# Diarrhea normal for quilling baby?



## alyssinreality (Jan 18, 2012)

Diggory is 7 weeks. He is eating and drinking normally although he isn't really taking to the new kibble. He just started quilling. This morning I found what I'm pretty sure is diarrhea on his wheel. It was amongst normal poop(not even green) and something that looked crusty like dirt or soiled shavings which is alarming because he is on fleece. The only other change besides the kibble is I set up a humidifier in my room. I won't know until tonight if it was just a one time occurrence or not. Can quilling agitate him to the point of diarrhea? Will it dehydrate him?


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## packrat (Oct 23, 2010)

He's a baby. Diarrhea/watery/greenish stools are normal right now. Quilling hurts, imagine if spikes were poking out of YOUR back :shock: 

I'm not sure if it's all hedgehogs, but mine seems to have anxiety attacks. If I take him to a room I haven't brought him to in a long time, he'll get nervous and poop :lol:


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## alyssinreality (Jan 18, 2012)

That's what I figured. But I always search things on here and then I realize its a bad idea because 90% of everyone's answers are really ominous. They're all saying that diarrhea in baby hedgies can dehydrate them and take them to the vet immediately. Which scared me so I made this post. I'm just praying that it was just once and that I won't wake up to seeing it again tomorrow. He's still so little and timid I really don't want to have to take him out in the cold to the vets just to have them tell me he's a baby and to wait it out.

I always feel better when I see Nancy's answers(not to discredit anyone else!!) because I know she's dealt with babies a lot. So I'm hoping she'll answer here sometime soon.


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## packrat (Oct 23, 2010)

crusty paper-thin-like stuff on the wheel is normal. I'm not sure WHAT it is exactly, but I am certainly not worried about it. I got mine when he was 8 weeks old, and he had very warm, melty poop for quite some time. Just keep his water dish topped off before you go to bed at night and monitor his facial expressions and bodily movements. Watch for any wobbling. If he runs around and burrows in stuff, he's most likely fine. At the quilling stage though he's more likely to not want anything to do with you for a while.


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## alyssinreality (Jan 18, 2012)

Well it wasn't just melty. It's always like that. This time it was like straight up brown water on the wheel. But I'm wondering, since there were plenty of normal poops around it if it was just a ton of pee mixed with poo? I'm glad the crusty stuff is normal, that caught me completely off guard. I would expect it from a hamster but not a hedgie on fleece bedding.



Gosh. Between baby Diggory and working at a daycare all I ever do is talk about poop. xD


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## JustOnePost (Dec 27, 2011)

Its very hard to say if your hedgehog has diarrhea or not passed solely on wheel stool as their stool on the wheel is likely saturated in hedgehog urine as well which can create a mushy and sometimes very liquid looking stool substance when inspected.

Rule of thumb is always better safe then sorry inspect your hedgehog often to ensure he/she is properly hydrated any signs of lethargy or wobbling are a bad sign, if you have doubts try syringing a little water if your hedgehog will respond well to it, always syringe from the side of their mouth.

A hydration test you can do is pinch their skin if it falls back into place nearly instantly there is no cause for concern if however it takes a few seconds you should most certainly work on hydrating your hedgehog.

Its best to avoid syringing if possible to some extent but its also good to know how and for a hedgehog to understand it a bit if something does occur which requires it in the future. (This is not to state syringe watering/feeding should be done at any time just to have that practice)


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## alyssinreality (Jan 18, 2012)

Well since he is still very active and eating and drinking(although not as much when I first brought him home but that could be due to nerves) I am going to assume it wasn't diarrhea and try to just be calm haha.


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## alyssinreality (Jan 18, 2012)

JustOnePost said:


> Its very hard to say if your hedgehog has diarrhea or not passed solely on wheel stool as their stool on the wheel is likely saturated in hedgehog urine as well which can create a mushy and sometimes very liquid looking stool substance when inspected.
> 
> Rule of thumb is always better safe then sorry inspect your hedgehog often to ensure he/she is properly hydrated any signs of lethargy or wobbling are a bad sign, if you have doubts try syringing a little water if your hedgehog will respond well to it, always syringe from the side of their mouth.
> 
> ...


As for pinching his skin....we'll see if the little prince allows that haha. I trimmed his nails without too much trouble, but he rarely ever lets me get to his belly.


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