# second hedgie



## fracturedcircle (May 31, 2010)

hi all,
it looks like I'll be picking up this adorable guy either tomorrow or early next week: viewtopic.php?f=20&t=5987

both boys will be kept completely separate, no worries about that. do they also need quarantine? I'm thinking yes, but just to double-check. I'll ask the current owner about Harvey's diet, habits, etc. to make the transition as smooth as possible for him.

I am a bit stressed out, so I could use some support, ya?


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## Littlefootsmama (May 23, 2010)

I completely understand.. a second hedgie is stressful. But at least the owner says he is well socialized; I feel like that is the stressful part -- when they are terrified of anything and everything.


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## LarryT (May 12, 2009)

Quarantine is highly recommended.


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## fracturedcircle (May 31, 2010)

LarryT said:


> Quarantine is highly recommended.


ok. there were detailed directions for it in the HWS mailing list recently.


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## fracturedcircle (May 31, 2010)

Littlefootsmama said:


> I completely understand.. a second hedgie is stressful. But at least the owner says he is well socialized; I feel like that is the stressful part -- when they are terrified of anything and everything.


I'm mostly stressed out about Sweetie and the antibiotics--I don't know who to trust. that frightens me.


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## Puffers315 (Apr 19, 2010)

Quarantine definitely recommended, I'm not an expert but this is how I handled Loki & Hester's quarantine.

Wash, wash, wash. Get a good disinfecting soap and wash your hands and arms between handling them. Wash any item that might go from one hog to the other, toys, dishes, etc.

Change Clothing between handling them.

Keep them as seperate as possible, I think its recommended if you have the space, to put the second guy in his own room in the house.

With Hester & Loki, I didn't have a second room to keep them in, so I kept them in the polar opposite sides of my room. As for handling, I did alternative days, so like Monday I'd handle Hester and have bonding time, then Tuesday I'd handle Loki. This is mainly because between those days I'd have showered and changed clothing. It seemed to have worked out just fine, and actually last night Loki moved into the top half of my Ferret Nation since its been 30 days.

Its stressful, but not as much as you think it can be. You can do it, and of course get a gold star for taking on a second hedgehog who's in need of a good home.


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## Hedgieonboard (Nov 15, 2009)

Grats on your soon to be new hedgie  I second the ideas above about quarantine. I think that you will do really great cause you already know a lot from Sweetie and are a good hedgie mom. I can't wait to see pictures of the new little guy.


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## fracturedcircle (May 31, 2010)

another question: I have a pet carrier, but Sweetie sat in it for like a minute. is there any way it could be made safe for the other guy?


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## Hedgieonboard (Nov 15, 2009)

If its a cloth one it should be fine after you run it through the wash. Im not sure if its recommended but if its something that can't be thrown in the wash I know we used to hang things out on the line when I was younger and the sunlight killed off anything and freshened it up. I never used this on something for a small animal though so I'd wait for some more suggestions on it


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## Sela (Apr 10, 2010)

Aww, Sweetie's getting a big brother. Keep us posted on Harvey, and don't forget the stories!

Don't worry, hon, you'll do fine. You've done great with Sweetie so far.


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## fracturedcircle (May 31, 2010)

we're picking him up tomorrow!!! he may be 2 yrs old. he's never been to a vet.


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## smhufflepuff (Aug 28, 2008)

fracturedcircle said:


> another question: I have a pet carrier, but Sweetie sat in it for like a minute. is there any way it could be made safe for the other guy?


Should be. Take it apart so you can clean all the parts and can see that you didn't miss a spot while cleaning. It's probably safe enough just to use vinegar and water then let air dry.

My little ones had been dealing with giardia, so I went all out with: bleach and water, rinsed with water, vinegar and water, rinsed with water -- letting it air dry in between.


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## Littlefootsmama (May 23, 2010)

Giving antibotics is stressful, but it gets easier. Is it a liquid? It took my sister and I to give Little Foot his medicine. She held him on his back and held his head and I stuck the syringe in his mouth. It make take a few tries, but it works. Or what I recently learned is that you can scruff the back of their neck like a puppy and quick shoot it into their mouth. That works well too; I did that when I had to give him squash that he wouldn't eat on his own. Just make sure you don't get too frazzled because hedgies can sense that.

You will be fine with a second little guy. Just make sure you quarantine him for 30 days and wash in between. I always take care of Little Foot first then I wash and take care of Gizmo. If he has never been to a vet you should probably schedule him an appointment, but wait and see how he adjusts first. I need to get Gizmo to the vet at some point, but he is still completely terrified.

Everything will be fine! In regards to not knowing who to trust, do your own research and trust your own judgment. There are a lot of "opinions" on how to care for a hedgehog, little known facts. What works for some, doesnt for others. The best way to overcome that is too educated yourself and see what works for your little ones.

Good luck!


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## PJM (May 7, 2010)

You're going to do great! And the hardest part will be over in 30 days. Can't wait to see pictures and hear all about it!


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## fracturedcircle (May 31, 2010)

two more pics of Harvey: 
http://img96.imageshack.us/img96/1290/harvey068.jpg
http://img444.imageshack.us/img444/7278/harvey070.jpg


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## Hedgieonboard (Nov 15, 2009)

That second picture is too cute and too funny lol  It looks like he's sticking his tongue out at the camera, how adorable


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## Puffers315 (Apr 19, 2010)

Also when you're doing the syringe if you're not trying it already, go in at kind of the corner of the mouth, I found this works best, tends to make them open their yaps more. It was the only way I could get anything down my Vera's mouth when she was sick.

As for the carrier, I second the washing it down, I'd go with the bleach and water if you had a few more days to allow it to air out, but I'd just wash the heck out of it with vinegar and water, maybe try heavily dilluted bleach water, air it out and then more or less press your face against it and sniff for signs of it, but since you're going tommorrow, I think vinegar and water will do fine.


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## Sela (Apr 10, 2010)

Hedgieonboard said:


> That second picture is too cute and too funny lol  It looks like he's sticking his tongue out at the camera, how adorable


Did you notice that he'd just anointed before that picture was taken? Silly Harvey!


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## fracturedcircle (May 31, 2010)

the ad was getting old by the time i saw it and there was no response for a while, so i thought it was very unlikely that i'd get that hedgehog. so of course i don't have anything prepared. he'll have to sleep under a baby blanket for a few days, before i procure an igloo for him. (the cage that comes with him is NOT large at all, but we'll wait a week or so before messing with it.)


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