# Just blah



## Packers27 (Oct 10, 2014)

My hedge hog has had what seems to be a BLAH issue as of lately..she rarely eats or poops..she won't sleep in her igloo anymore only in the corner of the cage..she is very active at night on her wheel but she is awake day and night is all this normal? Is her personality changing? Or should I see further help?


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## Amandarrella (Jun 13, 2014)

Has the temperature of her cage changed recently?


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## Lilysmommy (Jan 7, 2009)

Echoing the above question, as well as wondering what the exact temp in the cage is? And do you have a heating set up?

How long has she not been eating? Hedgehogs should not go longer than a day, maybe two without eating. You probably need to start syringe-feeding her ASAP. You can get syringes from a pharmacy (they usually have needle-less ones, or diabetic syringes where you can remove the needle - ask the pharmacist if you can't find any on the shelves) or from your vet. As far as what to syringe feed, you can either grind her kibble to dust & mix it with water, get canned food (if you go to the vet for syringes, ask for Hills A/D, which is meant for syringing to sick animals), or use baby food (chicken or turkey and sweet potato). Here's our syringing sticky for more info - http://www.hedgehogcentral.com/foru...yringing-tutorial-syringe-feeding-sticky.html

One last thing - make sure she is nice and toasty warm before you try to syringe-feed. If she's hibernating, the last thing she needs is food until she is warmed up & active again.


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## nikki (Aug 28, 2008)

Do you have her on a light schedule? If so what it is?


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## Packers27 (Oct 10, 2014)

The temp has stayed the same for about a steady year now..but she just now seems different,she is on a light schedule she is on light from about 10am to about 9pm when I go to bed..she is up all day running on the wheel or just chilling in the corner of the cage (not rolled up) just layed out..and after I turn her light out she is up all night running mostly..she hasn't eaten a lot lately but she does eat a few bites of cat food everynight,but she use to eat all her food in a day or two and now it's taking her a lot longer,I havnt changed her food at all in the 2 years of her life.her eyes don't seem to be puffy.


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## Packers27 (Oct 10, 2014)

I have a 100 watt bulb that sits probably about 20-24 inches away from her that is on constantly because it's rather chilly in our apartment..is that maybe too high of a wattage? She's had it for about a year


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## Packers27 (Oct 10, 2014)

Sophie


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## CoffeeKat (Jan 15, 2014)

Maybe she has dental issues that prevent her from eating and sleeping. Sounds like a check up at the vet might be in order, but while you are waiting to get in try softening her kibble with water. If she eats the softened kibble, that still doesn't fix the problem...but it will help the vet to know where to start looking. Good luck


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## Lilysmommy (Jan 7, 2009)

Do you have a thermostat hooked up to the heating bulb? I would try boosting the temp a degree or two, just to see if it makes any difference. Sometimes hedgies get more sensitive to temperature over time.

How old is the bag of food? Is it brand new or is it getting pretty old? Sometimes old kibble can start getting stale & cause them to eat less. Or if it's a brand new bag, sometimes something is off about one bag, or the company has changed the formula slightly. Kat's idea is a good one too, but it'd be a good idea to get set up for syringe-feeding, just in case. Doesn't hurt to be prepared, especially if she's already not eating much. If it's not the temperature, kibble itself, or if she's willing to eat softened kibble, then it's time for a vet visit like Kat said. Good luck & let us know how she's doing!


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## Packers27 (Oct 10, 2014)

Sophie is in a better place now....took her to the vet and had X-rays done,she had a build up of gas and bacteria in her stomach..they gave us a antibiotic and a seringe to feed her with..before we even got the antibiotics waiting on the X-ray result she died in my hands...I just wish I took her a day sooner  but she showed signs of getting better until today she tooka. Turn for the worse..thank you everyone for all your answers and help.i apreciate it more than ever.


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## Packers27 (Oct 10, 2014)

Rest in peace Sophie


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## CoffeeKat (Jan 15, 2014)

So sorry for your loss.


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## ashleyyy (Sep 22, 2014)

Me too, what a shame


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## modesty (Oct 16, 2014)

i'm so sorry for your loss. that's horrible.

did the vet say anything about what might have caused it? if you can prevent it? what to look for? etc?

this info could save a hedgie in the future.


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