# HELP!



## SpectralSolid (Feb 26, 2009)

OMG OMG OMG 
I jus got my first Hedgehog and Im Freakingg!... Shes got a runny nose and shes sniffing around stuff really loud But i dunno if its normal bc my room is really cold right now so i dunno if they can get a cold or anything tho. I dunno The place i got her from they had her in some cedar shavings i think and I have her in Pine shavings for now I dunno what to get for the housing I cant get linears soo wahts the second best thing for her!.. I dunno this but 2 of her quills have come out and doesnt look like she has alot of fur on her body.. Whats wrong  Help


----------



## Lilysmommy (Jan 7, 2009)

First things first...Warm your room or her cage up IMMEDIATELY. She could attempt to go into hibernation if she gets too cold, and it can weaken her immune system. If she doesn't come out of hibernation right away, she could even die. 
The lack of fur on her belly could be a side effect from the store having her on cedar shavings, which is something you should never do with any small animal. Not a very good store. :? 
Liners really aren't that hard to get. You can make simple ones just by buying a fleece blanket from a store like Walmart, and cutting it to fit the bottom of your cage. Make sure that the pine shavings you have her on are kiln-dried, though, or they can also harm her. 
The quills coming out could be due to any number of things, really. If she's young, she could still be quilling. If she's older, it could be mites, fungal/yeast infection, or just dry skin. Since this pet store you got her from didn't sound like a very good one, you should schedule a vet appointment for her, especially since runny nose sounds like it could be a cold. Colds can quickly turn into Upper Respiratory Infections, which could kill her. The vet can also check her out for any other problems. There is a vet list on the site, here's the link -http://hedgehogcentral.com/vets.shtml
Some other things...what food are you feeding her? And do you have a wheel in her cage and what kind is it?
Oh, and for housing, she does need some kind of hiding spot. If possible, go and get her an igloo that she can hide in, or you can put an old t-shirt of yours in with her (make sure that they are NO loose strings that she could get a leg wrapped up in) that she can snuggle up in.


----------



## SpectralSolid (Feb 26, 2009)

thehousing is only temperary and I dont have a wheel but when i get a bigger housing for her Im gettin a wheel should be within 3 days I literally Jus got her and Im feeding her what the pet store gave me which is Royal Chain Feline Health Nutrition Cat food its for kits in the 2nd growth stage soo i dunno.. I moved her into my brothers room which is alot warmer atleast until summer comes shes in an aquarium for now and I had and old tshirt she loved but in one day it got hella dirty i was like :shock: OMG and that bedding Im using shes only been on it for one night now im thinking it wont be dired like that didnt say anywhere.. thanks.. could I jus lay down some old shirts as bedding? and today I dunno if it was a cold or anything but She had actual boogers comin outta her nose and she was sneezing so I whipped off the boogers and stuffed her under my shirt to warm her up


----------



## Lilysmommy (Jan 7, 2009)

Yes, you could put in an old t-shirt for a snuggly for now, just make sure there's no loose strings like I said. Make sure you get her an igloo when you get her the wheel, too, though. May I ask if you know what the temperature in your brother's room is? She needs to be at at least 72 degrees Farenheit (23 degrees Celsius) or she's at risk for hibernation. The pine shavings should be alright for now, if they are kiln-dried, but most people do like to use liners because they're cheaper, and there's much less chance of your hedgie getting mites.
I looked up the food you're feeding her, and it'll do for now, but once she gets settled into her new house and is a bit more comfortable, you should switch it over to something with a bit less fat. You want to make sure that the protein content is about 30% and no more than 34%, and the fat content is less than 15%. There is a list of acceptable cat foods, here's the link for that -http://www.hedgehogcentral.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=6&t=15
Most people agree that it's best to try and mix at least two foods from that list for your hedgehog's diet, along with feeding mealworms and other stuff for treats.


----------



## Aleshea (Feb 13, 2009)

Your best bet would me to read everything in this forum and learn everything there is to know about your hedgie! I would take out the wood shaving and use liners so she does not get mites. Also the vet would be a realy good idea since you got her from a pet store!!!! if you can not afford the vet then you should not own a pet.


----------



## SpectralSolid (Feb 26, 2009)

Today I dunno if it was a cold or anything but She had actual boogers comin outta her nose and she was sneezing so I whipped off the boogers and stuffed her under my shirt to warm her up.. Yea none of my shirts have loose strings soo its all good as for Vets the closest one i think is like 1 hour away I can afford one.. Yea im slowly learning alot in this forum wish i saw this b4 i got my hedgie.. It should be above 23 degrees it gets pretty hot in there one of the warmest rooms in our house but if that doesnt work ill put her in our bathroom Bc it gets like really really warm in there.


----------



## Lilysmommy (Jan 7, 2009)

As long as you keep an eye on the temperature of the room and on your hedgie, she should be alright. But lots of rooms will decrease in temp at night, which is when they really need it to be warm so that they come out and eat and such. But as long as you keep an eye out, she should fine.  The signs of hibernation are a cold belly and sluggishness, and if she's rolled up and cannot unroll. If you see anything like that, you need to get her warm right away, either put her under your shirt, or put her on a human heating pad, covering the pad with a towel. Turn the pad on on low, and make sure you stay right there with her.
If you post where you live (either state or province or whatever, and maybe what section of the state/province) there might be someone who could recommend a vet who hasn't yet been added to the list, and that might be closer to you. But it does sound like she has a cold, and she really could use a check up.
Hope you learn everything you need to on this forum, it's a great place.  Everyone is very helpful.


----------



## SpectralSolid (Feb 26, 2009)

I live in Ontario Canada like just east of London that's where i got her.. Petcetera :roll: the closest one on the list is kitchener


----------



## SpectralSolid (Feb 26, 2009)

alright soo I just checked on her in my brothers bedroom and she knocked over the water into the food and what not so i gotta get heavier bowls i guess to umm the glass was very warm and I put the back of my hand on the cardboard hut i made her and it seems to be rather warm as well 
I dont hear her weezing or anything as shes breathing now as for litter im thinkin I prolly should get some right bc shes doin her buisness in her food and water ie pooped in the water this morning and when i changed her food again in there lol she I washed both rather good hot water and soap. and she made quite the mess so i changed her bedding from t shirt to pine.... Im sorry I couldnt find a local Breeder anywhere within an hour of me had to get it from a pet shop


----------



## basmati (Feb 13, 2009)

About your housing, I found old kleenex boxes work well. I cut out a hole at each end, and make sure the bottom is cut out as well. The box is then used as the sleeping area, but also as part of her night obstacle course. I've caught her running through the box on to her wheel, and then around again. She uses it as a step, with little tracks of poo left behind, or a toilet paper roll left on top. Since she can lift it up, she moves it around in her cage, so her den goes with her...It only lasts about 2 weeks, and then in comes a replacement.


----------



## azyrios (Feb 2, 2009)

i agree with the kleenex box. In my hedgies home he climbs ontop of his hidey house in the middle of the night and piles food from his dish up there. He uses the kleenex box as a way to get down instead of just jumping like he used to. (It's not very high, it's just weird that he hides his food up there to eat for later. I also see him eating straight from his bowl, but he likes to hide his favorite kibbles up there.)


----------



## Nancy (Aug 22, 2008)

If she is sneezing with boogers coming out of her nose, she needs to see a vet NOW! URI's quickly turn to pneumonia from which there is rarely a good outcome. 

Take her off all shavings and use cloth, either a pillow case, sheet or even a t-shirt. Do not use towels or any fabric with loops or loose threads.

Make sure she stays warm and count her kibble morning and night and keep track of how much she is eating. URI's do not get better on their own and the longer you wait to get her to a vet, the worse the outcome is going to be.


----------



## SpectralSolid (Feb 26, 2009)

OK update on my hedgie. No still no name... kk I gave her a bath today and i think she didnt like the water she kept goin to the shallow end and trying to climb out but she had to be cleaned so I did clean her, after that I think that bath helped me and her bond because now she doesnt poof up when i pet her she used to puff up at anything. Got a bigger Cage for her still no wheel tho gotta get one tomorrow and I have a tshirt and a towel on one side and she doesnt seem to sneeze or anything now. she deosnt have a runny nose and doesnt have any boogies  I have a space heater in my room now pointin directly at the cage to make sure she warm enough im keepin an eye on the temp.. Also I think Im gonna litter train her bc I really dont wanna have to keep swappin tshirt and towels everyday :lol: i got a temporary housing for her I cut a piece of cardboard up and i dunno if its too small for her tho like can hedgies backup!? :? lol Dunno shes loving the tshirts and loves to climb around under my shirt soo i think shes really startin to warm up to me... I Switched the towel to another t shirt the heat problem is working fine now i got a thermometer and its about 74 right now Shes stopped sneezing, and everything else and is pretty much being a hedgehog now


----------



## SpectralSolid (Feb 26, 2009)

I only saw one booger and I think it was from her sneezing bc of the shavings, as soon as I switched her over this morning she stopped Sneezing and hasnt had a runny nose at all


----------



## dorasdaddy (Dec 23, 2008)

What are you doing?!?!?!?!? Your hedgie has possible respiratory problems, so instead of a vet visit he gets a bath? This sounds really irresponisible to me...i appologize at the harshness of this message, but you asked for advice on here and completely ignored every bit of it. a bath was the very last thing he needed in his condition. I dont know what else to say or how to say it and i know i will get jumped by someone for being so harsh, but i am at a loss here.


----------



## Amy (Feb 11, 2009)

dorasdaddy said:


> Your hedgie has possible respiratory problems, so instead of a vet visit he gets a bath?


I was surprised to see that too. /:

If that kind of thing happens you MUST take your hedgehog to the vet.


----------



## SpectralSolid (Feb 26, 2009)

I jus Read this Im sorry I gave it a bath I didnt know she had that stuff i thought the boogies were part of a cold and nothin that serious


----------



## Aleshea (Feb 13, 2009)

TAKE HER TO THE VET!!!!!!!!!!!!


----------



## Nancy (Aug 22, 2008)

SpectralSolid said:


> I only saw one booger and I think it was from her sneezing bc of the shavings, as soon as I switched her over this morning she stopped Sneezing and hasnt had a runny nose at all


This morning you posted this....



> OMG OMG OMG
> I jus got my first Hedgehog and Im Freakingg!... *Shes got a runny nose and shes sniffing *around stuff really loud But i dunno if its normal bc my room is really cold right now so i dunno if they can get a cold or anything tho. I dunno The place i got her from they had her in some cedar shavings i think and I have her in Pine shavings for now I dunno what to get for the housing I cant get linears soo wahts the second best thing for her!.. I dunno this but 2 of her quills have come out and doesnt look like she has alot of fur on her body.. Whats wrong  Help


and a short while later you posted the following in two separate posts.



> and today I dunno if it was a cold or anything but *She had actual boogers comin outta her nose and she was sneezing so I whipped off the boogers* and stuffed her under my shirt to warm her up


Now you say she only had one booger and hasn't had a runny nose at all. Which is it? If she has a respiratory infection, ignoring it she is only going to get worse and reach the point where it will be too late to treat her successfully. There are many people on here who can tell you they didn't think their hedgehog had respiratory problems but took him/her to the vet just to be sure and yep, it did.


----------



## SpectralSolid (Feb 26, 2009)

I know I posted all that like that I was pretty lazy and that all happened in that one day I started the post at around 12 midnight and kept posting events after that happened in order Seriously as soon as i got her out of my cold room and put her in my brothers, ( a warm 79 degrees with the furnace blowing) the runny nose stopped, I switched her over at 8 am from shaving to t-shirts and cloth and no more sneezing. yes it all happened within 12 hours really I had her and saw her runny nose and then we decided to move her to my brothers room bc of it and on the way to move it she had a boogie. And i cant take her to the vet right now My parents refuse to drive this late or sumthing.. they say she'll be fine... So ill take her tomorrow after work. It was one booger and she had a runny nose..after I moved her she didnt have a runny nose anymore and shes not sneezing


----------



## LizardGirl (Aug 25, 2008)

Even so, she still needs to see a vet. It's funny how all of a sudden she "got better" when you found out she needs a vet... 

She needs to see one, RIGHT AWAY.


----------



## ana (Jan 21, 2009)

SpectralSolid said:


> I jus Read this Im sorry I gave it a bath I didnt know she had that stuff i thought the boogies were part of a cold and nothin that serious


A "cold" to a small animal is a lot different from what a mere cold is to a human like you or me. Their immune systems are not like ours! If she's been sneezing or sniffling at ALL - which you say she has - she needs to see a vet ASAP.

I don't even care what kind of animal you have... if its got visible signs of a cold or an upper respiratory infection (or ANYTHING out of the ordinary for that matter), you should be calling and arranging for an emergency vet visit. Animals don't tend to just "get over" things like we do and you shouldn't risk your pet's life by ignoring symptoms, waiting around for him/her to get over an illness, and/or assuming he/she is resilient enough to just be ok...

As for the bath... that should just be common sense. If an animal is sick, the last thing you want to do is get it soaking wet. :|


----------

