# Frequent nose licking?



## lilythehedgie (Sep 20, 2012)

Hi everyone, 

I hope I'm not being very overwhelming with my questions, but i just want to make sure my hedgie is okay. Anyway, onto the question. 

Recently, I noticed Lily has been licking her nose a lot. It usually starts when I take her out of her cage. She will lick her nose about four or five times, and then she will stop and maybe lick it once or twice during the rest of the time I have her out if it is longer than 30 minutes. I know frequent nose licking is a possible sign of a URI and just want to make sure she is okay. I'm hoping it might just be from her being taken out and reacting to the air and just being woken up, but I want to make sure. She hasn't been sneezing or anything else, so I might be overreacting, but I wanted to get some more opinions. Thanks!


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## hedgielover (Oct 30, 2008)

It's hard to know for sure. All hedgehogs lick their noses a little, what's normal and what's a symptom depends on the individual hedgehog. What you describe sounds like what is normal for some hedgehogs (some hedgehogs do lick their noses more right when they wake up) but since you're saying it's a new behaviour it could be a problem. A vet visit is always a good idea when you are in doubt. Right now it's not obviously a problem so it's really about your gut instinct. For now you should at least keep an eye on her and make sure it doesn't get worse. Listen to her breathing and make sure it sounds normal, watch to see if she starts sneezing or if you see bubbles coming from her nose, those would all be further signs that she has a URI and then for sure you would need to see a vet. 

Also think about anything that may have changed recently, did you take her out earlier than normal on the days when you noticed the nose licking? Is she drinking and eating, did you give her a bath or did she get water in her nose from her dish? Is it warmer or colder or more/less humid in your home recently?


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## lilythehedgie (Sep 20, 2012)

So it turns out that she is fine :lol: I don't notice this but when I went to get her out she had upset her water bowl and had stuck her nose in it so she was licking it to get the water off. She is breathing fine and I have seen no other signs of a URI so I will keep watching over the next few days but I think I just over reacted. (She has always licked her nose when she was woken up, she was just doing it a lot which is what concerned me.) Thank you for your advice hedgielover!


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## hedgielover (Oct 30, 2008)

lol, yup nose dunks in the water bowl would do it. Glad you figured it out.


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## icedteawithslushies (May 24, 2019)

so im new to the hedgehog community and i just need to know the basics like signs of sickness she also has diarrhea and that concerns me we did just buy her and switched her to cat food would that be what is making her sick?


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## Aj.t (Jan 29, 2019)

Yes, a sudden change of the diet they are used to can cause stomach upset, resulting in diarrhea and possibly loss of energy/appetite. If you still have the food she was previously eating, keep offering that for her and slowly add the new food and reduce the old (over a period of a week or two should be fine). For any future questions please post a new thread as this is a 7 year old thread.


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## addie7 (May 25, 2019)

Oh no, Tiny licks her nose A LOT! Is she sick, I just got her a week ago, and I don't think that I could handle another hedgie loss. Hufflepuff died in November a week after his 7th B-day


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## nikki (Aug 28, 2008)

This thread is 7 years old. Please post your question on a new thread.


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## addie7 (May 25, 2019)

Sorry


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