# please help (important!)



## kenzurs (Jul 12, 2011)

So, I've had my hedgehog for almost 5 months now. His name is Spyro. He's VERY adventurous but during the day if you take him out, he will constantly be trying to escape from you so he can go back to sleep. I haven't been giving him much attention this past november (maybe playing with him 30mins - 2hours a week) and this week I haven't played with him since Tuesday. i didn't notice anything wrong until now. i went in the room his cage is in and he was outside of his home. he usually scurries off within the first minute of me being in the same room, but he didn't. he stood at his door and looked up. I figured he wanted something, so i noticed he didn't have any water left. i got him more water. he let me give it to him (he doesn't even let me feed him) and noticed he wasn't opening his eyes all the way. i checked them and there didn't seem to be anything in them or near them. I also noticed his dandruff came back (nothing too serious, once i give him an oatmeal bath it will go away, i checked him and he didn't seem to have any mites) and i noticed he lost weight and felt lighter. He also was not as squirmish as he usually is, though he was still trying to move around. he didn't go into a ball when i tried to pick him up, and it usually takes a while to pick him up because he does this, but as I said he didn't, and I picked him up effortlessly. I checked his food and there seemed to be the same amount from last night. which is weird that he even had food last night, because i gave him food tuesday night, and he usually devours all his food in a night or two. I held him for about twenty to thirty minutes and put him up about ten minutes ago. ever since i put him up, he has STILL been drinking his water. Which is very strange, because the light is on in here and and I am in here and my dog is in here. I don't know what's wrong.. please help me. I'd do anything for the little guy if it meant he's okay. 
Also, sorry if there are typing errors or i didn't make myself clear. I am very nervous right now and shaky.


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## nikki (Aug 28, 2008)

Do you know how long he's been without water? was the dish completely dry? It sounds like he could be trying to hibernate, what's the temperature in his cage? do you have a heating setup? Fresh food needs to be given every day, not left in the cage for a couple days. If he hasn't eaten since tuesday you need to start syringe feeding him right now. Tuesday was three days ago. Has he been running on his wheel? He really needs to see a vet as soon as possible.


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## kenzurs (Jul 12, 2011)

I'm not exactly sure on that. He poops in the same area so there is no way of really telling if he's been on it or not. He's never really been a runner on his wheel, maybe a few times a week IF THAT, but he moves around in his cage quite often. I am planning on getting him a more efficient wheel for christmas (this will be his third wheel) because I am almost positive it's just the wheel. I know he had water last night, so he must've ran out this morning. The dish was completely dry.. and he ate on tuesday night I know because the dish was knocked over (he can't get over the dish so he knocks it over) The temperature in his cage has been a bit lower than normal, maybe 69 degrees fahrenheit. I do not have a heating setup but the room he is in stays fairly warm, but I am going to get one first thing tomorrow. I could definitely see hibernation being a possiblility as it is finally starting to be regularly cold. I am also taking him to a vet tomorrow.


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## Christemo (Oct 5, 2011)

It sounds to be a combination of dehydration and hibernation.


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## kenzurs (Jul 12, 2011)

Thank you all so much, by the way. I don't know anyone who owns a hedgehog or has had any experience so this website is the only place I knew I could go.


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## kenzurs (Jul 12, 2011)

Also - he is eating. I just saw him. the main thing I am worried about is his eyes, they are still not opening. And I am slightly worried about his dandruff, but I'm sure an oatmeal bath or two will get rid of it.


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## Immortalia (Jan 24, 2009)

Just don't give him a bath right now. The combination of trying to hibernate, then bath, then being in a cold room will probably trigger a full out hibernation. Do you have any form of heat? Even a space heater? Can you turn up the temperature of the house for the night until you get a heat setup? 69F is much too cold, most hedgehogs need around 75F, some higher, some lower. 

So he knocked his dish over Tuesday night, and you just left it? And he hasn't gone over and eaten after? As Niki said, you need to start syringe feeding him and force feeding him. It's been too long without food. Take him out of the cage, put on a sweater and stick him under the sweater, against your body. See if that makes any improvement to his lethargy. Once he seems to wake up a bit, if you have canned food, syringe him that, if not, crush up his kibble and let soak in warm water until soft. Syringe feed him that.


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## kenzurs (Jul 12, 2011)

No, I have this section in his cage that is lower than the rest that I put the dish in. When I discovered he knocked it over, I cleaned up what spilled and set it back where it was (and put new food in) He still knocks it over. as I said he the dish is kind of big and sometimes he accidentally knocks it over. He didn't do the syringe feeding but I gave him a brand new bowl of food and he ate it. I'm definitely not going to give him a bath now, or even this weekend probably. Yes, we have a heater that I put by his cage and I put him in the room with the fireplace. He is now at a cozy 75 - 78 degrees (not sure. might be a bit higher) when I looked at him i put him in my sweatpants I had just worn and still had my body heat on them. He was in there for about thirty minutes and when i put him back in his cage he still felt a little cold, but mostly on his stomach and feet he was warm. Right now he is sleeping in his warm house. (I made sure it was warm)


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## tracie (Jun 16, 2010)

If he's drinking and peeing a lot, it could possibly be something wrong with his kidneys. If he doesn't start getting better soon, bring him to a vet.


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## Hedgieonboard (Nov 15, 2009)

Is he doing any better, wanted to check in on the little guy.


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## kenzurs (Jul 12, 2011)

He is doing tons and tons better, thanks for caring. 
He is eating normally now, and I got him a heating lamp and he is all snug. He is just as active as he was before, I took him out of his cage and he couldn't wait to explore.
The one thing that hasn't gotten any better is his eyes, they still aren't opening all the way and they almost seem puffy.
I unfortunately can't get him to a vet until wednesday.
I want to give him an oatmeal bath for his dandruff but I don't want it to interfere with his eyes until I figure out what's wrong with them.


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## kenzurs (Jul 12, 2011)

So I finally took him to the vet and he has mites..
poor thing! I didn't think that's what was wrong. Just thought you guys would want to know.


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## Lilysmommy (Jan 7, 2009)

Thanks for letting us know!  Mites can be quite nasty, poor lil guy. But the nice thing is at least the treatment for them is pretty simple. What did the vet give you to treat the mites?


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## shetland (Sep 2, 2008)

Thank you for the update.


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## kenzurs (Jul 12, 2011)

He got a shot for it and he goes back next week and the week after, he also told me I need to clean his cage out every single day for when the eggs fall off of him and into the bedding. I got him a new cage and everything and he's loving it!


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