# aging hedgehog



## zeeuwr (May 19, 2013)

Ivan and I have been together now only 3 1/2 months, but in that time he has gone from a shy, scared, aggressive hog to one who enjoys time spent with us. He is believed to be just over 5 years old. In the last two weeks I have noticed some changes that concern me. First off he appears to have gone blind in one eye, he seems to eat less, sleep more, and not run as much. So the question is; is this all normal for an aging hedgie, or should I be worried there is more to it. When I say he is eating less, I mean he doesnt finish his cat food (mixed wet and dry) but he will eat all the mealworms I offer.
Also, I planned to replace his old bucket wheel with a new quieter one, should I not do this since he can't see well?

I look forward to hearing from all of you more experienced owners


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## Tom (Jul 21, 2013)

I would guess (I don't know for sure) that it's normal- especially since he's pretty old for a hedgie, and from what I've seen on the forum he's at the higher end of the average life span (but some life longer- just average)


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## Lilysmommy (Jan 7, 2009)

Yeah, sounds pretty normal for an old man. Hedgehogs have pretty bad eyesight anyway, so I wouldn't worry about the blindness. If he's still running, it's up to you about the wheel - he may continue to use it, but if you don't think he runs enough to warrant spending the money, no point in doing so. A couple things to think about - 

As far as sleeping more, just an obligatory check - do you have a lighting & heating set up for him? Older hedgehogs can have more temperature sensitivity, and sometimes they end up needing to be kept warmer than they used to be, or needing a heating pad underneath their bed to stay warm when they sleep. It's one of the rare times we do recommend heating pad use!

Also, if you're so inclined, you could do a vet visit with him and check with the vet about arthritis and treating it. A preventative treatment is giving glucosamine on his food (I used feline glucosamine from the pet store, just a pinch or two of powder on Lily's food), which might help a bit even now. I would guess arthritis might be a contributing factor to running less. The vet may be able to give you pain meds if he thinks it's necessary, which might keep Ivan more comfortable in his old age.

With the food, does the wet food dry up more quickly being mixed with the dry? Older hedgies can have a harder time eating dry/harder food, with a weaker jaw/teeth. You could try offering just some wet food on it's own and see if he's more inclined to eat that over the mixed. If he does, you could add a bit of water to the dry food to help make that a little softer as well, when mixed with the wet.

Just take each day with him as it goes by. He may have better days and worse days, but don't ignore it if he goes a couple days eating pretty badly, or suddenly stops wheeling all together a few nights in a row. Though he's old, they could still be warning signs of something going on. Sounds like he's pretty content in his new home, though, that's great he's settled in with you guys!


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## zeeuwr (May 19, 2013)

Thanks for the input. His room temp currently is about 80 I use a whole room heating for him it doesn't go below 75. As for the food it is crushed into powder mixed with wet food and water He only ate wet when he first arrived and he was a bit fat so I switched him to this mix to cut down some calories. 

One positive to report, he may be running more than I originally thought. My husband gets up for work at 3:30 am and he says he is running his heart out at that hour. So yay! I am grateful for any time I get with Ivan, but I wish we had found each other sooner. I am sure he is just the first of many hedgie to steal my heart.


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## Lilysmommy (Jan 7, 2009)

That's good news! If you want, a lot of people get a bike pedometer and rig it up to their wheel in order to track how much their hedgehog runs. I have no clue how to do it, but if you search the Accessories forum, there's at least a couple threads explaining how to set it up. I believe the pedometers are only $10-15 or so. That might give you some peace of mind, at least.


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## shetland (Sep 2, 2008)

I think it is so grand that you are giving a loving home to an elderly hedgie. You are wonderful!!!


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## zeeuwr (May 19, 2013)

I want to report I took your food advice Lillysmommy, and added more water yo the food. He gobbled it right up even after having a few worms. I actually made it pretty soupy so the dry food wouldnt make it too dry. Yay for normal food intake


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## Lilysmommy (Jan 7, 2009)

Yay!  Glad it helped!


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