# New hedgehog. Answers needed



## rebeccaeric18 (Jan 27, 2010)

Hi, My names rebecca and im from Canada! I just bought a new hedgehog and i have a few concerns about her.

Firstly. I need to know what her skin should look like underneath her quills. im not sure if it is dry, Secondly i have had her for about 5 days...she seems quite comfortable with me already, I am concerned about her stool. 
The first day we had her she had mucusy green poop, which is a sign of bile? but i read that it is a sign of stress or a food change.
The next 2 days i have noticed a very small amount of blood in her stool.. Which could also represent constipation? She has had very frequent stools since and no traces of blood are to be found..

I also want to know what is suitable for dry skin on the hedgehog and what bedding is preffered, Right now i am using white pine bedding and feeding her sunseed sunscription vita hedgehog formula as well as some mealworms for treats.

Thank you for your help


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## emeko (Nov 28, 2009)

Welcome! Green poops can be a sign of stress, but if the blood persists, I would seek vet help. I'll wait for more experienced owners to offer more insight on that issue. If you think her skin looks dry/flaky, it probably is. Ideally, it shouldn't be flaky, just a nice solid grey (depending on what colour your hedgie is?) If her skin is dry, you can dry putting a little flax oil on her, or adding it to her food. I like to cut open Vitamin E tablets and work it into their quills and skin. 

Most of the owners here advocate using fleece liners, as they are overall less expensive and wasteful, less dusty (and prevent respiratory problems).

Seeing that you said your're feeding Sunseed, that could be part of your poop problem. My hedgehog, and many others that I've read about, simply can't tolerate it. Which is surprising, because for a commercial hedgehog food, it's ingredients DO look decent. It could be the blood meal in it that causes the problems. It seems to causes excessive, runny, tarry poops. I'd recommend checking out the sticky list of high-quality cat foods on the nutrition forum. Mealworms are good, but everything in moderation. Are you feeding live or dry? There's another good sticky list of treats. 

Post pictures soon if you can!


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## Bengall77 (Aug 1, 2009)

The food could be causing the bloody poops. I would choose one or two cat foods from Reaper's list in the nutrition section.

As for bedding - pine shavings are fine but make sure that they have been heat treated (aka kiln dried) and the oils are gone. If you like wood bedding I would recommend Aspen shavings as they don't contain damaging oils that have to be heated out of the wood. Most people prefer and recommend cloth liners because they eliminate the threat of mites and caustic wood oils and they're cheaper in the long run. Something as simple as a folded fleece baby blanket would work. Other people use CareFresh, but it's rather dusty and can potentially cause respiratory problems in the future.

Meal worms are a great treat. Feed 3-5 small/medium sized ones about three times a week. Canned, live, and freeze dried are all good options but make sure to be extra careful to not give them too many freeze dried ones and to always have plenty of water available in their bowl. Freeze dried meal worms can cause intestinal blockage if they're given too plentifully and too frequently.


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## rebeccaeric18 (Jan 27, 2010)

Hi guys! Thanks for all the info.

So if i just buy some fleece and place it on the bottom of the cage it would be better for my hedgie?? I am going to buy chicken soup for the cat lovers soul food..as i hear a lot about it, The mealworms i feed her are live.
I am going to try putting vitamin e tablets like you say emeko,i also heard of putting pure oatmeal in their baths to hydrate the skin?

As for a picture. I dont know how to upload any!


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## Bengall77 (Aug 1, 2009)

You can actually buy liquid vitamin e oil. It comes in a liquid form and a liquid gel capsule form. Both are fine and good for dry, flaky skin. Just put a few drops in a cup with warm water and rinse his back with it.

Colloidal oatmeal (not quaker instant) or aveeno baby oatmeal body wash are good during bath time for itchy, quilling skin.

Yes, you can just buy some fleece and cut it to size. It won't unravel and it doesn't have to be sewn. Most people layer it so that they can peel off the top, dirty layer and throw it in a hamper. When you get several that need to be washed take them outside and shake them like a maniac, then load them in your washing machine on the hot/regular setting and wash them with an unscented (usually labeled as dye free & perfume free) laundry detergent. Fleece doesn't absorb water so they'll be fairly dry when they come out of the washer. You can air dry them, hang them up, or put them in the dryer on a low/tumble setting with a non-scented dryer sheet.


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## rebeccaeric18 (Jan 27, 2010)

Okay, i will go out tommorrow and buy some chicken soup for the cat lovers soul food (any suggestions on what type ? light? senior?..)as well as some liquid vitamin e..

As for the fleece i will go out and buy a few sheets to layer her cage with and see how that works!

PS. How often should her nails be trimmed. Any suggestions on how to do it safely?
Thank you!


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## LarryT (May 12, 2009)

You can use flax seed oil,vit-E or my personal favorite Jojoba Oil.
Stickie on clipping nails: viewtopic.php?f=33&t=75


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## rebeccaeric18 (Jan 27, 2010)

Thanks larry!


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## LarryT (May 12, 2009)

Here is a link to the Jojoba Oil:
http://www.vitaminshoppe.com/store/en/b ... id=VS-1697
Just put one drop on hedgies back,no need to put in food or bath water.


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## rebeccaeric18 (Jan 27, 2010)

Perfect! I will go out and buy some for her tommorrow!!!


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## LarryT (May 12, 2009)

rebeccaeric18 said:


> Perfect! I will go out and buy some for her tommorrow!!!


Oh yea almost forgot...Harlow is adorable :mrgreen:


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## rebeccaeric18 (Jan 27, 2010)

Aw thank you! I love her to death !


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## shetland (Sep 2, 2008)

Harlow is a tiny and beautiful bundle! Just adorable!!!!!


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## rebeccaeric18 (Jan 27, 2010)

I am very concerned about her today.. She has a cold belly and she seems almost wobbly... I'm worried about WHS syndrome. I am cuddling her with a heater on and she Is laying with me right now but I am very concerned. We gave her a bath yesterday.. Maybe it was too soon? Please help..


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## SnufflePuff (Apr 16, 2009)

rebeccaeric18 said:


> I am very concerned about her today.. She has a cold belly and she seems almost wobbly... I'm worried about WHS syndrome. I am cuddling her with a heater on and she Is laying with me right now but I am very concerned. We gave her a bath yesterday.. Maybe it was too soon? Please help..


*EDIT: if she's still cold put her on your bare skin (like your stomach), this is the best way to warm her up.

WHS is a genetic disorder and doesn't show symptoms that early on, from what I've heard. If she has a cold belly and is wobbly chances are she is cold / attempting to hibernate. What kind of a heater are you using, is it on ALL the time and what temp? It is important hedgehogs be kept at a constant temp of about 75-79 F and that they have 12-14 hours of light, so make sure you leave a light on for most of the day too as they will hibernate if they don't get enough light.

Also... did you make sure to completely dry her off after the bath? It is recommended you intitially dry her with one towel, then switch to a dry one to finish drying her off. Also, you can put a human heating pad under a blanket to warm her/ dry her after a bath. You could also go out and buy some human "hand warmers" and put them in a pouch/wrap them in a small blanket and put them in her house to help her get some extra warmth until she seems better.

If you already have all the above mentioned, I would probably take her to a vet to outrule underlying problems.

Also, if she wasn't dried off properly she could develop an upper respiratory infection so watch for sneezing, runny nose, wheezing sounds over the next little while. Did she get her head under the water at all / get any water up her nose? This could also lead to pneumonia so keep a close eye out.

Hope that helps


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## Stephanie76 (Nov 2, 2009)

> I am very concerned about her today.. She has a cold belly and she seems almost wobbly... I'm worried about WHS syndrome. I am cuddling her with a heater on and she Is laying with me right now but I am very concerned. We gave her a bath yesterday.. Maybe it was too soon? Please help..


Sounds like a possible hibernation attempt to me. SnufflePuff gave very good advice on getting her warmed up and slowly. How warm is her cage/room? What are you using as your heating source? Are you providing enough light for your beautiful hoggy (12-14 hours is the standard here)?



> One sure fire way to tell if your hedgehog is attempting hibernation is to feel it's stomach. If it feels cold it needs to be warmed up immediately.
> Other symptoms are lethargy, lack of appetite, drinking less, inability to un-ball, wobbliness, unable to move and heavy breathing.
> A hedgehog can be attempting hibernation even if it is moving around. Attempted hibernation is a state in where the hedgehog stops eating and begins lowering it's metabolism. While a hedgehog's metabolism is lowered it may not just go to sleep in a ball, but may wander around wobbly in search of a warmer place.
> -Hedgehog Wikki


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## rebeccaeric18 (Jan 27, 2010)

I just deleted everything i typed so here i go again!

She was warmed up with 2 towels yesterday and i cuddled her until i felt she was warm enough.
Her wobbling has dissapated and she is a little bit more active now that i have warmed her up..
I am going to go buy a thermometer and some hand warmers for her in a bit...
We bought fleece to line the cage so hopefully that helps a bit
The room she is in is my bedroom and it is fairly warm in here, i am using a space heater near her cage to keep her warm.

I dont belive she got any water in her nose.. not from what i seen. 
I will keep a light on, as the days here are short and its dark by 5pm (light at 8am)
Hopefully i can help her from slipping into hibernation. I am so worried about her


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## SnufflePuff (Apr 16, 2009)

rebeccaeric18 said:


> I just deleted everything i typed so here i go again!
> 
> She was warmed up with 2 towels yesterday and i cuddled her until i felt she was warm enough.
> Her wobbling has dissapated and she is a little bit more active now that i have warmed her up..
> ...


Just make sure you leave the space heater on ALL the time, if you are not comfortable doing this (ie. fire hazard) then you will need to invest in a different heating option (ceramic heat emitter with thermastat or leaving your house warm enough ALL the time). Once you get a thermometer you will have a better idea of the temperature and can adjust the heating accordingly. You will need to watch your hedgie for a few days however, as some do need higher temperatures than the 75-79 range in order not to hibernate. As long as you check on her frequently, and warm her up as needed, you should hopefully be able to prevent hibernation attempts until you have a proper heating system set up. *Until you get a thermometer, I would turn the house heat up just to be safe.*

Also, what kind of cage is she in? I recommend getting a 2 thermometers if it is a large cage, and spacing them out in the cage, as cages aren't always a consistent temp throughout.

Good luck


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## rebeccaeric18 (Jan 27, 2010)

Okay. I will bring the space heater up here and turn it up to keep her warm. She is in a metal cage with a plastic bottom, The cage is 2 feet long. We will watch over her and make sure shes okay frequently.
Ill upload a picture to show you our cage and set up for right now.
Thank you for your help!

EDIT*

Heres her cage


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## rebeccaeric18 (Jan 27, 2010)

UPDATE:

Harlows belly is now warm andshe is active again.. though i do have another concern now.. she has green very sticky poop and it smells very bad!

Im not sure if its maybe because yesterday she was sick? or if she has a stomach upset from the food we have fed her.
Please let me know


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## Kalandra (Aug 25, 2008)

Green stool is a common reaction to stress. Whether that stress is caused by illness, new diet or new homes, it is always a concern.

Typically with green stool caused by stress it will clear up within a day or two of the stress being gone, or at least you should see improvement. As long as she is eating well, drinking well, no weight change, and the consistency and frequency of her bowl movements are good, then give it a day or two. If you see any signs of it becoming worse, go to the vet. If she starts to not drink or has diahrrea, go to a vet immediately.

Hibernation attempts can weaken the hedgehog's immune system. Even after this stool problem clears, watch her closely for a while. URIs seem to want to up a few weeks after hibernation attempts.


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## rebeccaeric18 (Jan 27, 2010)

We have been watching over her since yesterday afternoon very carefully.
She was running on her wheel last night and eating well.. We gave her a slice of a apple yesterday. I am trying to find a proper cat food to feed her but canada doesnt sell the same brands of cat food as the states do. so its a bit of a challenge.

I will watch over her stool and if it lasts longer then a few days i will call a vet.


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## Kalandra (Aug 25, 2008)

If you cannot find the brands listed in the sticky, you can always post names, ingredients and guaranteed analysis to get others opinions. Those in the sticky definitely are not all of the good foods out there. I am always looking at foods when I come across something new to see if it is any good. You never know when you'll find an even better diet.


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## silvercat (Oct 24, 2008)

Rebeccaeric, check out Global Pet Foods. I couldn't find any cat foods I was satisfied with at the big stores (Petsmart, Petco, Walmart, etc) but Global carries a lot of good foods. The one near me also carry a lot of sample bags of different foods. I'd recommend checking if they have a sample bag you can try. Sylvie didn't like some of the foods I've brought home for her & other's she's loved.

If you don't have a Global near you, are you near Kamloops? Wrapped around my Paw has some good foods. I found in Canada you need to go outside of the mass pet stores to the smaller/independent ones


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## rebeccaeric18 (Jan 27, 2010)

Thank you. Im not near kelowna. I will have to look in the bigger cities for small pet food places.
Harlows stool is getting worse and im getting more concerned. I called the vet and she offered antibiotics or a injection of fluids..
We cant afford hundreds of dollars for vet bills so im trying my hardest to do what i can.


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## cutietexan (Sep 22, 2009)

just thought i would mention this since no one has yet...  
silent spinner wheels arent recommended because there have been cases of nails getting caught in the crack and ripped off where the two halves of the wheel meet.

just thought i'd give my two cents


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## Nancy (Aug 22, 2008)

Also, Silent spinners tend to tip over when on the frame. Also the nut on the inside as well as the back of the wheel will come undone causing the wheel to fall. This can happen either on the stand or when attached directly to the cage.


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## rebeccaeric18 (Jan 27, 2010)

Really? Okay.. Well i will look into a new wheel..
We bought this hedgehog at the petshop and the only wheels they had in a 4 hour vicinity around where i live (which is a very very small town) is these ones and the metal ones.


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## SnufflePuff (Apr 16, 2009)

rebeccaeric18 said:


> Thank you. Im not near kelowna. I will have to look in the bigger cities for small pet food places.
> Harlows stool is getting worse and im getting more concerned. I called the vet and she offered antibiotics or a injection of fluids..
> We cant afford hundreds of dollars for vet bills so im trying my hardest to do what i can.


I'm in Canada too (AB) and haven't had any issues with food...

Petsmart carries Blue Spa, By Nature Organics and Technical (which is a healthier version of Royal Canin which I feed as a junk food). They also carry Authority, Royal Canin, and Purina all of which are on the list. You can buy a 12" comfort wheel from their as well for only $20.
http://www.petsmart.com/product/index.j ... Id=2753360

Petland carries Natural Balance Brand food and Wellness (both on the list) as well as quite a few others.

This place carries Chicken Soup for the Soul products if you're willing to make a 18.3 mile
drive from Kimberely BC (call ahead of time to make sure they have the product)

Hot Dogs N Cool Cats
3185 Theater Rd
Cranbrook, British Columbia V1C7B8
Phone: 250-417-0487
Distance: 18.3 miles

As far the vet bills go.... a good vet should only charge you around $80 for an exam and around $20 for the round of antibiotics (if they are even needed)...be forewarned some antibiotics worsen green stool by upsetting the natural bacteria in the intestine.

Children's pedialyte is a cheaper alternative to fluids (IF and ONLY IF your hedgie is not severely dehydrated and doesn't absolutely needs fluids). It can be bought from your local drug store and syringed by mouth (but do not force it down and make sure you put the tip of the syringe in the side of the mouth, not straight in as this can cause it to get in the lungs).

Ultimately, getting your hedgie off the crappy food may be essential to improving the stool back to a healthy level.

I have given crushed acidophilus probiotic tablets to my hedgehogs to get rid of green stool caused by antibiotics. It also helps boost the immune system I've heard which could help you. It can be bought as a tablet which can be crushed or as a capsule which you can break open. The dose is 1-2 small pinches depending on how bad the green stool is.

Might not work but it won't hurt either.


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## SilverQuill (Jan 21, 2010)

If you or someone you know is comfortable around basic tools there is an awesome DIY bucket wheel you can make yourself for about 15 bucks and is just as quiet if not more than the "Silent Spinner". I made ours in about 30 min and it turned out awesome. Here's the link to the instructions...

http://www.hedgehogworld.com/content/view/128/42/

One thing tho, I found that I had to cut the pieces of PVC that went down to the base like an upside down Y a lot shorter than they instructed as to not have the bucket so high off the ground (yes it is completely level i used a ball to make sure that it didn't roll out the front on its own even with a near 1 lb of pressure in the wheel), Id advise leaving those pieces unglued to the base so they can be cut if needed. Also if you have an ACE hardware near you, their buckets slope where they meet the bottom inside which make them easier to clean as you can see in this pic of mine. I also left out the front piece of PVC on the base as its very sturdy without it and i felt it was just more in the way. I had a SS and a comfort wheel both before I decided to make one and they were both louder than this one (specially the CW), We love this one tho, you should try it  Good Luck!


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## rebeccaeric18 (Jan 27, 2010)

Okay i will look into making something like that!

Also another question..
She has been sneezing, (i think) but doesnt have a runny nose? could this be a problem?


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## SilverQuill (Jan 21, 2010)

Our girl was sneezing the first few days we brought her home and i was concerned as well, but it slowly subsided, I think that the change in environment and new smells are probably the culprit, just keep an eye on her and make sure there isn't colored mucus coming from her nose or cloudy eyes.


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## rebeccaeric18 (Jan 27, 2010)

Okay, good. Shes only been here a week and a day now.. so hopefully its just that she is still adjusting..

Other than that her stool has gone back to a regular dark brown consistency and she is looking and doing a lot better then she has been lately!!


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## Nancy (Aug 22, 2008)

Sneezing from an environmental change usually only lasts a day or two, 3 at the most and usually starts within a day of arrival. If she is on shavings, carefresh or a loose commercial type of bedding or litter, take her off it and put her on cloth liners. Use an unscented detergent for washing and a bit of vinegar in the rinse will cut any detergent residue.

If her sneezing is progressing in frequency or she licks her nose a lot, she needs to see a vet. If the sneezing started in the past few days rather than right after she arrived, it could be a URI developing. URI's have the best outcome when treated in the early stages so keep close watch and if sneezing and nose licking progresses, get her to the vet. I suggest you start researching a vet now if you haven't already so you know who to take her to.


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## rebeccaeric18 (Jan 27, 2010)

I am using fleece liners for her bedding now. i switched her the 4th day we had her.
She does lick her nose but its not a lot. I just notice her sneezing (or what i think is sneezing)
once and a while. I will call the vet on monday and let her know about the issues ive been having and see what she can do.
Thanks nancy!


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## rebeccaeric18 (Jan 27, 2010)

UPDATE *
I am slowly switching onto Royal Canin Preventative. The vet said its the best thing i can buy around here as there isnt much choice. 
Either sunseed hedgehog forumula or this. So im going to slowly switch onto royal canin.

We are bringing her to the vet tommorrow to get a general checkup of everything just to make sure shes okay.
Her poop is better now. brown and formed and shes active but i still want to be on the safe side!

I thank you all so much for a very hard week and a half in my life! Very stressful trying to figure out the needs of my baby harlow!


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