# Need some Validation.



## newfie_nurse (Apr 28, 2011)

Just wanted to check with the group that what I am doing with my new little Chloe is Ok. I have never owned a hedgehog and all the literature is confusing. She is 4.5 months I have had her almost 3 weeks.. 
*Cage:* Its 25-28 degrees celcius in her room at all times..40lx18wx22h super pet cage, fleece liners. Has plastic igloo, bucket wheel with litter pan, 2 fake plants, store bought beach rocks, Log dome tunnel,corner litter pan (with care fresh litter), 3 hard plastic cat toys/balls, stone reptile meal worm feeder. *Is it more imp to have room or hiding places and areas to forage??*.
*Diet* 50/50 blend of nutrience kitten growth and Nutrient Rich Hedgehog diet ultra blend 2-3tbs/day. 1-3 meal worms every few days, once a week 1tsp ground turkey or chicken, once a week wet cat food (meat formula). cannot seem to find extras she likes. I have mixed Baby food with the ground meat so she will eat it. She does like bananas, doesnt like eggs, I have tried canned crickets but once open they are only good for 24 hrs so its a waste.. *Any Suggestions about what else I can find or try? and should her diet be primarily the dry mix *
*Care* She doesnt like water, tried 3 foot baths (1towel 1inch warm water) she freaks out a bit,calms and immediately after has diarhea. Then her stool returns to normal. She has +++ dry skin and I would like to bath her to help it out. She doesnt like being hand handled, but uncurls quickly now and is content to curl in blanket or hedgie bag in my lap to sleep, she also likes cage play, i will roll her ball and then she will nose it around. *Any suggestions how to socialize her more* or help with baths? I think both of us are timid and need some practice..

*I love this site*  Any and all suggestions or critiques welcome!!!!!!


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## Judi (Jul 9, 2009)

About the bath, hedgehogs are like toddlers...they don't like it, but as a good mommy you know they need it. At least a foot bath.

Bathing doesn't help with dry skin, in fact bathing too often will dry out skin. Lots of people like to use flax seed oil to help their hedgie's dry skin. A drop of olive oil will work too. I usually use crisco on dry ears, because it works so quickly and well.

If she poops in the water, it will look like diarrhea but that's because hedgehog poop is very soft and starts to dissolve as soon as it hits the water.

My hedgies like strawberries, blueberries, and cheerios. They also have a real sweet tooth and are very enthusiastic about eating other sweetened cereal, like fruit loops, but I try to really limit that (to the times when my kids sneak them a piece :lol: ). Every hedgehog I've ever encountered was enthusiastic about eating turkey baby food, or regular cooked chicken breast. One of mine likes to eat a little cooked hamburger meat now and then, and none of the four will eat egg. You can feed them a little bit of soy yogurt too...they seem to like the peach flavor the best. I don't feed them canned cat food, because the kinds I can get at the grocery store don't seem very good for them, and I don't go to the pet store often (have too many pets, going to the pet store really adds up once I get something for everyone).


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## newfie_nurse (Apr 28, 2011)

*Thanks for the info.* I will try the berries for sure, she doesnt seem to like even the turkey baby food unless its mixed with ground meat. I am just trying to give her a wide selection to choose from so she can get everything she needs.

With the bath: She doesnt poop in it, its diarrhea after wards in the night.

*With the oils, do you just drop it on her skin? or do you add it when you bath your little ones? What a about oatmeal powder soaks are these good for dry skin?* I live in alberta canada, so its dry mountain air. Even my skin gets extremely dry so I can imagine how my lil hedgie feels


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## Puffers315 (Apr 19, 2010)

I'm not sure about the olive oil or crisco and application, but flack seed oil which many owners use (like myself) can be applied basically any method you said. You can pop open a few capsules and put it in her bath water, I'd have to double check but I do believe you can put the drops directly on their skin, and you can also put it on their food. Natural oatmeal in the water (either directly or soaked in a sock) does also help. Flack seed can also be used on the ears, just put some in a dish and use a cue-tip to apply.

If it was me, I'd probably give her a good bath with both the oatmeal and flack seed in the water, and then start putting flack seed on her food, make sure she'll eat it of course, many find it to be a treat.

The diarhea, if its happening only after she gets a bath, I'd say its just her being upset, since she really doesn't like it. But some things can't be helped.


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## Judi (Jul 9, 2009)

They usually put a couple drops of flaxseed oil on the back of the head, in the spikes, and then the oil will work its way down. I use a q-tip to put crisco on the ears, but only when they start to look crusty. My albinos get yellow crusty edges on their ears sometimes, looks like cradle cap, but comes off with a little oil. I don't use flax seed oil because I don't think it's got any more health benefits than any other oil when applied topically, and the food I feed my little herd already has flaxseed, so if they do need it, they're getting it that way. I'd rather use something with no scent on them when possible. 

You can do oatmeal baths too. If you want to save a little money, instead of buying Aveeno packets you can tie a handful of quick oats in a scrap of fabric and drop that in the bath water, then gently squeeze it a couple of times until you see the water get cloudy.


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