# Hedgehog suddenly seems panicked and confused.



## Guest (Dec 6, 2013)

Hello, I'm new here and the website won't let me register, so sorry for the anonymity. My 3-year-old hedgehog, Pygmy (actually named after the cactus genus Pygmaeocereus, not the fact that she is an African Pygmy Hedgehog, believe it or not!) has recently started exhibiting some bizarre behaviors. She seems restless and disoriented, and last night she was actually walking backwards in what seemed to be a kind of panicked state. When I put her on the floor she actually tried to bolt away faster than I'd ever seen her run before. She doesn't appear to be able to get comfortable and I frequently see her circling her cage or stirring uncomfortably beneath her blanket.

The only thing I can think of that happened right before this is that I gave her some cocoa butter + vitamin E from the pharmacy for her tattered ears, so I thought maybe she was tripping on some of the added chemicals, but it seems to be lasting too long for that. I feel really terrible for Pygmy. I checked her out thoroughly and gave her a bath but I couldn't find anything physically wrong with her other than the broken tooth which has been there for about a year. She is eating and drinking, thankfully, but I would really like to see her calm--she doesn't seem to be able to sleep at all. I plan to take her to the vet on Monday, but I would like to know what you guys think, too. Is there anything I can do?


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## mdelu (Aug 14, 2013)

there sense of smell is much more attune than ours....it could be that...did she annoint?? did u call ur vet to see if there is an emergency # in case she gets worse?


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## abbys (Oct 13, 2012)

Have there been any changes to her environment lately? Loud noises, strong smells (aside from the ointment), new people, change in temperature, etc?


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## Annie&Tibbers (Apr 16, 2013)

Any chance someone is using a supersonic anti-rodent device nearby, or one of those fenceless-dog sonic devices? Older TV or CRT computer monitor, anything that could be emitting some sort of buzz you're not hearing?

How about weird smells -- burning a new incense, using an air freshener, bug spray, household cleaner, anything that could smell strongly to her tiny-yet-superpowered nose? Or pollen from a new plant brought in to avoid the winter cold, anything?

For the cocoa-butter+vitamin-E: does it have any other ingredients in it? If you put a bit on your finger and offer it to her, does she respond in any way? (Obsessive sniffing, tries to anoint, runs from it, or totally indifferent?)


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