# Sherlock's off his food - good vibes please!



## NoDivision (Aug 29, 2010)

It's been a while since I've posted, I hate to come with sad news D: 

Sherlock has gone off his food the past few days. It started with him just eating a little less than usual, and then last night he didn't appear to eat anything :\ He's always been my picky eater, but he's been on this food mix for a long time with great success, so this is something different. 

When I get him out to bond he doesn't seem off, though perhaps a tad less inquisitive than usual, but he mostly follows his usual routine of bag snuggling for a while and then wandering out on his own to explore (and pee on me.) When I put him back in his cage tonight though he seemed a bit lethargic - he just kind of plopped where I put him and lay there for a while before making his way into his bed, which is unusual for him. 

Obviously I will be keeping a very close eye on him and his food, and I've got everything set for a syringe feed tomorrow if he doesn't eat tonight. I'll update if I get more info, but right now I just wanted to share and would love any positive thoughts you guys can send our way. Thanks.


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## AngelaH (Jul 24, 2012)

Aw poor Sherlock  sending positive vibes and thoughts to you guys. Keep us updated.


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## AtomicHedgie (Jan 20, 2012)

Sending all possible good vibes your way!


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## vidd (May 18, 2010)

Good thoughts and good vibes your way. Maybe our current adventure can help with yours. Our little Hedgie got sick this past week. We now think it's a bad tooth, infection in the mouth and inner ear. Started out that he weaned off his food, then ate nothing and no water. He lost the use of his left side, his mouth and throat area swelled up over night on Sat. Thinking it was a stroke or cancer, we made the apt. Vet apt, steroid and antibiotics, A/D (never heard of the stuff till now), and some TLC and he's eating the A/D, med, a little water, and got on his wheel for the first time in a week. Inner ear, vertigo, seems to look a lot like stroke symptoms in hedgehogs. We thought the very worst, and he seems to be recovering a bit 3 days into the meds. Will go back in a few more days for Vet apt, and a look at his mouth. Couldn't really open his mouth much, so durring the next visit we will be looking for anything that may look like cancer. We really are hoping it's just the tooth that is the cause. This is our first hedgehog, and it's been a learning expirence in so many ways. You think of dogs and cats having personality and attachment. Never knew a hedgehog could be the same.

Best to you and your little Hedgie.


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## NoDivision (Aug 29, 2010)

I checked up on him a few times in the night, and he seems to have gone downhill a bit more. He's definitely having some mobility issues. He _can_ walk normally, but doesn't seem to want to. He doesn't wobble or fall over, but he just plops down wherever I put him down and seems content to flop there. I checked this morning and he had eaten one piece of kibble... D: He has been drinking though.

Tonight he's getting syringe fed and some water just in case and lots of snuggling and warmth, and then we're off to the vet as soon as possible.


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## Lilysmommy (Jan 7, 2009)

Poor Sherlock!  Good luck at the vet, I hope it's something easily fixed. Please keep us updated! I'll be sending good thoughts to you guys.


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## Midevalmiss (Apr 6, 2011)

OH pore Sherlock!!! Have you tried to give him some caned kitten food? *Good thoughts and vibs you way*


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## NoDivision (Aug 29, 2010)

I just stocked up on all sorts of things to tempt him with - several kinds of canned food, baby foods, some pedialite incase he needs fluids, and some fresh mealies (been out for a little while.) He immediately went for the mealie I offered him, so he does still have some appetite, so that's good! However, he had a hard time eating it. Instead of scarfing the whole thing like usual he chew-chew-chewed and spit out the harder shell after taking a few times in his mouth to eat out the middle bit. So this makes me think there may be something wrong in his mouth that he can't handle crunching. I can't see or feel anything, and I managed to get a pretty good look in his mouth, but at least that's an idea and something I can be sure to have the vet check. 

For now I have some of his kibble soaking to get it soft, since I know he at least likes the flavor of that (picky picky picky eaters are so hard to care for!) and then we'll go from there.


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## NoDivision (Aug 29, 2010)

He's being a good boy with the syringe so far. Not super fond of the food, but he's tolerating it, and I've been able to get him water and some pedialite with no issues. He's over the whole mealworm thing, I think it's just too much work for him right now with the crunchy bits. Managed to plop him on the scale, and He has lost a bit of weight, but nothing dramatic. 

Having never syringe fed before, and having a heck of a time finding this info using the search - how much (in MLs) should I be aiming for him to eat?


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## Lilysmommy (Jan 7, 2009)

I've always read that the rule of thumb is however many mLs you can get into him, that's how many hours you can wait before the next feeding. So if he takes 4 mLs in a feeding, you can wait 4 hours before feeding him again. I'm sure it varies a bit depending on how much your hedgie normally eats too, though, and if they're eating anything at all on their own. With Lily, when she was sick, I had to feed her every couple/few hours throughout the day, fed her before bed, got up for one feeding halfway through my sleeping time, and then fed her in the morning when I got up. She was eating a little bit on her own, but not much at all - mainly mealworms. Usually the most I got into her at one sitting was 3-4 mLs.


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## NoDivision (Aug 29, 2010)

That helps, thanks. I have concerns given that I work a 9 hour day mon-friday, but I can get home at lunch time probably.


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## Lilysmommy (Jan 7, 2009)

I feel your pain there...I had a couple of 8-9 hour work shifts while Lily was sick and I was frantic at having to leave her for that long. I just tried to get as much in her as I could before I left and fed her as soon as I got back. I got lucky and after I explained what was going on, my boss was more than willing to give me 4-6 hour work shifts for the last of my time with her, so I wasn't away from her for so long. Good luck with getting food into him! I don't know if this will help with anything at all, but this is my thread from when Lily was sick, Kalandra gave some good advice on syringe feeding positions and stuff like that on the page linked - viewtopic.php?f=17&t=15492&st=0&sk=t&sd=a&start=30


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## NoDivision (Aug 29, 2010)

My snuggly boy - he's been lying on my chest most of the night between feedings.



















I really wish I could take him to work with me, I hate the thought of leaving him alone so long. Unfortunately I work at a zoo, so AZA guidelines don't allow me to bring him (even though my building is actually outside zoo grounds and I have zero animal contact... )

He doesn't fuss when I feed him, he's been really good about keeping still, usually lying on his back he'll just chill out. But the problem is getting him to unclench his jaw enough to get the tip of the syringe in there. I might need to get a pipette with a smaller tip.


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## NoDivision (Aug 29, 2010)

Another update. We'll be going to visit our NEW vet first thing saturday, who I have heard wonderful things about.

When I came home today, Sherlock's tummy feels pretty cool, which it didn't yesterday. But his room temp is the same as normal (75), he's pretty much constantly with me when I'm home, and I've even been putting the snuggle safe in with him overnight and during the day, so he's got warmth. However he was out of him igloo and away from his snuggle safe just lying in the open D: So there's a new thing to worry me. I'll be turning off the AC in the apartment (which I always set at 78, but their room stays a bit cooler by nature as it doesn't get sun) and turning on the heat in his room from now on.


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## Lilysmommy (Jan 7, 2009)

Sherlock, baby, you gotta stop worrying your mom!  I hope the room temp being higher keeps him cozy and warm, and good luck at the vet's! Give little Sherlock an extra cuddle for me. <3


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## Midevalmiss (Apr 6, 2011)

Have you tried to give him wax worms since the millworms seam to be to much for him? He need to get better soon!!! Have you ever had an exray of his head done? with him being such a picky eater, and now seams to have troubel with eating period, it makes me think he could have a broken tooth that has been bothering him.... Or had had a broken jow at sometime that did not heal right. I used to work with dogs and if one was refusing to eat we used to put chicken brouth and gravy on there food and heat it up, that almost always worked. You could maybe try the same thing with Serlock. keep us posted


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## NoDivision (Aug 29, 2010)

I've taken a peek in his mouth and I think there is something going on there, I see a bit of redness and swelling, but I can't get a particularly good look. That will be the first thing I have the vet check though! I just hope if that's what it is that a broken tooth is all it is, but I don't have a good feeling about it. I just want to get him looked at. I'm feeling okay about keeping him stable with syring feeding until then, but Saturday can't come soon enough!

And he's actually always hated soft foods, so that makes this all the more frustrating.


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## NoDivision (Aug 29, 2010)

Things took a turn for the worst sometime last night. Yesterday he seemed to be doing a bit better and I was able to get more food and fluids into him than usual and he was a little more active. Then sometime after 3am things went wrong. When I got up this morning he was gasping and wheezing with his mouth open. I rushed to the vet immediately, but he passed away on the way there.


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## Hazesti (Jan 19, 2010)

I'm really sorry


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## BDawson (Apr 22, 2012)

So sorry for your loss!


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