# Still Confused on what is wrong after Vet Visit!?



## rswancutt07 (Nov 27, 2011)

Hello Everyone,
I am feeling really terrible right now because I have no idea what is wrong with my Hedgehog Piney and I don't know what to do. Recently I began to notice that his paws looked like they had growths on the top of them (on 3 paws for sure). I thought I would try giving a foot bath and that it was possibly just some dried poop. But it has gotten progressively worse. He doesn't mind me touching them and the other night didn't mind my brushing them with a tooth brush and water -he also continues to run on the wheel all night and has always let me grab his feet and continues to do so. 

I took him to the vet today -of course it was during the time he should be asleep and was grumpy and for most part would not coo operate with the doctor -little stinker  . I did read on here that first visit you should take a stool sample -which I decided to do last minute -and it was a good thing because they wanted to test it. When the results were back I was not prepared -they told me that he had an intestinal parasite infection and gave me Bytril Injectable (to give by mouth, two times a day?) When I asked what he could have got this from, she said he probably came to me with it....I just wanted to know if I can change anything that would cause this but she didn't really have an answer. Then she thinks he has mites and it would cause his feet to be swollen, cracked with growths...not so sure about this (he is itching some but he is also only 3 months and has been quilling), so she prescribed revolution. The other thing she gave me I do not have a name for (clear solution) but she said to put it in warm water and have him walk around in it for 5 minutes to help with his feet swelling and cracking or whatever it is. She really just didn't seem certain about what was wrong with his feet and that is really my main concern because they really look terrible and I feel terrible about it!

Any ideas, thoughts, comments, suggestions would be so greatly appreciated. This has probably been one of my worst days as a hedgie owner because I feel terrible about all this but I am still uncertain as to how it all happened and how to prevent it from happening again! Hello Everyone,
I am feeling really terrible right now because I have no idea what is wrong with my Hedgehog Piney and I don't know what to do. Recently I began to notice that his paws looked like they had growths on the top of them (on 3 paws for sure). I thought I would try giving a foot bath and that it was possibly just some dried poop. But it has gotten progressively worse. He doesn't mind me touching them and the other night didn't mind my brushing them with a tooth brush and water -he also continues to run on the wheel all night and has always let me grab his feet and continues to do so. 

I took him to the vet today -of course it was during the time he should be asleep and was grumpy and for most part would not coo operate with the doctor -little stinker  . I did read on here that first visit you should take a stool sample -which I decided to do last minute -and it was a good thing because they wanted to test it. When the results were back I was not prepared -they told me that he had an intestinal parasite infection and gave me Bytril Injectable (to give by mouth, two times a day?) When I asked what he could have got this from, she said he probably came to me with it....I just wanted to know if I can change anything that would cause this but she didn't really have an answer. Then she thinks he has mites and it would cause his feet to be swollen, cracked with growths...not so sure about this (he is itching some but he is also only 3 months and has been quilling), so she prescribed revolution. The other thing she gave me I do not have a name for (clear solution) but she said to put it in warm water and have him walk around in it for 5 minutes to help with his feet swelling and cracking or whatever it is. She really just didn't seem certain about what was wrong with his feet and that is really my main concern because they really look terrible and I feel terrible about it!

Any ideas, thoughts, comments, suggestions would be so greatly appreciated. This has probably been one of my worst days as a hedgie owner because I feel terrible about all this but I am still uncertain as to how it all happened and how to prevent it from happening again!
P.S. Sorry for the long story!


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## Nancy (Aug 22, 2008)

I've never heard of mites causing bumps on feet. 

Do you have any pictures of his feet? It could be boney growths. My Quillson had them only on the bottom and sides of his feet. Running would cause sores on the growths and the sores would get poop which would become infected. He had to have a couple of toes removed because of the growths and infection.


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## rswancutt07 (Nov 27, 2011)

When I wake him up around 8:00pm I will take a few pictures and upload them ... They do look pretty bad (at least to me) so I want to warn people. The nails are also long but because of the growths/swelling I am having trouble separting the toes to get the nails and I feel so bad about the sores I don't want to go near until it heals up.

Otherwise those two medications are okay to give? Thank you!


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## ashh51191 (Dec 23, 2011)

what are these boney growths you're talking about? One of my hedgehogs has a swollen joint but its hard and she's been on anti-inflammatory & antibiotics twice now to no prevail. She's going back tomorrow for an x-ray but the vet also has no idea whats going on....I hope you find out whats going on with your little guy, good luck! Its not easy being in that situation....


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## rswancutt07 (Nov 27, 2011)

I just read your post and I also hope you find out what is going on with your babies! I want to apologize to everyone that the last two paragraphs of my post somehow doubled! Woops


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## nualasmom (Nov 13, 2011)

I'm sorry about your hedgie. I wish I could help more, but all I can say is that my Nuala had to go on Baytril for a UTI n I had to give the same amount as u for 2 weeks. Seemed to do the trick and she didn't seem to have any side effects from it. Nuala is a pretty social hedgie, so i was able to give the baytril with little problem id just hold her in one hand n Put the syringe on the side of her mouth n slide it along her mouth Until i coulf get it under her mouth N then gently push the plunger down to administer the med. I've also give her one dose of revolution when I first got her n that went fine.


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## moxieberry (Nov 30, 2011)

I have no idea whether this is anything close to what your hedgehog has, because I had no experience with it personally, but someone I know had a hedgehog (put to sleep maybe 6 months ago) that had papillomavirus. I never saw the hedgehog, so I can only go by her description, which is that it caused moles on his legs (and later tail and face). Again, I have no idea whether this could be similar to yours, but it's what your post made me think of, so I figured I'd mention it. I hope everything gets sorted out and he gets better soon!


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## rswancutt07 (Nov 27, 2011)

Here are a few pictures ... it was hard to really capture all of them and the quality isn't great. The bottom picture of the foot is the worst. We just gave him a foot bath with the solution the vet gave us and with a slight bush a big chunck of skin or a scabb came off.

The first picture is of the other hind foot that looks swollen and puffy ...I cound't get a picture of the front paws but they are also looking pretty bad, raw and pink and scabs. I have no idea what is going on.


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## Immortalia (Jan 24, 2009)

What kind of wheel are you using?
What sort of bedding are you using? If fleece, what detergent?

Also, when giving foot baths, have you tested the water with the inside of your wrist prior to placing him into the water? 
It's just that it has happened before, where an owner here had the water too hot, and it ended up buring her hedgie's feet. 
(Random idea, since it seems most, if not all feet are affected)

Did you give a foot bath prior to noticing his scabby feet? If so, did you use soap? If so, what kind?

Have you checked his belly? His quill skirt edges? Check between quills? (best to just stick him under a microscope to get a real good look at him ) You want to see if there are any other scabs along the rest of his body which you may have missed, since you are now so focussing on his feetsies. 

And don't feel horrible! You're doing the best that you can! You noticed something was wrong, so you took him to the vet, and THEN posted online about it after  It's a good thing. 

And it must be random unknown scab season :? *goes to stick her boy under a magnifying glass*


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## rswancutt07 (Nov 27, 2011)

Thanks for responding so quickly and being so understanding -it is so greatly appreciated. 

I have a comfort wheel (i think that is the name, but just ordered a wheel from Larry), and yes I use fleece liners but I use a scented detergent (because I forgot to pick up a non-scented one and was just wondering if this could be the case).

I use warm water that is definately not hot (not even close to the temp. I like when I shower :lol: ) I did give him a foot bath I think once prior and juse used water ... I gave him a bath with Aveeno Soothing relief creamy wast with oatmeal for baby. 

The only other scab I noticed just today and it was on his face (I guess I cannot be sure it is a scab and not dried feces - he just loves to mess himself and his wheel up. I really haven't seen anything between his quills. The only other thing is a think I see more of his pick skin where belly meets quills but I might just be paranoid since I am worried. 

I just want to figure out what it is so I can get him heeled and be sure that it is nothing in his environment that is going to continuely make him ill and give him sore feet. Again thanks everyone so much for the ideas, concerns, suggestions, etc...it is so helpful for me. (in the doctors office while waiting for the test to be run I was on this site on my phone searching for anything similar that I could suggest to the vet...it is so amazingly helpful!)


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## moxieberry (Nov 30, 2011)

rswancutt07 said:


> but I use a scented detergent (because I forgot to pick up a non-scented one and was just wondering if this could be the case).


Scented detergent can be irritating to their noses, which are very sensitive, but there is very very little chance that it has anything to do with the scabs/growths. The only way would be if it caused some bizarre allergy, but this doesn't sound like an allergy thing at all, so no worries.


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## Nancy (Aug 22, 2008)

It does kind of look like an allergy or a skin infection. First thing, try changing the laundry detergent or double rinsing his liners and adding some vinegar to the rinse water. Vinegar cuts any soap residue. Change liners daily. Usually if it is an allergic reaction or skin infection you will see spots other places as well. 

Until you get to the bottom of this, no more Aveeno. Although unlikely to cause a problem, eliminating it as a possibility is easy. 

What type of food is he on? Again, if this were an allergy to food, there should be spots other places as well.

I'd eliminate everything that could cause a topical allergy reaction and look him over closely for more spots.


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