# Baby Hedgie, WAY TOO YOUNG! Help needed.



## DesireeM81 (Jun 14, 2014)

Alright long story short, my friends are idiots, bought a hedgehog off a craigslist and gave it to me for my birthday. She is the absolutely tiniest thing I have ever seen in my life! My friends said she was 8 weeks old. There is no way. She isn't even the size of my palm yet! I weighed her and she is about 90 grams.

The thing is I have no idea how old she is, how to care for her at this age. I bought baby food, lots of it and was going to mix it with crushed cat food so she can eat it. Do I need to syringe feed her, get her goats milk or puppy milk? I have a small wheel for her from my lil sisters hamster that she doesn't have anymore but I doubt she's old enough to use it.

How often do I have to feed her? I need all the help I can get please. I am home all week and when I'm not working my fiance is home. Any advice please?


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## Nancy (Aug 22, 2008)

She could be 8 weeks old. Babies come in all sizes. Yes, 90g would be small for 8 weeks, but certainly is possible. Have you tried breaking up some kibble and seeing how well she eats it?


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## hgual22 (Jun 6, 2014)

Wow, that sucks! Be sure to keep her warm. Also post pics, im sure someone could guess her age.

But yeah, warmth. Get a CHE and thermostat for it asap. Make sure she stays warm and gets lost of sleep. My girl Penny is like 14-15 weeks an she sleeps 22hrs a day. 

Also im not sure about milk or anything, but definitely post pictures. Hopefully someone with experience will come by soon! Good luck and keep us updated!


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## DesireeM81 (Jun 14, 2014)

Here are some pictures. The thing is she is just so tiny! I don't have a digital scale because I just keep track of Penny's weight on one of my old kitchen scales. Now it looks like I'll need to get one to get an accurate reading. I placed her on the scale again and it was just over 50grams. 

Here are some pictures.


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## Melanie G. (May 29, 2014)

Oh my goodness, she is tiny!
Maybe try crushing the kibble like Nancy said, or giving her some wet food?
Poor little thing- although stressful for you, I'm glad she ended up with you and not someone who had no experience with hedgehogs.


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## DesireeM81 (Jun 14, 2014)

Thank you. 

I am soo worried about this tiny little girl. 

But I crushed up kibble, I made some kibble/baby food mixture with some water to help soften it and I have her set up in a nice little igloo in my shirt underneath a CHE. She ate some baby food off my finger and anointed with it which was cute but then she seemed uninterested and then she was less cute because now I'm worried. 

We named her Summer.


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## AlexLovesOlive (Jul 7, 2014)

Is there a chuck and don's in Pueblo? I know there is one in littleton, denver, and right across the street from where I live in aurora? They have fresh goats milk if you need to get some, they also have a lot of different kinds of milk for different kinds of animals and good kinds of baby food that is for sick or small animals. I don't know if one is close but it might be good to run over there and get some in case she won't eat!


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## DesireeM81 (Jun 14, 2014)

Thank you! I doubt there is one here but maybe one in the Springs. I'm going to see if she eats tonight and if she doesn't, I'll go out tomorrow. It being Sunday night in a small town the only things open were the walmart and the king soopers and neither had any. I tried to see if she would eat a mealworm but I had the big ones for Penny and she wanted to eat it but couldn't seem to make it work. I even tried to cut it in half but no go. So off to buy little ones tomorrow. I just want to make sure she isn't going hungry.


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## nikki (Aug 28, 2008)

She looks like she is probably old enough to be weaned. As long as she is about 5 weeks old she should be fine with a bit of extra care. Try leaving some crushed kitten kibble in the cage and put some in her bed with her. Try to keep close track of what she eats and her weight.


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## Melanie G. (May 29, 2014)

Somebody please correct me if I am wrong, but I wouldn't be giving milk to a hedgehog who has been weaned. I don't know what hedgehogs that young typically eat, but I know you aren't supposed to give them milk. 
Or is it different when they are this young?


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## DesireeM81 (Jun 14, 2014)

Thank you Nancy! Will do. I have some crushed kibble in her cage, some baby food mixed with kibble and I'll throw some in her igloo. I'm glad she looks old enough, makes me feel better. 

Melanie, the milk was just a last resort sort of thing, because I don't know her age. I will try syringe feeding if I have to. I'm not sure at what age it would be bad to give her the goats milk so I'm hoping she likes crushed kibble and baby food. 

ETA - when should I add a wheel and what size should I get her? I can order a CBSW or get one from the store.


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## AlexLovesOlive (Jul 7, 2014)

Oh and if you end up not wanting to keep her I will drive down there and get her LOL she is the cutest thing I have ever seen!


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## Nancy (Aug 22, 2008)

She is a little doll. I personally would never have let a baby that size leave, weaned or not but some breeders do. 

She will sleep a lot. Being a baby and small, she won't eat much at a time, but will eat eat frequently and make certain she is. Eating wet food it's more difficult to tell exactly how much she is eating. With an accurate to 1g scale, you can weigh the food dish before and after she's eaten. That will tell you if she's eaten a grams worth. 

Make sure her food and water dishes are low sided, a dolls dish or the metal lid from a jar works well as a temporary small dish. If you are concerned she isn't eating enough, you can syringe feed her. 

A good accurate scale would be a good idea not only for weighing her, but weighing food. If you are buying one, make certain what increments it weighs in. The best are 1, or 2 grams. Don't waste your money on one that is 5 or more as they are rather useless for hedgehogs. 

I wouldn't give her a wheel quite yet simple because she is so tiny and so new to you. Make certain she is eating well on her own before she gets a wheel. 

I'm sure with your TLC she will be fine. :smile:

Edited to add: No goats milk or puppy milk unless she is not eating anything else.


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## phoenix1964 (Jan 23, 2014)

She is tiny. I would find some decent wet food and syringe feed her for now. Try to get 16 ml (or CC's, they are the same measurement) into her daily. I used A/D food which I got from the vet. It is usually considered a critical care food, butit is highly packed with protein, fats, and calories. There is a good sticky on how to syringe feed on the forum. We would wrap our Penny up in a face cloth so she wouldn't struggle and poke us so badly! The syringe feeding really put us at ease because we knew she was eating enough, but it can be quite time consuming. Someone on the HH Central told me you need to get 16 cc in to her to stimulate her own appetite and she was so right. I spent a lot of time getting info from very kind souls and we now have a pudgy little ball of prickles!


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## DesireeM81 (Jun 14, 2014)

Thanks for all the help guys! She did eat last night, the crushed kibble, did not touch the baby food but I think the dish might have been to big. I'll switch it into a little dish and get her to eat some this morning as well and she didn't eat to much last night. Probably only five ml or so. I measured in volume last night. Today off to buy a scale and return a wheel. I can get her a new one later on.


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## DesireeM81 (Jun 14, 2014)

Alright. Well I finally got a good look and apparently the hedgehog is a boy... He weighs a total of 86 grams :shock: and ate 7.6 ml of food last night and drank enough water that I noticed a difference. He finally came out of his shell a little and roamed around on my lap before settling down and sleeping. He also pooped, and while it was small it looked normal and brown so yay!


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## AngelfishGirl (Sep 25, 2013)

AlexLovesOlive said:


> Is there a chuck and don's in Pueblo? I know there is one in littleton, denver, and right across the street from where I live in aurora? They have fresh goats milk if you need to get some, they also have a lot of different kinds of milk for different kinds of animals and good kinds of baby food that is for sick or small animals. I don't know if one is close but it might be good to run over there and get some in case she won't eat!


I just had to say something about your post, because I actually work at a Chuck and Dons in Minnesota. The closest store we have to your area is Aurora. I've never been to Colorado, so I don't know how close that is to you. The next closest is in Centennial.
I would try what Nancy said and try crushing up some kibble for the little one. I personally think NutriSource: PureVita Grain Free cat food is the best. They have two flavors: chicken or salmon. They are a USA made brand. I use it with my hedgie and she loves it  The kibble is also nice and small so it should be okay for her to eat without having to break too much of it up.
If you do happen to go to Chuck and Dons, and they don't have it in stock, they can always special order it for you.


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## DesireeM81 (Jun 14, 2014)

Thank you. I used to live in Aurora and never knew there was a store called that lol. It's about a two hour drive for me. Centennial is actually closer being a little farther south. 

However, he seems to be eating fairly well on his own. I put him back in his cage a few minutes ago and he went straight to his food bowl so I think we should be okay as long as he keeps it up. :lol:


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## AngelfishGirl (Sep 25, 2013)

Good to hear  Glad everything is going okay for you now


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## Melanie G. (May 29, 2014)

Yay! Good job. I'm glad he is eating and pooping (the things that excite you as a hedgie owner)


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## CoffeeKat (Jan 15, 2014)

Concerning a wheel and wheel size: my girl was small when we got her at 6 weeks, just 108 grams, but she knew what the wheel was for from the first night. We have a 12 inch caketop wheel...and if I remember correctly, we folded some fleece in front of it to give her a leg up. Just be sure the fleece ramp doesn't touch the wheel when it turns, or he may not use it. He should be fine, and he's very lucky to have ended up with you as his "person".


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## DesireeM81 (Jun 14, 2014)

Thank you. 

I think I will wait till he is at least 100 grams, possibly 130, before giving him a wheel. I doubt he could get it moving just yet.


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## DesireeM81 (Jun 14, 2014)

*Update*

Just wanted to update really quickly on Winter and make sure he sounds healthy.

From yesterday around noon when I refilled his bowl of food, Winter ate 15ml of crushed food and two waxworms. (I gave him 25ml of food) He drank A LOT of water too.

This morning I gave him two waxworms and he is eating again right now.

I got him up about every five hours during the day yesterday but he beat me to it, around nine pm last night, getting up to eat on his own when the lights went off.

He's huffy and scared of any noises but he likes to roam around under blankets.

This morning during bonding time; I noticed a piece of poop stuck to his tail. I picked it off carefully and made sure that it wasn't blocking his exit. It looked fine. There was poop in his cage last night so I'm assuming he is okay and will double check for more poops later.

He gained only a few grams last night but that could be the food and water.

Everything sound okay? He seems perfectly healthy to me just super tiny. I just want to make sure I am doing the best I can for him.

Oh and the house has been super hot lately but he does have a CHE and thermostat set to 79. I doubt it has gone on at all though since we are baking here between mid 90s and low 100s outside.


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## Melanie G. (May 29, 2014)

It sounds like things are going well if he is eating on his own and pooping (although I've never had a hedgie so young). I think as long as the trend of his weight is going up that's a good sign (even if it is only by a few grams- they will all add up).
Good work!


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## gracefulchaos01 (Mar 19, 2014)

He's beautiful and it looks like you are doing a great job. As long as he eats and drinks water and poops properly you should be golden. One thing I noticed when my brood was that small was that they tended to eat more when their kibble was slightly moistened with water. They still ate dry. But they ate more moistened. 
Ahh hoglet memories...


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## DesireeM81 (Jun 14, 2014)

Will wet food grow bacteria? Should I wet it before he gets up at night? And take it out before I go to bed? I'm afraid of changing things on him so unless he stops eating I may stick to the crushed food. 

Also he was licking and biting my hand today. He also did it to my sister. Not hard and something that I have seen hoglets do before. It didn't hurt but I don't want to encourage bad habits. Any advice there?

And thank you. I love how pink he is!


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## gracefulchaos01 (Mar 19, 2014)

I can't say that I personally ever had a problem with bacterial growth. But I do understand the concern. My house is very dry (low humidity) and is kept in the low to mid 60s year round except the hedgie room which stays between 75 and 82 depending on the time of day. But the air is still very dry. I do and did always provide clean bowls and fresh food and water regularly.
So many tiny little bowls... sigh.

Nancy had some great advice regarding biting if you feel like hunting down my abnormally aggressive behavior post under the behavior forums. They are working like a charm.
My little ones have always been mouthy though. Bad breeding I suppose.


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## DesireeM81 (Jun 14, 2014)

Okay last question, I hope.

He is very noise skittish. I mean the sound of clothes rubbing against each other freaks him out. Which I'm fine with. I try not to move at all while I am near him so I don't scare him. But then I noticed that I can move, I can wave my hand in his face, I can nearly poke him in the eye and he doesn't blink or move or huff. Nothing. Also when I put him back in his cage, he kind of sniffs his way around his igloo before being able to find the entrance. He's most certainly hit his nose on the side of it before. 

Is he blind? :shock:


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## AlexLovesOlive (Jul 7, 2014)

All Albino animals are prone to blindness and deafness because of genes....So he might be...


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## Nancy (Aug 22, 2008)

Sounds like he might be. 

Wiggle your fingers close in front of his face, making certain your fingers don't touch each other which would make a sound. Then wiggle same distance but let them rub together making a soft sound. If he reacts the second time, he is very possibly blind.


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## AlexLovesOlive (Jul 7, 2014)

DesireeM81 said:


> Thank you. I used to live in Aurora and never knew there was a store called that lol. It's about a two hour drive for me. Centennial is actually closer being a little farther south.
> 
> However, he seems to be eating fairly well on his own. I put him back in his cage a few minutes ago and he went straight to his food bowl so I think we should be okay as long as he keeps it up. :lol:


The part of aurora I live in is also centennial!!! LOL I live in "Nice" aurora LMAO!!! Borderline parker ish if you know where that is, Also the chuck and dons over here isn't that old. I don't think it's been here more than a year or so???? If the centennial is closer GO THERE...At mine there is a sketchy guy who follows me and talks my EAR off while I am trying to look at the ingredients in things and recommends the weirdest foods that are way off what I am looking for! lol.


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## DesireeM81 (Jun 14, 2014)

Nancy, I'll do the test tonight when I get him out for bonding. 

Next question. If he is blind, right now, I have him in the quarantine bin but was hoping to move him to a bigger C&C cage like I have Penny in. Should I just move him now to get him acquainted, should I still wait the 30 days and then move him or not move him at all? I really don't like the bins as a cage. Just not enough room and I don't know if connecting two would be an option for him. Obviously once he is settled, I will keep all of his stuff in the same place. 

Boy howdy, this little boy brought me a whole new bag of tricks to work with.


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## AlexLovesOlive (Jul 7, 2014)

One of my best friend has a blind albino hedgie (born blind) and we are pretty sure he doesn't even know he can't see!!! it took him only like 4 days to get used to his new house when she switched him and after that he was fine. He walks and acts just like any other hedgie!!! He is super sweet and gets excited when she walks into the room, like he knows the difference between her and say me! I think it's our smells!!!! She doesn't really have to do anything different because he acts just like other hedgies


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## AlexLovesOlive (Jul 7, 2014)

It might take him longer to adjust though since he's just a wee baby!


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## DesireeM81 (Jun 14, 2014)

Nancy said:


> Sounds like he might be.
> 
> Wiggle your fingers close in front of his face, making certain your fingers don't touch each other which would make a sound. Then wiggle same distance but let them rub together making a soft sound. If he reacts the second time, he is very possibly blind.


Okay... I did the test and he didn't react to the movement, but the moment my fingers made noise, he put his visor up. He might have some vision in his right eye. If I approach him on the right side he gets startled. If I approach him on the left he doesn't react until I touch him. if I approach him from the front he doesn't react either. Not sure what that means.

I'm going to assume he is blind at least halfway until I see him go for something or react differently. That way he is safe.

Now time to browse for blind hedgehog threads.

ETA - Flash from a camera does not bother him either.

Thanks for the all the help with this guy.


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## AlexLovesOlive (Jul 7, 2014)

Good luck!!! I hope everything goes good with him, he is so adorable, you're doing a good job so far!!


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## Melanie G. (May 29, 2014)

Oh man. Just when you think you have everything under control! It sounds like he is doing well, all things considered. Good thing he has such an attentive mom!


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