# Foot baths everyday? and how often do you change bedding?



## pilgr1m (Feb 1, 2010)

Hi all,

I just got my hedgie Loki from the TX rescue and I have a couple questions. I've had him for almost a week now and every day I give him a foot bath when he wakes up... just about a cm a warm water with some colloidal oatmeal to wash his poopy feet. I tried getting it off with just a baby wipe first but it gets under his nails and up his leg and everything. I was just curious if most people did this everyday. I just don't feel comfortable cuddling with Loki if his feet are caked in poo but I don't want to dry out his skin either. 

Also, how often do you change bedding? I'm using fleece liners and I've changed his liner and snuggle sack twice this week...both after especially productive poo nights. 

I just want to know if I'm cleaning him too much? do hedgehogs do any grooming on their own?


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## ILOVElily (Dec 5, 2009)

I give poopy feet baths almost everyday evan though her wheel is mainly coverd in pee not poop in the morning. I just use water and it usually comes of, but then I take a tooth brush and scrub her nail and it gets rid of the poopy in there(if there is any).
I dont think it will dry her feet out, especially if you are using oatmeal, which is moisterizing to the skin  

Changing the bedding depends on your hedgie. Some hedgies won't do their bussness in a litter box so they do it everywhere, and their liners get changed more often.
In my case, Pinchita only goes in her new litter box, which I'm so exited about :mrgreen: so I don't need to change her liners that often (now I change them once or twice a week).
You can see if she'll use a litter box? that would definitely make the cage easier to spot clean and rearrange in the morning- clean in general. 
Hedgies don't groom themselfs, atleast I don't think they do. They do annoint with random things, if that counts lol, so thats another reason people bathe there hedgies.
I think you're doing everything right so far


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## LizardGirl (Aug 25, 2008)

As long as only his feet are getting wet, foot baths are fine every day. I personally just deal with the poopy boots, I've never had a hedgie here that got such bad feet that they actually needed cleaning off frequently.

I just clean/change liners/bags when they get dirty. I leave them as long as they don't appear dirty, and when they do, just shake them off and toss them in the wash. Of course, if something stays un-poopy for over a week or two I still wash them along with the rest of the stuff just to keep everything fresh and clean. Usually I spot clean daily and bags are changed once a week with the liners. Sometimes the liners can go longer, since I keep paper towel under the wheel & change that daily, which keeps it a lot cleaner.

The most grooming hedgies really do is just scratch whenever they need to. They don't lick to groom or anything like that.


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## pilgr1m (Feb 1, 2010)

okie dokes! thanks for the input guys.


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