# Caring for an Older Hedgehog



## Jager (Apr 27, 2010)

Hi all, 

I haven't been around these forums for a while, but I used these and the old C&Q forums a lot when I first got my hedgehog. Well, now I'm back because I'm realizing that my little baby is getting older and I'm not sure if there is anything I can look out for/do for him as he gets older. 

Jager is about 5 and a half years old, still seems to be happy and awesome, but I have started seeing signs of his age. I started noticing him moving around a lot more slowly about 4 months ago. About a month ago, he has started to wobble a little on his back feet (not like WHS, just like he is too lazy to move the back legs unless he has to). He sits back on his haunches a lot and just generally carries himself a lot lower, like he's old and tired. He still eats his cat food and loves his treats, but just last night I noticed that he doesn't crunch with as much enthusiasm as before, and it was the first time he didn't play tug of war with me and his chicken cookie. He was taking delicate bites, not chomps. He still runs on his wheel (says the poop he leaves on it) and obviously, poops and pees. However, I also noticed that he has started to poop in and around his bed more (he used to NEVER do that. He makes a big fuss about being out of his hedgie bag before he poops) . For the last month, when I put him back in his cage, he walks to his igloo, walks in, and has a poop or pee. Again, this is really unusual for him, but I've read that older hedgies poop near their beds more. 

Anyhow, today I was clipping his nails and noticed that he's not really doing much with his back left foot (he twisted around to look at me and his foot was at an awkward angle) so I'm going to book a checkup with the vet anyhow, in case it's not just age, but I started reading the forums again to see if anyone had mentioned signs of an older hedgie or what is/is not normal. As far as I can tell, he just seems to be getting older, but any additional input/advice would be appreciated. I read that we should keep him warm, and I keep his room nice and toasty with a ceramic floor heater, so I think he's fine in that respect. 

Also, I was kind of wondering about timeline. For those of you who have seen your hedgehogs start to show their signs of age, how long did you have with them? Did they get bad enough that you felt you had to put them down at some point? He's not near that point (and hopefully won't ever be, I hope he's the rare immortal hedgie) but I've been worried about him being old since he turned 4 (hubby thinks I'm crazy, but understands) and now that he's 5.5 years old, I just have no idea. 

I have owned and lost several pets over the years (mostly small pets, no dogs or cats), but I have to say, I love Jager so much and I'm not sure how I'm going to deal with him passing. Having him show signs of age is really making it hit home with me that I might not have him forever. He's so little, so quiet, mostly he sits on my lap and does cute things that make me laugh, but he's the best pet I've ever had. 

Thanks for any input.


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## Kalandra (Aug 25, 2008)

This is a hard set of questions to answer. I've seen hedgehogs slow down as they got older. They do tend to start to sleep more and not want to exercise as much. When they start to show that they are having problems I often make changes to their cage to accommodate changes. Adding or moving food/water bowls so they are easier to get to, using shorter bowls so that the hedgehog doesn't have to stand to eat/drink, etc. 

I haven't had one which I had euthanized for being old though. If the hedgehog had arthritis I discussed management with doc to deal with it. 

One thought for you. Are you still using the same temperature setting as you always have? You may want to try to bump it up a few degrees to see if it helps any. Sometimes our oldies need a little extra warmth to get moving (kinda like we do!). Ask your vet about arthritis too.


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## Lilysmommy (Jan 7, 2009)

I'm kind of in the process of realizing the same thing...Lily's only 3.5 years old right now, but she's started slowing down as well, and having problems eating. It's definitely been a reminder that I can't have her forever...Still having a problem with that.  I agree with Kalandra's suggestion of bumping the temp up if you've had it the same temperature. I've definitely noticed Lily has needed it warmer and warmer as she's gotten older. I've also gotten her a heating pad for under her igloo since she was waking up with a cool belly, even with a cage temperature of 78-81 degrees. If you notice that he's eating less hard kibble, you could try offering some soft food to see if he'll eat that. Lily's stopped eating her kibble almost at all, and I give her a mix of baby food, wet cat food, and crushed kibble each night, which she eats pretty well.


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