit...though not drinking water for the 5th night it is kinda scary thought.


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## Hissy-Fit-Hazel (Jul 15, 2011)

Make sure you tell your vet he ate...most of the time they request fasting before gassing animals (I have no idea in hedgies cause I've not had to do that yet)


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## Immortalia (Jan 24, 2009)

How'd the vet visit go? Any improvement?


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## Dillyhog (Nov 16, 2011)

well Dilly ate 5 kibbles and a tablespoon of chicken and i have been force feeding him rehydration for babies and critical care for felines wet food. He is looking a bit better with some water in him. 
Last night it looked like he drank about 10 ml of water mixed with rehydration for babies and ate some honeydew (about teaspoon) and about 7 kibbles so the vet said that she would give him till Monday. Cause to do the tests he needs to be gassed so she said it would be even more stress for his body. So I am forcing food and water into him constantly and he is eating his mealworms and he had a tinsy bit like two pieces of cottage cheese the previous night.
He is looking bit better but still not producing any poop. I guess cause his body was so starved and dehydrated. I am still worried though.
Why all that happened and Was it an attempt to hibernate?
I am comparing two of my hedgies and Vanya(the bigger boy) had maybe 50 ml of water at night so I am thinking we might be progressing slowly (hopefully). Vanya has been pooping the right amount and eats well as well.
I made sure that the temperatures are stable at night and day.
So I hope Dilly will improve till Monday. I am praying for his recovery.


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## Dillyhog (Nov 16, 2011)

I have been checking Dilly's water and it seems that he is making attempts to drink during the night. It looks like he had about 10 ml last night and the night before. Also he is improving on his eating. He is actually showing interest in food during the day even. Last night his poop was light green with a tint of blue in it? I have posted a new post in hopes that someone might have an answer or had similar situation. Haven't got any replies yet though.
I just hope that he is getting better and poop is just a signal that his system is trying to work.
I am a new hog owner and I am still learning. And I would do anything for my Dilly to get better.
Tomorrow is Monday and I am supposed to let our vet know if we need to do tests (also means that we have to gas him- that thought scares me)...so hopefully green poop is a sign of a good kind...though the colour is kinda odd...I don't know what to think.


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## Hissy-Fit-Hazel (Jul 15, 2011)

I dunno what blue could be....hope someone experienced comes along to help you! I'm glad to read he is drinking/eating and showing interest, those are good signs so try to stay positive. 

The vet didn't give him any sort of digestible type dye right? Or colour never seeped into the poop (from a coloured paper towel, new fabric or ANYTHING?) Just brainstorming... could he have eaten something blue that caused all this in the first place???? 

If nobody comes along soon with a solid experienced opinion perhaps you could call the after hrs vet phone and speak with them? They will usually have the vet call you back no charge and give you some advice or at min let you know if it's an issue that needs immediate attention.


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## Hissy-Fit-Hazel (Jul 15, 2011)

I just read your other post about the jello...I dunno but that doesn't sound like a good idea. Maybe contributes to current issue?


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## Dillyhog (Nov 16, 2011)

oh the jello thing was with other hedgie and he is fine- very healthy lad. He didn't get much just a microscopic amount- he was more interested in the smell.
dilly is the one who is sick with a strange coloured poop. but we are getting there! He is eating more and more with each day and his poop seems to "grow" bigger- that makes me so happy. 
He is running all night as well.
I did some reading the other night on HHc about their feedings and food- I have read that lactose can make their poop weird colour. and I remember that the night before that green poop happened i gave him some cottage cheese because he was soo hungry and he let me know. He was hungry at 6 pm. and usually he sleeps during this time- so I had cottage cheese handy and he loves it- so I gave it to him. Hense the green poop I think. I am still not sure about the blue tint to it.
But the amount of water he drinks really makes me wonder. It seems he can only drink 10 ml a night.
I force feed him water and critical care during the day. all in all it is about 20 ml a day.
I just have to keep in mind that he is a smaller hedgie- and my vet said it might be normal amount of water. I just remember him drinking more before.
also it seems like he is eating more with the temperature stable in his cage now- at about 73-76 night-day.
I think with my persistence and Dill's cooperation we are breaking through slowly but surely.
He also seems a bit heavier now. 
No the vet didn't give him anything with colour- we are working with two vets and both of them are excellent and very natural health oriented.
So maybe it was a combination of Care fresh and green poop? Maybe there was something in Care fresh? hmmmm!


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