# Disturbing behavior... Very Worried.



## Libby_n_Captian (Jan 5, 2011)

Captain Q-tip is my nearly two year old albino hedgehog. on Jan 4th I came home from work around 11 at night looked over at his cage (which is a glass aquarium) and saw blood smeared one the glass in two large spots (both spots were larger than he is) I freaked out and got him out of his cage. After looking him over thoroughly and cleaning him up i realized that the blood came from a very small cut on his nose. So i figured OK no biggie as long as it heals fine nothing to worry about. Still as i clean up his cage i tried to figure out how he cut his nose in the first place and came up with nothin... 
Jan 5th 4 am- I wake up to him moving around in his cage. I turn my bedside light on to check on him (because he had cut his nose normally i would have just gone back to sleep cause he is very active at night) he stopped what he was doing and ran into his hut. He had broken his nose open again and smeared blood on the glass in the same two spots. ??!!!? ok... clean it up, clean him up make sure its not bleeding any more and go back to sleep.
11 am- went to check on him and he had again smeared blood in the same two spots on his cage. at this point I'm freaking out. Why is he doing this? i cleaned him up and rearranged his cage hoping that by blocking the spots with his tunnel he maybe wouldn't do it again 
3 pm- Come home from errands and what do i find?? hes moved his tunnel enough so that he can do it again in the same two spots. 
5 pm- hes done it again. this is really really starting to bug me. So i left a light on all night so i could try and catch him doing it. when i turn the light on it startles him.. i was trying to be sneaky... instead... he didn't come out at all. no eating no drinking no playing... well at least he didn't smear blood on the walls...
I took him to the vet yesterday because when i woke up he seemed off... didn't eat or drink all night and he had a runny eyes and a runny nose... the vet gave him a shot of antibiotics and didn't really have much to say about the odd behavior I also got him a ceramic heat lamp so he would have more consistent head (i used a snuggle safe before). He was good all afternoon. he ate and i saw him drink so i was feeling pretty encouraged. last night though before i went to bed he had again bloodied his nose and smeared it in the same spots on the glass (it was a lot less blood though i think its getting harder for him to get the little cut open) so I draped towels all over the inside of his cage hoping to stop him. 
this morning he seems lethargic and again i didn't hear much movement over night and he doesn't look like he ate anything. 
I'm totally lost and I have no idea whats going on with him... please help  I'm feeling like a bad mom...


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## Nancy (Aug 22, 2008)

Has he always been in the aquarium? Among other problems with aquariums is, when animals are bored or stressed they will run their noses along the glass often to the point of making it bleed. It sounds like this may be what he is doing? 

I'm get him a wire cage. Does he have a wheel?


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## Libby_n_Captian (Jan 5, 2011)

He has always been in an aquarium but he hasn't always been with me... I got him from a friend about three months ago. He had a wheel when she had him and he didn't use it so she gave it to another one of her many pets. Any tips on encouraging him to use a wheel?
My only concern about putting him in a wire cage is I think id go back to having trouble keeping him warm... the house i live in is kept around sixty five and keepin him sung has been a challenge. I was using a heating pad under his tank but it turns off after about forty five min so I got him a snuggle safe... still didn't seem to be keeping him warm enough so like I said i recently got a ceramic "lightless" heating lamp which seems to be a nice constant score of warmth for him.
It makes me sad that hes THAT bored... hes out of his cage about two to three hours a day which is waaay more than his last home... the rest of his waking hours hes been an active "furniture" mover and seems to have a blast running through his tunnel, diggin in his bedding and pushing around his little tennis balls... 
Poor Captain Q-tip  Good news is hes been eating and seems better... the towels are stopping him from reopening his nose for now although i think its only a matter of time till he figures out he can get under them if he wants. Thank your for the advice! I was really feeling clueless so the guidance is MUCH appreciated


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## silvercat (Oct 24, 2008)

Take a look through the cage set up examples thread. A Ceramic Heat Emitter (which it sounds like you've bought) is a good way to heat a cage. It's important to get a thermostat to regulate the CHE & not overheat your hedgehog. With the proper set up, a CHE should keep a wire cage at the correct temperature. As for getting them to use a wheel, make sure it's not a wire wheel first as they are dangerous. If simply putting the wheel in the cage doesn't intise your hedgie to use it, you could try putting treats on the wheel.


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## nikki (Aug 28, 2008)

Do you know what kind and size of wheel he used to have? Its possible it was to small for him and that's why he didn't use it...Hedgehog wheels need to be 12-13 inches across, minimum. There are two "good" commercial wheels available, a flying saucer or a comfort wheel. The best wheel to get would be a Carolina Storm wheel but you'd have to order it directly from Larry T on the forum here.


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## Libby_n_Captian (Jan 5, 2011)

Wow! After looking at all the pictures of awesome house set ups Ive realized my aquarium set up is quite pathetic... my dad has agreed to help me build an awesome new home for him  (he also thinks he can build a wheel sooo ill let him try and when it doesn't work Ill get Q-tip a Carolina Storm wheel!!)
I'm betting the wheel he had before was like his tank now... too small... Ive been planning to get him one anyway because it seems EVERYONES hedgehog wheels so... as odd as Captain Q-tip is I doubt he wont be willing to give it a shot 
Does no one use shredded paper as bedding? I'm pretty sure fleece looks way nicer for him.. plus no more paper shreds floating around my room!
Ive been spending extra time with him and he seems to be doing a ton better but we are deff losing the tank and going bigger and better!
OH and I got a thermometer today. It will take the guesswork out of keeping him comfy.

Thank you everyone for your awesome advice! I cant wait to build Captains new house!


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## Libby_n_Captian (Jan 5, 2011)

Jus an update on the most fearsome pirate ever to roam Iowa, Captain Q-tip. Hes moved into his new C&C cage and while it is a work in progress he already has twice as much room and will get his wheel tomorrow. He seems pretty pleased and has gone back to moving furniture which he used to so all the time so Im guessing hes got a lil feng shui in him  
Thanks for all the advice and I will deff continue to use hedgehog central as a resource to giving Captain the best care. Ill be posting pics of his new quarters once they are all finished.
Thanks!!!!


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## susanaproenca (Aug 14, 2010)

Nice to hear the Captain got a new cage! Keep up the good work!


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## PJM (May 7, 2010)

So good to hear that he's doing better! Captain Q-tip is such a cute name! Although...it make me think of a hedgie burrowing into my ear. :shock: :lol: 
Glad you found us & can't wait to see your pictures!!


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## Hedgieonboard (Nov 15, 2009)

That is great news, I bet Captain Q loves his new home. Can't wait to see the pics, I love getting to see everyones creativity


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## Quilled1 (Dec 29, 2010)

PJM said:


> So good to hear that he's doing better! Captain Q-tip is such a cute name! Although...it make me think of a hedgie burrowing into my ear. :shock: :lol:


Did anyone _not_ read that and go "OWWWWWWWWW...." :lol:


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## Libby_n_Captian (Jan 5, 2011)

Haha I actually laughed! SEEEMS like something he might try and do lol. My friend is going to try and come over tonight so we can try and take some good pics of him cause i think hes a cute lil bugger


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