# Tooth Abscess or Tumor? HELP



## SpiritWolves1 (Apr 5, 2012)

Okay heres the story, i am hog sitting a hedgehog named Hedgie for one of the teachers at my school and when i went to take him home on wednesday i noticed that he was drooling really badly so i called the teacher over and she said that it wasnt normal for him, i also noted that he had a piece of "food" in his cheek so i picked him up out of his pen and looked into his mouth, it wasnt his food but it was a huge abscess like ball in his mouth, about as big as a jelly bean, it isnt obstructing his airway or his mouth, but i have no idea what to do, because since its Easter break here, and tomorrow is good friday, then Easter the vets offices are not open untill next Tuesday! I called the vet a half hour away from me and they said they couldnt help me as the vet there didnt know a thing about hedgehogs. so its been a day and im not sure if its getting bigger or smaller but he is eating and drinking fine, his poop is normal colour and form, he isnt drooling anymore but he chews on the abscess or what ever it is and it bleeds all over his face, but after it bleeds it seems smaller.

the teacher said he was about 3 1/2 years old but she isnt positive as she bought him from another lady, adn at the moment im only hog sitting him, she knew about the bump but said " If he dies its not your fault, and if you have to take him to the vet remember im not made of money." so i have only had him for a day so i dont know if there are any changes in his behavior that she or i noticed and he didnt develop this while at my house, the temperature of his pen is 21*C and the lighting is from 7 am- 7:30pm.

the teacher said she hadnt noticed anything strange about his face before then so im not sure how long he has had it, but it hasnt been more then 4 days because i saw him on monday and he did not have it. and I have no idea of he has lost weight or gained weight. he is peeing and pooping normally, his nose is wet but im not sure if thats a problem, he isnt sneezing or coughing, just the normal hedgie noises and his breathing speeds up when i pick him up but thats probably usual. his food has sunflower seeds in it so im not feeding him that anymore it was called " 8 in 1 Ultra Bites for Hedgehogs, fruit and veggie treat" it has ground yellow corn as the first ingredient, im feeding him his other food, its called "Nutrient Rich Hedgehog Diet" the first ingredients are, poultry by-product meal, chicken fat,corn, corn gluten meal, chicken digest, wheat flour, choline chloride, and then its just a bunch more words like the last one, things i have no idea what they are.

as for his skin and quills im not sure if the quills are supposed to be close together or not so close as you can see his skin, and it looks like well skin, and i dont see any quills in the bottom of the pen, so they arent falling out. and he isnt vomiting or any of that and his activity levels are normal ( trust me i know he kept me up all last night and i had a math test today which im sure i failed badly, thanks Hedgie) and he isnt on any medication or anything so i will try to get a picture of his face, but i dont know how easy that will be.

Here are some pictures of his face:

http://fc07.deviantart.net/fs70/i/2012/ ... 4v99r0.jpg

i know its horrible but i just took them with my sister and she had the camera and she is afraid of him 

http://fc00.deviantart.net/fs70/i/2012/ ... 4v99xm.jpg

http://fc02.deviantart.net/fs71/i/2012/ ... 4v9a22.jpg

i hope the pictures show up but ya thats his face, the left side ( which is viewed from the right, so its the right cheek in the photo, but you cant miss the bump) is swollen from the lump


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## Rainy (Jul 27, 2011)

I am so sorry that you were put into that situation. Your teacher really should have taken the hedgehog home with her to get the hedgehog medical care. I don't have any experience with this, but I do hope that someone will be along soon to advise you. 

You mentioned that you were a student. Are you over the age of 18, where you could get vet care on your own? Does your teacher live nearby where she can pick up the hedgehog and get it to the vet? 

It does look pretty swollen and if the hedgehog is drooling, then it would seem that it would impede his eating. I'm really very sorry that you are put in this situation. I would contact your teacher and ask for permission to go to the vet. I would think that if she doesn't want to fix the tumor or abscess (or whatever it is), she at least should not be opposed to providing pain relieving medication. 

Again, I'm very sorry you're in that situation. I don't think your teacher should have let you take the hedgehog home, knowing that it had a problem.


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## pickles17 (Feb 18, 2012)

The hedgehog food and treats that he is on are not really recommended, I believe those treats also have raisins in them which are a hazard to hedgehogs. He/She should be eating a high quality cat food, but right now that is the least of your problems.

That abscess/tumour, looks really awful. In my experience they have been known to grow very quickly and I would recommend to get it checked out (if possible) as soon as you can because soon it might impede his ability to eat, or worse breath.

Like Rainy said, I am very sorry you are stuck in this situation. It's hard to have a sick animal that you are only watching, when the owner is reluctant to take him to a vet. It look's very uncomfortable for him, especially if he is drooling. Drooling is *not * normal.


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## SpiritWolves1 (Apr 5, 2012)

over night the swelling of the abscess ( as my mom has confirmed, sort of, because it popped a bit last night) has really gone down, its probably half of what it was last night, he isnt drooling anymore, and he is a total piggy when he eats, and i havent been giving him that food, i looked it up and its horrible! he has been eating that stuff his whole life  pour guy and so i have been feeding him hard boiled egg mushed up and i will be cooking him chicken and some ham burger tonight. he absolutely LOVES apple sauce, the just plane kind my sisters wont eat, and the egg and he does have meal worms too. I am 14 on the 18 of this month but my mom talked to the teacher and the teacher said if we took him to the vet she would pay us back and she left for PEI i think yesterday and im in Sask, so she would not be able to take him in at the moment. if you guys have any good food recommendations or recipies please post them as i would like to get him onto some better food because he does have some bald spots in his quills which have been there since the teacher got him so i think thats from pour diet and a dirty cage.

His cage when I went to get him from my school was full of poop and food and he was EATING the food covered in his own feces! she only cleaned the cage every 2 weeks and so I washed it yesterday and everything that was in it too so now it has a liner and his bedding is clean and there isnt any food or feces spilled because if he does not go in his litter i clean it up because i live on a farm with 4 cats a black lab and my pet Tiger Salamander if there homes arent cleaned they get sick too so i am hoping that with a clean bed and house better food and more attention this will blow over, thanks for the advice guys  and i hope you never have to go through anything like this either.


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## shetland (Sep 2, 2008)

Bless you for your concern and caring for this innocent and helpless little hedgie. You are truly a wonderful person!


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## alyssinreality (Jan 18, 2012)

I am really amazed that you are doing so great with this hedgehog, you are looking up all the information and doing the right things! Your teacher wasn't taking very good care of the little guy  haha my boyfriend says you should fake the hedgies death and keep it at your home where you can care for it properly.


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## Rainy (Jul 27, 2011)

It would be a lot easier to make decisions about changing his food if he belonged to you. But since your teacher owns him, it is really up to her whether or not she wants to change his diet. I would continue to give the hedgehog food because that's what he knows and what he's used to eating. You could try offering a few kibbles of dry cat food (if that's what you feed your cats), as long as the food label says that it has less than 35% protein and around 15% fat.  I would not take his old food away because if you change his diet and your teacher doesn't want to feed it to him, then you are upsetting his tummy for no reason. Giving him new and different food can upset his stomach and cause green poop. I would not change it unless you have your teacher's permission and she agrees to follow through with the new food. I'm really glad that you want to give him better food, but if your teacher doesn't give him the kind that you do, then it's just making him and his tummy upset for no reason.


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## pickles17 (Feb 18, 2012)

I am impressed that you are only 14 and are so responsible. You are right every two weeks is not enough, and the hedgehog is lucky that there is someone like you to take of him properly. Feces on his food? that is just ridiculous.


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## DasIgelPoggie (Oct 21, 2010)

Is it bad that I'm totally with Alyssinreality's boyfriend? This poor baby sounds like he's had a rough go, I'm glad he's getting good care with you! Is it possible the teacher would just give him to you? I don't think a teacher should have a class pet if they don't care for it properly, that's just setting a bad example to the students. In highschool our chemistry teacher was the same way with his class pets-- he had no idea what he was doing and had no business keeping those poor exotics. After the fifth snake died in one month, I went to the office and complained to the principal about it and explained that the care was bad enough to qualify for animal control to come and remove the animals. After that, all of the animals went to loving homes and the cage space became lab space. My teacher didn't mean badly, but he didn't have the time or education to care for those animals properly. Maybe if the hedgehog-owning teacher was given a good option for the hedgehog other than the classroom they'd take advantage of that? It's worth a shot to ask!


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## Rainy (Jul 27, 2011)

DasIgelPoggie said:


> Is it bad that I'm totally with Alyssinreality's boyfriend? This poor baby sounds like he's had a rough go, I'm glad he's getting good care with you! Is it possible the teacher would just give him to you? I don't think a teacher should have a class pet if they don't care for it properly, that's just setting a bad example to the students. In highschool our chemistry teacher was the same way with his class pets-- he had no idea what he was doing and had no business keeping those poor exotics. After the fifth snake died in one month, I went to the office and complained to the principal about it and explained that the care was bad enough to qualify for animal control to come and remove the animals. After that, all of the animals went to loving homes and the cage space became lab space. My teacher didn't mean badly, but he didn't have the time or education to care for those animals properly. Maybe if the hedgehog-owning teacher was given a good option for the hedgehog other than the classroom they'd take advantage of that? It's worth a shot to ask!


Yes! I agree totally with this. The cage really does need to be cleaned more often. That has to smell horrible in the class and for the teacher.


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## shetland (Sep 2, 2008)

Perhaps you can discuss with your teacher all of the research you have done and your findings. Such a wonderful student! I would think that would impress your teacher and increase her knowledge of the care needed by this precious hedgie !!!!!!!!!!!


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## SpiritWolves1 (Apr 5, 2012)

lol i did e-mail the teacher last night about his diet. she said if was okay if i changed it but did not totally agree to follow through with it for the 2 months untill i buy him. i do not care if he is going to have medical bill, i just care about how he needs to be treated, and how he was treated is not right. i have changed his diet slowly, adding hamburger meat mixed with egg ( cooked together so its covering the meat) and cooked carrot diced and meal worms and i added his kibble to it, but he wouldnt touch the kibble, just left it in the bowl, so i dont think he is upset about the change from crappy food to a better diet.

about the fake death thing, i totally agree but i dont think my mom would go for it XD his mouth is getting better still, i checked on his probably 2 hours before i posted this and the abscess or what ever it was is almost gone!! 

I just think i will have to convince her to change his diet still though because making him healthy and then giving him back to a life where he isnt properly cared for would kill me. I really hope i get more comments and if you guys know of any good foods ( cat foods or small dog food or even a better hedgehog food) that i could get her to buy for him while he is with her for the 2 months or even ask if i can buy him in advance and he could just stay at my house and not have to have 2nd graders screaming and trying to play with him all day, pour guy, they feed him too much and it gets spilled and then he poops on it and ends up eating it!

I really appreciate all your help  and i think Kumo will too


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## SpiritWolves1 (Apr 5, 2012)

okay update time:

i personally think it came back a little bit but my mom says it looks smaller to her. it popped again while he was eating and the blood was clotting up and closing the wound that was ozzing puss so i wiped it away but it still closed up so its still there. also his back claws are getting a little long how long should they normally be? if someone could post me a picture of how long that would really help. i think i should take him to a vet soon but y mom thinks we should wait and see if its finishes poppng and goes away on its own. i dont know though im getting a little worried that something is going to happen and he will choke on one of the clots or something and die on me. i am really worrying now, im so afraid he will die :'( please help


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## pickles17 (Feb 18, 2012)

In my opinion, he needs to see a vet. An abscess is a sign of infection, and if it's gotten to that point he likely needs antibiotics to help him fight it off and can't do it on his own, especially if its been refilling. I know the spot you are in is difficult, I can see you truly care about him and want him to be in good health and its hard to be able to do the right thing when the adults in your life do not see it the way you do, or are not as informed as you. My advice is to try your best at convincing your mum to agree to bring him to a vet.


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## SpiritWolves1 (Apr 5, 2012)

thank you pickles17 i will actually try to get my mom to get him into a vet but the closest one is at least an hour away, and his travel bus is too small, its not for a hedgie, its for a hamster, and he cant turn around easily and i dont think he feels comfortable in it at all, do you have any idea of what i could use instead of the bus?


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## raerysdyk (Oct 21, 2011)

Any sort of small animal carrier would work. Hard sided carriers are the best for cars. I'm not sure if you live near a PetCo, but if money is an issue, they do sell cheap cardboard pet carriers for like $6...it would probably only be one time use, though, as hedgies tend to poo and pee during transit.

I have this carrier for Brillo:

http://www.petsmart.com/product/index.j ... Id=2751237

Make sure to pack any carrier with warm fleece and a hand warmer wrapped in a sock. You don't want your hedgie catching a chill while on his trip to the vet.


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## nikki (Aug 28, 2008)

In your other link you said the carrier was made for a guinea pig? If its big enough for a guinea pig its big enough for him to be in to go to the vet. Being able to turn around in it isn't as important as getting the abcess treated.


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## SpiritWolves1 (Apr 5, 2012)

lol i meant to put hamster, my sister was talking to me about a guinea pig lol XD

so my small cat carrier would work?


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## nikki (Aug 28, 2008)

yes a small cat carrier would be perfect


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## SpiritWolves1 (Apr 5, 2012)

okay but my mom still says he will be fine, im not sure she gets what im trying to say when i say " he needs to go to the vet." but really i think thats quite simple.


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## pickles17 (Feb 18, 2012)

In my experience, illnesses with hedgehogs are not as easy to say "they will be fine" as they are for larger species of animal. I've had more weird things pop up that needed treatment in my hedgehogs than any other pet I've had. In my opinion, they are more sensitive animals that can't as easily fight off certain things as other animals. Something abscesses when there is an infection. For example, once I got an abscess in my mouth from an infected tooth, it was painful as all else and it kept draining but, it would never go away completely because underlying the abscess was infection. It only healed once I had antibiotics to help fend it off. Not to mention, I just had to put one of my hedgehog's down due to an oral tumour that was growing very rapidly, things in the mouth need to be looked at carefully. Unfortunately, your mom probably just doesn't know a lot about hedgehogs and as such is unable to determine when he should go to the vet and when something is very wrong. If you leave these things too long they will just get worse. Hope the best for you!


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## SpiritWolves1 (Apr 5, 2012)

thanks, i will get my mom to read these, and maybe she will understand. i told her about everything you guys have said but she just keeps saying " once he starts looking and acting sick, then we will take him in, if not, the teacher can when she gets back." but she doesnt get back untill next monday! i really dont want him to get worse, because it must hurt now, just think how it will hurt if it gets worse. and the abscess is turning like black and im starting to worry, my mom thinks its just whatever was stuck in his mouth coming out but i dont think thats it.


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## pickles17 (Feb 18, 2012)

Hedgehog's can hide illnesses and pain extremely well.

Recently I put my hedgehog Pepper down, she had a large cancerous tumour on her lip, however she ate normally and behaved normally and it seemed as if it wasn't bothering her when really it was probably painful and uncomfortable. The vet told me when I brought her there that it's not easy to tell if they are in pain or not.

I can see why your mom may be reluctant, it's a long trip and $$ up front for a hedgehog that's not yours but unfortunately its probably the only thing that will help him get better. It's very concerning that it is turning black..

I really hope to best for you, keep us posted.


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## Nancy (Aug 22, 2008)

By the time a hedgehog is looking and acting sick, it is often too late, or the cure requires far more than had the issue been dealt with in the early stages. 

I'm sorry SpiritWolves1. You seem to be the sensible one. It's unfortunate when the kids are the ones who understand and know the right thing to do yet are limited by parents. We've seen this happen numerous times in the past. Good for you for trying to help this hedgehog.


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## Mommatobe (Apr 5, 2012)

I just read through everyone's relpies and I can not believe that your teacher left a hedgehog in need of veterinary attention in your care for over a week. I had one of my hedgehogs develop an oral tumor and there were days when it was swollen more then others. Hopefully it is just either a tooth abcess or foreign body in the gums causing the swelling on this little guy. You sound like you are doing everything you can to make him comfortable but I would advise against waiting till he "seems sick" to bring him in. I work in an animal hospital and too many people wait for the animal to "seem sick" only to be told that..."yes if you came in earlier we may have been able to do more / it may not have cost as much". A swelling or anything else that is "not the norm" is enough to prompt a visit to your vet. I hope that he does well and you are able to bring him to a vet soon. Goodluck!


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## Mommatobe (Apr 5, 2012)

oh my lord...read my post and I did not spell abscess correctly...sorry everyone, I guess that is what a 14 hour shift will do to you :-/


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## SpiritWolves1 (Apr 5, 2012)

my mom still thinks he is going to be fine! she just doesnt seem to understand the urgency, ive had dreams about him dying on me and me having to tell the teacher her class's favorite hedgehog died. i will keep you all posted and try to get more pictures of it but he doesnt sit still for the picture taking.


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## SpiritWolves1 (Apr 5, 2012)

okay my mom just read all of your comments and sort of freaked out on me because i want to take him in, she said " He isnt ours and there isnt a vet around here that knows a thing about hedgehogs!" and so now i just feel crummy she also said "tell them that he is still running around eating perfectly fine and drinking fine, he seems fine to be other then the abscess!" so she is convinced he will be fine. nothing is changing her mind about this untill he starts showing signs of being sick, or dies. so really i feel that if he dies its not my fault at all because i want to take him in but im only 14 and its illegal for me to drive, so really im stuck with this problem just like pour Kumo.


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## Rainy (Jul 27, 2011)

I'm really sorry you're in this situation, but you are doing everything that you can. You give the hedgehog food, water, attention and you have notified not only your mom, but the teacher that the hedgehog is sick. You are doing all you can and are not responsible for any problems that are happening now or in the future with this hedgehog. It's difficult to be at the mercy of other people, but unfortunately, you are. Just pay attention to any changes in the hedgehog and keep reporting those to your mother. You are doing the very best that you can and I'm very glad that you are there to give that hedgie the attention and love he deserves. Thank you for caring for this little guy. Please try to be reassured that you are doing EVERYTHING you possibly can. You can only control the things in your life that you can. You need to rest on that knowledge. 

If you haven't been doing so, just write down any activity and changes that you see, kind of like a diary, and then if you do get to go to the vet, you will have detailed information about the hedgehog's activity, appearance, food intake and when these changes took place. That information can help the vet diagnose and treat the hedgehog. You are doing a great job with this hedgehog. Please take comfort in that. Praying for you and your hedgehog.


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## pickles17 (Feb 18, 2012)

I'm really sorry to hear that. Unfortunately, eating, drinking and running fine does not always mean fine, like many of us have said they hide illnesses very well. Pepper was plagued with cancer but still ran on her wheel, ate like a beast and drank. You are in a very difficult situation and are doing the best you can. I admire your passion to want to take care of the little guy. I'm sorry the adults in your life are not more understanding about it, I hope the best for you and Kumo.


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## SpiritWolves1 (Apr 5, 2012)

I e-mailed the teacher and got her phone number and my mom talked to her, she is willing to pay for a check up, a cleaning and antibiotics so we are going to get him into a vet ( hopefully if they do hedgehogs) today!


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## Rainy (Jul 27, 2011)

Oh, that's great news! Please let us know how everything went.


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## pickles17 (Feb 18, 2012)

Glad to hear it! Let me know how it goes!


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## SpiritWolves1 (Apr 5, 2012)

well i just got back from the vet and they think it is either an infection caused by a tumor or just an infected tooth and have put him on 14 days of anitibiotics taken by the mouth twice a day with one re-fill if it hasnt gone or the swelling hasnt gone down. they didnt see any cancerous cells when they looked at the puss and blood they swabbed off the abscess/tumor thing which he was not happy about lol, hopefully its not a tumor and he is okay <3


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## hedgieluv (Oct 29, 2011)

Yayayay! So glad to hear it. Persephone and I are cautiously optimistic and sending you lots of hugs!


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## SpiritWolves1 (Apr 5, 2012)

Lol thanks  I hope he is okay


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## DasIgelPoggie (Oct 21, 2010)

Yaaaaay!!  That's a good prognosis, I'm glad it wasn't cancerous or a tumor! Keep us updated on his progress, sending lots of good vibes your way as well as Kumo's.  You're a hedgie hero, you really have gone the extra mile for this little guy, and that's incredibly admirable.


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## Rainy (Jul 27, 2011)

Oh, thank you for taking such good care of this little one.  I'm hoping for an abscess that clears up quickly.  Great job with the little guy. Kumo is so lucky to have you looking after him.


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## shetland (Sep 2, 2008)

You really are a hero.


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## SpiritWolves1 (Apr 5, 2012)

awe guys! your making me cry! i really do hope its just an abscess too and thanks for all the good vibes and such guys <3 couldnt have done this without you


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## Draenog (Feb 27, 2012)

Read the whole thread and my compliments to you, you acted great! I hope the hedgehog will get better soon!


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## SpiritWolves1 (Apr 5, 2012)

well his medication isnt going to be here until monday-ish so now he has to go more days without his medication and then he has to go back to a class room of screaming second graders to get better


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## pickles17 (Feb 18, 2012)

Ask your teacher if perhaps you can keep him while he heals. Hedgehogs like to sleep during the day and hence they need a quiet place, a class of screaming second graders is totally inappropriate.


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## Mommatobe (Apr 5, 2012)

I am so happy to hear that you had him seen and that he was given a good prognosis...definitely agree with pickels about asking you're teacher if the little man can stay with you while he heals. Goodluck with everything


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## SpiritWolves1 (Apr 5, 2012)

i am going to ask her now actually


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## SpiritWolves1 (Apr 5, 2012)

i get to keep him untill next monday to give him his medications and then he goes back


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## Mommatobe (Apr 5, 2012)

That is so great to hear. The little man will definitely have a less stressful time at you're house then the classroom! Keep us all updated with how things go over the next week or so! You have been amazing in taking care of him, he is very lucky to have you to speak up for him


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## shetland (Sep 2, 2008)

Wonderful! He is with someone who will truly care for him!!!!! Get well little hedgie. Three cheers for our hero!!!!!!!


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## Rainy (Jul 27, 2011)

Thank you for taking care of this little guy! You're doing a great job! And thanks to your mom and teacher too for getting him to the vet!


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## SpiritWolves1 (Apr 5, 2012)

I was talking to her today and i might keep him for the whole treatment of the medication, just because she lives an hour away and wouldnt be able to give the medication to him on week ends so its a good thing  lol thanks for the cheers <3 love you all <3


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## shetland (Sep 2, 2008)

That is great. It is important that the antibiotic is given at the same times every day so a consistent level is present in the body. It would not be good at all for the little one to miss two days of therapy.


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## PJM (May 7, 2010)

Wonderful news! I'm so glad he got medical treatment, can recover & has someone who's willing to do all this for him! Yay!


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## SpiritWolves1 (Apr 5, 2012)

I will give him another dose when i feed him tonight and then tomorrow morning at the same time. and again


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