# Gloves



## hedgie love (Aug 28, 2008)

I know that we don’t like vets to use gloves on our hedgehogs. I was wondering if there was any specific reason for this. I may have heard it once but I can’t remember.


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## Nancy (Aug 22, 2008)

Because they don't get your scent off of gloves. Smelling you helps them become familiar with their owners. If the quills are a problem, a small hedgie safe cloth is preferable for picking up and then you can transfer to bare hands.


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## hedgie love (Aug 28, 2008)

I get it. Would that be important with a vet though? I'm curious because my vet uses gloves despite the fact that he does hedgehogs quite frequently.


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## jabment (Nov 14, 2008)

Vets using gloves to handle a hedgehog isn't good because it can scare the hedgie. Imagine huge leather things coming at you, scooping you up and poking at you. This makes the hedgehog scared of the vet which can be a problem for future visits. They can get stressed out easier when they go and be uncooperative with the vet.


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## hedgie love (Aug 28, 2008)

I understand, now I just need to figure out a polite way to tell the vet to not use gloves. (They seem to think they know everything about hedgies even if they don't :lol


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## Lilysmommy (Jan 7, 2009)

Maybe you could say something along the lines of "I was wondering if you could handle him with his blanket instead of the gloves. They seem to make him nervous, and I think he might cooperate better if he's handled with his blanket, since it smells like him." If you talk just about your hedgehog, it may sound more like a concerned owner who just knows their pet, rather than sounding like you're trying to lecture the vet about hedgehog handling.


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## soprano (Sep 10, 2008)

I want my pet's vet to wear gloves the same way that I want my doctor and dentist to wear gloves. If I don't see new gloves coming out of the box, then I want to see them wash their hands. If exposure to bodily fluids is expected, I expect them to wear gloves for their own protection and the protection of their other patients.

I figure that the vet has to deal with a large number of animals every day. Not all of those animals are friendly. Not all are potty trained. Some of them are sick or in pain. Almost all of them have teeth and can bite. I am of the opinion that gloves are only prudent.


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## mommyofmany (Aug 7, 2009)

soprano said:


> I want my pet's vet to wear gloves the same way that I want my doctor and dentist to wear gloves. If I don't see new gloves coming out of the box, then I want to see them wash their hands. If exposure to bodily fluids is expected, I expect them to wear gloves for their own protection and the protection of their other patients.
> 
> I figure that the vet has to deal with a large number of animals every day. Not all of those animals are friendly. Not all are potty trained. Some of them are sick or in pain. Almost all of them have teeth and can bite. I am of the opinion that gloves are only prudent.


I don't think they're referring to to rubber gloves, but rather to thick, leather gloves to protect them from the hedgie's quills.


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