# Baths and foot baths



## Tavia06 (Apr 23, 2012)

Ok, firstly I apologize if a how to on baths and foot baths has already been posted, I looked through a good 30 pages and found only health issues, and even when I searched I didn't find anything that answerd my question so here goes! 

My baby girl Amora came home this Thursday, she has been home for two full days now and is doing well. Last night and this evening she started to try out her wheel, and I knew it would be poopy but wow I definatly underestimated how poopy and how much pee would be on it. Well since she pooped and peed so much and continued to run, her feets are poopy and she managed to get some on her belly and back. 

I am hoping that some of you hedgie experts can give a bit of a how to on foot baths and a full body bath. I have the aveeno oatmeal baby bath, and tooth brush, but not sure what the best least stressful ( for Amora) way to do this is. I put a small amount of water in the tub ( maybe an inch and a half) and put her in it, the water was only in one part of the tub and she was more interested in trying to escape then stand in the water. I wasn't sure if I should hold her in my hands and try and use a soapy toothbrush to clean her feet or what. I also don't want to frighten her for her first time having a bath. But at the same time I want to make a foot bath or just water rinse off a fairly regular thing, and check her feet and nails a few times a week. I read some posts, that other hedgie owners made it a regular thing from the start to check their nails and do a clip or two rather than wait till they are super long and try and do it all at once. Anyway, I digress, if anyone can give a bit of a low down on the bathing techniques for a foot bath and full body bath, that they use or has been good for getting new babies used to them, I would greatly appreciate it!


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## Keosha (May 13, 2012)

Here is a video that I found on youtube, I watch it and it helped me out a lot before I attempted to give Penelope a bath 



. As for the escaping part, it's a thing that I believe many hedgehog owners deal with. (I know I sure do) :lol:

Baths should also only be given when necessary as it dries their skin out quite a bit. (Buying capsules of flax seed oil is a great idea, you can poke a tiny hole in the capsule and drain it into you hedgehogs food to help stop the dry flaky skin) It is important to remember to try and make bath time a positive thing, so offering a few meal worms or treat after words usually makes everything forgiven.  As for foot baths, depending on you hedgehogs feet they can be given every few days (as needed) I can also suggest just running the tooth brush through her quills while it's dry and free of any shampoo to help introduce it to your hedgie, this is how I gradually started with Penelope and moved up to using shampoo, and actually bathing. Or as a bath substituent (I do this sometimes with Penelope if she is very mildly dirty) you can also take some luke warm water and a tooth brush and just dip the tooth brush into the water and run it through her quills without any shampoo.

As for the nails, it really depends on your hedgehog. Penelope struggles with getting her nails trimmed and is very squirmy so I clip 1-2 nails per night (as needed) instead of making it a whole night job as it is unnecessary to stress her out. However, some Hedgies are much more calm and can handle getting their nails done all at once.

Each Hedgie is different and it is important to remember that some will take to bathing and different techniques much quicker than others, whereas 
some of our quilly friends never will. Just be patience, you hedgie may still come around yet. 

Hopefully this answered you question!


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## GoodandPlenty (Feb 4, 2012)

Sophie gets a foot and belly bath, along with nail inspection / clipping, and 'quill rinses', three times a week. At 4 1/2 months old, she hasn't had a full bath yet, but I don't think she needs one. Sophie gets her bath in the bathroom sink. Even though she poops and pees before bath time (mostly), it is still nice to be able to change out the water very quickly. I can pull the plug and easily run fresh water. She doesn't like the sound of running water, so I have a pre-filled one-gallon pitcher on hand, which minimizes the need to run water. (All water is warmish; not cold, not hot.)

She has gotten better about being in the water. When we first started, she spent the whole time wanting out, and I spent the whole time trying to get it done without allowing her to become overly agitated. If the animal crosses the line to overly agitated, you just have to stop. Otherwise, things become counterproductive in a hurry.

I started her in the minimum amount of water. I tried using several inches of water, and that helped quite a bit. In just an inch or so of water, she was constantly trying to walk out. With four or five inches of water, she took to being happy to stand in it. I had not expected that to help at all, but it made a huge difference with Sophie.

I also found that she seems to enjoy having her quills brushed. She's not getting a full bath, because there is no soap, and a minimum of water is going over her quills, but she is getting a slight cleaning / rinsing. After this, I brush at her legs and feet a bit. By this time, she's been in the water long enough to soften the poopy boots (that only takes a few minutes) and I just have to make sure she's clean between her toes and whatnot.

While checking that her feet are fully clean, I am inspecting her nails. We do not do any big clipping sessions. Even now, she doesn't exactly like clipping. With three foot baths a week, if I clip just a couple nails each time, then she'll never have any long nails. I don't think that I've ever clipped more than four at a time and sometimes I won't take any clips. I use regular, people clippers, but about the smallest size made, so they handle well.

She needs to be left alone for awhile after we're done, and I'll put her in a hedgie sack for about 30 minutes. Even when she's been really good, she still needs that time to relax. She doesn't like to be dried off a whole lot, so she gets the bath right at the start of 'together time'. This way, she is mostly dry before going back in her cage.

We haven't had any dry skin problems, but I'm prepared to feed her a bit of flax seed oil if necessary. (I don't read much about olive oil, but would think it a good choice also.? Flax seed oil is high in poly-unsaturated fats, and olive oil is high in mono-unsaturated fat; both are 'good' fats'.)


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## Keosha (May 13, 2012)

GoodandPlenty said:


> We haven't had any dry skin problems, but I'm prepared to feed her a bit of flax seed oil if necessary. (I don't read much about olive oil, but would think it a good choice also.? Flax seed oil is high in poly-unsaturated fats, and olive oil is high in mono-unsaturated fat; both are 'good' fats'.)


Yes, Olive oil is another great option as well. Either or will work just fine.


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## GoodandPlenty (Feb 4, 2012)

I forgot to show off Sophie in the bath:

http://serenebreezes.com/Sophie-images/Sophie-117.jpg

http://serenebreezes.com/Sophie-images/Sophie-116-cr.jpg


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## Keosha (May 13, 2012)

GoodandPlenty said:


> I forgot to show off Sophie in the bath:
> 
> http://serenebreezes.com/Sophie-images/Sophie-117.jpg
> 
> http://serenebreezes.com/Sophie-images/Sophie-116-cr.jpg


Oh my goodness, those pictures are adorable! She looks so content!  I love the suggestion about deepening the water, I just might have to try that for Penelope!


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## Tavia06 (Apr 23, 2012)

Thank you all for your advice! I gave Amora her first soapless bath and brushed her with the tooth brush and she was amazing! I put enough water so that her belly was covered and her butt too. she only tryd to climb out once and then she just kinda sat there in the water and let me use the brush to get her wet. She must have liked it she let me do it for a good ten minutes almost. Then i was able to clip her nails no problem! I only did a few but I think we will make soapless baths and nail check a regular thing. After she fell asleep in the towel in my hand for 2 hours and let me pet her and "massage"her and everything! she was so good! Im so very proud of her considering shes only been home for 4 days today!


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## DLutz (Jun 1, 2012)

GoodandPlenty said:


> I forgot to show off Sophie in the bath:
> 
> http://serenebreezes.com/Sophie-images/Sophie-117.jpg
> 
> http://serenebreezes.com/Sophie-images/Sophie-116-cr.jpg


Awesome Images, their little boogers to get nice sharp photos of... Thanks for sharing!


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## hanhan27 (May 12, 2011)

Since advice to the OP has been given, used, and we got a successful report (yayy for things going smoothly, Tavia!), I must say: GoodandPlenty, Sophie is just precious. She has such a pretty little face.


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## Tavia06 (Apr 23, 2012)

Here are some pictures of Amora after her first bath. Cuddles with mommy!

http://m1250.photobucket.com/albumview/ ... .html?o=61 
http://m1250.photobucket.com/albumview/ ... .html?o=63
http://m1250.photobucket.com/albumview/ ... .html?o=64


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## GoodandPlenty (Feb 4, 2012)

She lays on her back! Sophie Does. Not. Like. that. I'm still trying to ease her into it, but no sign of progress so far. She doesn't even like to be tilted up.


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## Tavia06 (Apr 23, 2012)

Yeah she is really good! She doesn't like when I try to get her out of her cage, but other then that she seems to be getting very comfortable with me already. I have been spending time with her everyday for a few hours just lettin her sleep on me and me petting her an everything. She did try to take a big bite out of my boyfriend though, but I think that was cause she was scared. Everytime he would talk she would jump haha not used to a manly voice I guess hahaha. But she let's me move her aroun pretty well, she let me hold her foot while in the sink having her bath and let me clip her nails and hold her on her back, she did try to get on her feet after a little bit but was very good. I feel pretty lucky with her. Other than her stinky poo, and the sheer amount of poo and pee. Everytime she is awake it seems she pees all the time. But I'm just taking it as she is just a baby so it's normal.


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