# My hedgehog gets stuck upside down a lot



## mphillips2426 (Sep 7, 2012)

I got Nigel 2 days ago and he's been enjoying exploring my bedroom. I keep a close eye on him when i let him out of the cage and i constantly look over at him and he's somehow gotten himself flipped over onto his back and can't get himself turned upright. Normally he'll get it after 15 or 30 seconds but i usually help him. So is he just a little weirdo dweeb or should i be concerned about this?

Also, I'm 99% sure he has mites. So we'll be taking a trip to the vet this weekend... Money :'( ... I'm diagnosing him with mites because A. He was scratching like crazy 2. I noticed two quills that he lost, i found them on my bed...ew. 3. I did the old black shirt trick and definitely saw those little nasties moving.... Naturally I freaked out because Nigel has been crawling all over me, my bed, my entire room. I'm probably just being super paranoid but now i feel all itchy. I washed all my sheets right away, vacuumed. Idk what else to do. As for him, i tried giving him a bath and cleaning out his cage but he still seems to be itching a lot. I figured it wouldn't work but it was worth a try. 

Any advice or comforting words?


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## AngelaH (Jul 24, 2012)

I haven't had experience with these things, but I had to comment that I giggled when I read your heading, the visual of a little hedgie getting flipped upside down a lot, just sounds like a typical uncoordinated hedgehog. If he can flip back over without your help, its probably okay, but ask the vet about it since I haven't actually experienced it. I would just get concerned if it was happening and he couldn't get himself flipped back over on his own. 
Mites seem to be a fact of life as a hedgehog owner, just make sure you get prescribed Revolution and not something else as I keep reading that it is the only safe treatment. 
I hope none of it is anything serious, good luck!


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## MurE (Aug 29, 2011)

Well, I don't know if it's normal or not, but Poggles can't seem to flip himself over very well after he's on his back. It's very amusing and I also feel sorry for him because then I keep tickling his tummy and he tries to bat me away. Hee hee hee! Eventually, he'll flip back over, but I get a lot of tummy rubs in while he's at it


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## hedgielover (Oct 30, 2008)

yeah it's normal for hedgehogs to take a while to turn over from their backs and also look like uncoordinated goofballs while they are doing it.  

As for the getting stuck, have you ever seen how he does it? There are only two things I can think of. 1: he's trying to climb over something and he falls backwards even it's just a shoe or a stuffed animal on the floor that could be enough, My Quigley loved climbing on shoes! Also my first hedgehog was always climbing and burrowing in my stuffed animals. 2: Maybe he gets startled by something and balls up with enough force that he rolls himself a little and ends up on his back. Not sure a hedgehog would actually do that but it seems like it would be possible. If that were the case you would probably hear his displeasure.


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