# Smell, smell, smell!



## SonicGems (Jul 30, 2011)

I just got my hedgie today and I'm a new hedgehog owner,
but I've read all around this site and have learned many helpful things.

It wasn't until just a few minutes ago did my own question come up,
when all of a sudden, all I can smell is Sonic's smelly cage. >__<
I figured it's just because she urinated somewhere, which that is something I'm aware I can't stop her from doing. :roll: 
But this smell has got to go some how.
So, I sprayed some linen spray on the towel underneath of her cage, which helped, but I'm afraid I'll irritate her if I keep doing that.


I have to do something quick to help the smell go away. My mom may make me get rid of her if I don't keep the smell toned down.
Please recommend cheap, at home remedies?
Thanks <3

***I use carefresh bedding

****I'm sorry if this has already been answered or is in the wrong topic


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## CanadienHedgie (Feb 4, 2011)

Carefresh isn't the best bedding for hedgehogs because it's dusty and can cause respiratory problems. There have also been cases of hedgehogs eating the carefresh, which is very dangerous. 

What food are you feeding her? Can you post the ingredients?

Hedgehogs are sensitive so scents, so I would not spray anything in or around her cage.


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## SonicGems (Jul 30, 2011)

What bedding would you recommend then?

I'm feeding her Purina One Chicken & Rice Formula.
She was eating Natural Balance with her previous owner.
I know it's not good to switch their food right away, but I didn't have much of a choice because I couldn't get a hold of the food.
My friend (the previous owner) was going to switch her hedgies to that next, anyways.

I figured she'd be sensitive, but I'm not sure what I can do.
I have to figure something out.
Hence why I asked.


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## CanadienHedgie (Feb 4, 2011)

The best bedding is fleece liners. Which is just a piece of fleece, cut to fit the cage. All you do to clean it is pick the poop off the fleece every day, and take it out and put it in the wash. It's best to have at least 3 so you can have one to put in when you take one out.

It's not good to switch foods right away, so that could be the problem.

Ingredients: Chicken, brewers rice, corn gluten meal, poultry by-product meal, wheat flour, animal fat preserved with mixed-tocopherols (form of Vitamin E), wheat gluten, whole grain corn, non-fat yogurt, fish meal, brewers dried yeast, potassium chloride, phosphoric acid, animal digest, caramel color, tetra sodium pyrophosphate, calcium carbonate, salt, L-Lysine monohydrochloride, choline chloride, taurine, zinc sulfate, Vitamin E supplement, ferrous sulfate, manganese sulfate, niacin, Vitamin A supplement, calcium pantothenate, thiamine mononitrate, copper sulfate, riboflavin supplement, Vitamin B-12 supplement, pyridoxine hydrochloride, folic acid, Vitamin D-3 supplement, calcium iodate, biotin, menadione sodium bisulfite complex (source of Vitamin K activity), sodium selenite.
Protein: 34%
Fat: 13%
Fiber: 2%


This isn't a really good food to be feeding, especially alone. In a cat food, you want:
Protein: 29-33% - higher protein can cause liver/kidney problems
Fat (under 6 months): 20% or so
Fat (over 6 months): 9-14%
Fat (runs a lot): 15-20%
Fiber: 3% or more
First Ingredient: Real meat (chicken, duck, turkey, lamb, etc)
Second Ingredient: Real meat or meat meal (chicken meal, duck meal, etc)
No: Corn, wheat, animal by-products, raisins or nuts
Beef and pork are hard to digest.

How old is she?


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## Guest (Jul 30, 2011)

SonicGems said:


> What bedding would you recommend then?
> 
> I'm feeding her Purina One Chicken & Rice Formula.
> She was eating Natural Balance with her previous owner.
> ...


An immediate switch in food will result in stinky poop that is green and possibly runny as well this is natural. The Purina you are referring to has a high protein and fat content if I am not mistaken and contains corn and meat by-products which are not the best source of food for a hedgie . You can refer to our food list or if I know Canadian she will cut and paste her usual post on her mixes and food variety. Hedgehogs are a lot of responsibility but so very rewarding to own as pets, a lot of people here us fleece liners as you can just pick whatever mess up in the morning and use a litter box/paper towels for a bathroom area for them and train them to use it. Once or twice a week depending on the mishaps you hedgehog get into you wash the fleece liners with non scented detergent or water and vinegar.


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## SonicGems (Jul 30, 2011)

She'll be 8 weeks on august 2nd.

So what food would you recommend, then?
Something easy to find would be nice.
Is it okay to feed her it for a while? I just bought a bag of it and I can't exactly just throw it away.
If I absolutely have to switch her, I will.
But I just bought the stuff today and my mom will not be happy if I tell her I can't use it at all.

And I still need to know what to do about the smell.
:|


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## Guest (Jul 30, 2011)

SonicGems said:


> She'll be 8 weeks on august 2nd.
> 
> So what food would you recommend, then?
> Is it okay to feed her it for a while? I just bought a bag of it and I can't exactly just through it away.
> ...


I am pretty sure I answered that you switched her food it should pass in time its most likely poop which switching to a new food will do.

If you got it at a pet store most even open will let you return it for cash/store credit. The food that is recommended is in the cat food list in the diet section:

http://hedgehogcentral.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=6&t=15

You cannot use any air fresheners or anything really because this will agitate a hedgehog more then likely. I am betting odds the immediate change in food is the culprit.


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## Lilysmommy (Jan 7, 2009)

The food is fine to feed for awhile, or even to keep in a mix, IMO. It's not the best, but it's also far from the worst. If you look at this list, you can find some other food options that would be good for her. viewtopic.php?f=6&t=15 I know that most of them are higher end cat foods and they can be expensive, so if your mom complains about the price, point out that hedgies don't eat much at all and a 5-lb bag of food can last months. 

I remember reading (I believe from Nancy, who's a very well-respected and knowledgeable ex-breeder on this forum) that babies tend to have stronger smelling urine and poop. The smell may go down as she gets older. Until then, you can help with the smell by putting a container of baking soda outside her cage, that will help absorb the smell. If you change the bedding to fleece liners, you can also keep down on the smell by changing the liners every day. It'll translate to more laundry, but less smell. Using vinegar in the wash along with detergent (or instead of) will help get rid of the urine smell out of the liners as well.

Also, welcome to the site and we'd love to see pics of your new baby when you have time!


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## Hedgieonboard (Nov 15, 2009)

An easy inexpensive fix would be to leave a dish of baking soda near the cage but make sure no animals can get a hold of it. Baking soda absorbs smells. I use fleece and have a few sewn flannel liners and they work really good. I use paper towels under the wheel too. My hedgie Sandra was really really smelly when I got her and she loved making nasty messes in the cage. I just had to be extra good about cleaning it out and would switch liners once a day. Sometimes its the wheel that will add the most smell to the room so you could always keep paper towels and vinegar solution near the cage so you can spot clean. Sometimes doing a spot clean will make it better til you do a full clean in the morning. If I see any poops in the cage before I go to bed I go ahead and spot clean them because its one less mess for the morning and every little bit helps the smell.


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## SonicGems (Jul 30, 2011)

I understood what was the culprit.


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## SonicGems (Jul 30, 2011)

Lilysmommy, that helped a lot.
Thanks. :]

I'll get a smaller bag next time too
And baking soda is a good idea.
And I have been spot cleaning.


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## CanadienHedgie (Feb 4, 2011)

There is a list of foods on here:
viewtopic.php?f=6&t=15

Foods with fish in them will make your hedgehogs poop smell. 
The foods I like are Blue Buffalo, Innova and Chicken Soup For The Cat Lovers Soul. But you have to make sure they fit this:
*Protein: 29-33% - higher protein can cause liver/kidney problems
Fat (under 6 months): 20% or so
Fat (over 6 months): 9-14%
Fat (runs a lot): 15-20%
Fiber: 3% or more
First Ingredient: Real meat (chicken, duck, turkey, lamb, etc)
Second Ingredient: Real meat or meat meal (chicken meal, duck meal, etc)
No: Corn, wheat, animal by-products, raisins or nuts
Beef and pork are hard to digest.*

Sorry for the repost, just want to make sure you know it.

*To Switch Food:
Week 1: 1/4 new, 3/4 old
Week 2: 1/2 new, 1/2 old
Week 3: 3/4 new, 1/4 old
Week 4: Eating all new food*

Here's what I feed: (TWCOGAR, is right about me posting it again for you lol)

First Food (Turkey):
Blue Buffalo Basics Turkey & Potato Recipe Cat Food
Protein: 30%
Fat: 12%
Fiber: 3.5%
First 5: Deboned Turkey, Turkey Meal, Whole Potatoes, Oatmeal, Peas

Second Food (Chicken):
Blue Buffalo Spa Select Weight Control Formula Cat Food
Protein: 28%
Fat: 9%
Fiber: 8.5%
First 5: Deboned Chicken, Chicken Meal, Oatmeal, Whole Ground Barley, Whole Ground Brown Rice

Third Food (Duck):
Blue Buffalo Basics Duck & Potato Recipe Cat Food
Protein: 30%
Fat: 12%
Fiber: 3.5%
First 5: Deboned Duck, Pea Protein, Oatmeal, Peas, Whole Ground Brown Rice

Fourth Food (for extra fat): Tons of meat in this one 
Blue Buffalo Finicky Feast Chicken & Turkey Recipe Adult Cat Food
Protein: 32%
Fat: 16%
Fiber: 3.5%
First 5: Deboned Chicken, Deboned Turkey, Chicken Meal, Turkey Meal, Menhaden Fish Meal

*Their daily food consists of:*

-A mixture of 4 Blue Buffalo foods (1 chicken flavored, 1 turkey flavored, 1 duck flavored, 1 extra).
-2 or 3 live crickets (I either rip the legs off and put them in the cage or leave the legs on and put them in the tub).
-10 crickets that are thawed and hidden in the cage for them to "hunt".
-About 4 live mealworms, as a treat when they unball.
-3 grasshoppers that are thawed and hidden in the cage for them to "hunt".
-1 Shell-less snail (they SMELL).
-2 frozen then thawed pinkies a week.

Then I make my own foods, that they get as well. But it gets complicated.

I'm sure switching the new food is the reason the poop smells. Switch her to liners, and see if that helps the smell. Babies poop smells worse then adults, so remember that as well. Baking soda helps. Cleaning the wheel everyday will help with the smell.


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## CanadienHedgie (Feb 4, 2011)

Also, if you want to use a cheaper in price food, you can use: Purina ONE Beyond (make sure it's the chicken one). That's the only food from Purina that doesn't contain corn, and by-products.
http://www.purinaonebeyond.com/healthy- ... e-oat.aspx

But because she's a baby, you'll have to feed another food with more fat (around 20%). Or you could feed extra mealworms for the extra fat. Make sure they're live, not freeze dried.


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## SonicGems (Jul 30, 2011)

Okay.
I'm going to have to feed her this for a little while until I can get a chance to switch her food again.
But as soon as I can get to the pet store I'll buy new food.

I thought I bought the right Purina, but there's so many, it was probably beginners mistake that I messed it up.


Is there any fruits or vegetables that are good for babies?


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## Guest (Jul 30, 2011)

SonicGems said:


> Okay.
> I'm going to have to feed her this for a little while until I can get a chance to switch her food again.
> But as soon as I can get to the pet store I'll buy new food.
> 
> ...


Its okay 

We all can sound harsh when we post but it isn't meant in anyway but to help you and your hedgehog have as much time and happiness together as possible ^.^


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## Guest (Jul 30, 2011)

But we do have one rule.....


LOTS AND LOTS of cute hedgie pictures!!!! ^.^


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## SonicGems (Jul 30, 2011)

Now an unrelated question while you all are answering me.
She's up and awake, and when I go to pet her she hisses and puffs.
It scares me and it scares her.
What should I do?



I made her a little fleece pillow, and I've been carrying it on me and giving it to her so she'll get used to my smell.


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## Hedgieonboard (Nov 15, 2009)

Yes, pics are always great to see  There's lots of fruits and veggies to try, steamed carrots are a hit here (well at least with my hedgie that likes to try things lol ) banana is another fav here. 

For the hissing she is still getting used to things and that can take awhile and may never go away totally, it's hard to predict. One thing you can try is just letting her sit on your lap with a little hedgie blanket over her. She will feel safer with something like that covering her and will be helping her get used to you


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## Lilysmommy (Jan 7, 2009)

SonicGems said:


> Okay.
> I'm going to have to feed her this for a little while until I can get a chance to switch her food again.
> But as soon as I can get to the pet store I'll buy new food.
> 
> ...


Don't feel bad! To be honest, the food isn't nearly as bad as it could be, and there's many more mistakes you could've made. A lot of people are misled into thinking that hedgehog foods are the best thing to feed, when in reality most of them are crap or worse. Just remember that you're doing the right thing by doing the research and asking questions. 

As far as fruits and veggies go, there's a list of safe ones here - viewtopic.php?f=6&t=60&st=0&sk=t&sd=a&hilit=fruit+and+veggie

Keep in mind though, that you don't want to change too many things at once. You should only introduce one new food at a time, so give her tummy time to settle from the sudden kibble change. Once she's settled with that for awhile, you can start introducing new treats, like mealworms and crickets (unless she's already used to those), or different fruits/veggies. Baby food is a great way to try new fruits/veggies if you don't want to buy a large amount to discover she doesn't like it and your family won't use it. Lily gets a baby food mix every night. Also keep in mind that many hedgies will be picky and a lot take a long time to try anything new, especially veggies. Don't get discouraged and if she won't try something, offer it another time, in a different form, or mixed with wet cat food or a meat baby food. I discovered that Lily will usually try a new veggie baby food if it's mixed with turkey or chicken baby food.



SonicGems said:


> Now an unrelated question while you all are answering me.
> She's up and awake, and when I go to pet her she hisses and puffs.
> It scares me and it scares her.
> What should I do?
> ...


You'll get used to the hissing and huffing. :lol: She's probably just a bit nervous and defensive with all of the new things, and she'll take time to settle in and get used to you. Some hedgies can take up to months to be comfortable with a new owner, and some never stop being huffy. The pillow is a great way to get her used to your scent. Get her out every night for cuddle time, anywhere from half an hour to a couple hours. If you have a hard time picking her up when she's grumpy and quilly, you can use a fleece blanket to scoop her up and to hold her. A lot of times, having a blanket or something over them will make them feel safer and they'll be more likely to cuddle or explore.


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## CanadienHedgie (Feb 4, 2011)

Feed more veggies then fruits (because of the sugar). Whenever feeding a new food, only introduce one food at a time, just in case it makes her sick.

If the veggie is hard, cook it (carrots, broccoli, cauliflower, etc.)
If you feed berries, peel them and remove seed(s)/pit
Don't feed raisins or nuts or seeds.
Don't feed stringy veggies, like celery. There hard to digest.
No seasonings.
No raw meat.
No acidic fruits (like oranges)
No beef or pork (hard to digest)

Favorites of my crew are:

Carrots (cooked, peeled if necessary)
Broccoli (cooked)
Cauliflower (cooked)
*Pumkin* this is a GREAT one to feed
Asparagus (cooked)
Watermelon
Strawberries (peeled)
Blueberries (peeled)
Saskatoon Berries (peeled) 
Red Pepper
Squash
Potato (mashed or cooked in cubes)
Apple (peeled)
Kiwi (peeled, seeds removed)
Cantaloupe
Mango
Banana (I've found this causes diarrhea)
Cucumber (I've found this causes diarrhea)
Cooked, unseasoned: chicken, duck, lamb, turkey, goat, bison, rabbit and venison.

But the best option is really to just feed her vegetables/fruits that your family will eat, just in case she doesn't like them. So don't go out and buy say... red peppers, if no one in your family likes them.


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## LizardGirl (Aug 25, 2008)

> Feed more veggies then fruits (because of the sugar).


Since when has natural fruit sugar been bad? There is nothing wrong with feeding fruits.


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## Guest (Jul 30, 2011)

Indeed and keep in mind your hedgehog is just a baby and will go through the process of getting their adult quills soon and this is very painful and irritating to some and could change your hedgehogs personality, just keep handling everyday your hedgehog is scared of you as it should be its is only practicing its defensive nature reacting to it will only strengthen your hedgehogs resolve to keep it up, keep showing your hedgehog you are no threat this trust can be built but with some it takes weeks, other months, some years, and some do not ever totally trust, but show small signs over time.


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## SonicGems (Jul 30, 2011)

Okay.
So I found the source of the smell.

She's using her wheel as a bathroom. >__<
I figured this would happen.

How can I spot clean it without having to take it out of the cage every 10 minutes so I can wash it?


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## CanadienHedgie (Feb 4, 2011)

LizardGirl said:


> > Feed more veggies then fruits (because of the sugar).
> 
> 
> Since when has natural fruit sugar been bad? There is nothing wrong with feeding fruits.


I didn't say feeding fruits was bad. I said don't feed tons of fruits.


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## CanadienHedgie (Feb 4, 2011)

SonicGems said:


> Okay.
> So I found the source of the smell.
> 
> She's using her wheel as a bathroom. >__<
> ...


All hedgehogs do this (pretty much). If you wash the wheel every morning and night if necessary, if shouldn't smell. What wheel are you using? Some are much harder to clean then others, and some are dangerous. I wipe my wheels down with a 50/50 water vinegar solution and paper towel.


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## Lilysmommy (Jan 7, 2009)

SonicGems said:


> Okay.
> So I found the source of the smell.
> 
> She's using her wheel as a bathroom. >__<
> ...


 :lol: Yup, that's just a fact of life in the world of hedgie ownership. I think the easiest way to give it a quick cleaning would be to spray a paper towel with cleaning solution (the preferred cleaning agent on here is a 50/50 water/vinegar mix, but I also use chlorhexidine, which is an animal-safe disinfectant), and wipe the wheel down. If you find that the mess is a bit more stuck on, you can spray the wheel and let it sit for a minute or two, then wipe it down. What kind of wheel is it? Some clean easier than others.

Edit: Whoops, posted at the same time as Canadien! Sorry for the repeats!


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## SonicGems (Jul 30, 2011)

The wheel I'm using is called super pet silent spinner.


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## LizardGirl (Aug 25, 2008)

Well, you implied that the sugar in fruit was bad, and you might want to check and see if there has ever actually been a problem with that, before telling people to "be careful of feeding too much fruit". I highly, highly doubt a hedgie could ever eat enough fruit to cause problems unless it was fed strictly as the staple food.


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## Guest (Jul 30, 2011)

SonicGems said:


> Okay.
> So I found the source of the smell.
> 
> She's using her wheel as a bathroom. >__<
> ...


I wouldn't bother the wheel you'll only stress your hedgehog more, the poo smell should die down with time the food change is just making it more potent and as mentioned younger hedgehogs sometimes have more potent poop, hedgehogs love to wheel for sometimes hours at a time and their late night time should have as little interruptions as possible especially in a new environment. You can't spot clean the wheel or the cage really but when they are sleeping this helps keep their stress levels down, plus some hedgehogs are very territorial about their space 

Oh and LizardGirl I agree that fruit has natural sugar which has been proven good for people and animals, still everything in moderation is a key to health


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## Lilysmommy (Jan 7, 2009)

You may want to look into a new wheel soon. Silent Spinners have a crack running down the middle (since it's in two pieces) that can catch hedgie nails and toes and rip the nails off. The crack also makes it a lot harder to effectively clean, since poop can get wedged in there and refuse to come out. If you need a cheap wheel that is safe, the Comfort Wheel is found in pet stores and the main drawbacks are being tough to clean (the ridges also trap poop and dried poop is a &#*[email protected] to get off) and it's noisy. You can fix the noisy part by putting a hair scrunchy around the back between the plastic pieces to stop the rattling.

If you can afford it, the absolute best wheel out there for hedgehogs is made by a breeder on our forum, LarryT. He sells a bucket wheel - viewtopic.php?f=20&t=9827 and a cake cover wheel - viewtopic.php?f=20&t=4844. I have both and they're fantastic, they're a breeze to clean, they're silent, and they're 100% hedgie safe.


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## Hedgieonboard (Nov 15, 2009)

LizardGirl said:


> > Feed more veggies then fruits (because of the sugar).
> 
> 
> Since when has natural fruit sugar been bad? There is nothing wrong with feeding fruits.


I'm not sure if its the same with hedgies but I have always been told too much fruit for people can be bad. Natural sources of sugar are better than refined sources in a lot of cases because of the bonding processes and how they break down but still sugar does break down into the same building blocks and too much could be bad. It's true that maybe most hedgies wouldn't eat enough to do harm but it would still be important to monitor I think because if for example the hedgie filled up on fruit for the night they are missing out on a lot of other stuff. I know that a nutritionist I talked to before said that vegetables are great because they are packed with a lot of the same vitamins as fruit without the extra sugar. I'm not saying I would ever cut out fruit but that I don't think CanadianHedgies statement was incorrect or unfounded and that I could see where some people would hold that opinion.


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## LizardGirl (Aug 25, 2008)

> I think because if for example the hedgie filled up on fruit for the night they are missing out on a lot of other stuff.


Yeah, that's what I meant, if they were only eating fruit and not a balanced amount of other foods. I personally can't see a hedgie eating enough to do harm, but it's everyone's own choices and concerns if that's something they think would cause problems.


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## Guest (Jul 30, 2011)

Hedgieonboard said:


> LizardGirl said:
> 
> 
> > > Feed more veggies then fruits (because of the sugar).
> ...


I think the larger fact here is that we must remember how easy it is to misinterpret words because they lack tone and diction on this forum and can easily sound like we are stating a fact when its our opinion.

While I agree I hardly think a hedgehog would ever eat so much fruit it would miss out on its kibble, insects, etc.

and as for fact, personally I want to say everything on here is just a majority opinion, nothing has totally been proven correct, if it had then we'd probably be seeing decent commercial hedgehog food by now at high premium prices.

Now these opinions are founded on many years of mistakes and error and guess what I promise you all we are more then likely still making mistakes in their diet, habitat, and overall life, and more years will pass where we form new opinions and ideas that are best for hedgehogs.

Please do not mistake this as anything more then me stating that while we all may post with the best intentions its important to remember your audience. People young and old come here for advice and lately we are scaring people away and saying how horrible they are to not care about their hedgehogs! Well I will say how horrible are we for scaring away a human being! Like hedgehogs we all have distinct personalities and I think that's been lost in the perspective and we need to remember what seems obvious now to us or simple may not for someone else. We need to realize that providing information is good and helpful but presentation can be the difference of someone taking it or not.

I hope I do not offend anyone with this statement I just wanted to voice that as we've had far too many issues lately and the important matter at hand is helping the OP with their issue and their hedgehog


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## SonicGems (Jul 30, 2011)

You made a very good point TWCOGAR.


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## Hedgieonboard (Nov 15, 2009)

I'm not sure if this was directed at me but I know I certainly wasn't trying to scare people off. I was responding to something within the thread and was just stating that I didn't think the statement was incorrect to say that they fed more veggies than fruit because of the sugar. I was saying that I too agree with that. I feel that sharing opinions is helpful the poster and since they were asking about different foods to try as well I do think that it pertained to the subject.

May have nothing to do with me but since my post was listed as well I thought it best to clarify.


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## CanadienHedgie (Feb 4, 2011)

LizardGirl said:


> Well, you implied that the sugar in fruit was bad, and you might want to check and see if there has ever actually been a problem with that, before telling people to "be careful of feeding too much fruit". I highly, highly doubt a hedgie could ever eat enough fruit to cause problems unless it was fed strictly as the staple food.


I did not say that sugar in fruit was bad. I said feeding *A LOT* of fruits. Would I ever take away fruit from my hedgehogs? No. If I believed feeding fruit was bad, I wouldn't have listed it in things my guys like.

Where do I get this from? Two exotic vets. More specifically, vets at the University of Saskatchewan Small Animal Veterinary Medicine & Animal Sciences: Exotics. They are the only vets in Saskatchewan that have access to equipment all the time, and use it. Yes, other vets can send samples away to get tested, but the results aren't as in depth or even correct. One of my dogs has a serious medical problem right now. Her skin is literally disintegrating, and literally half her body is covered in bandages. I had three opinions from different vets who don't have access to the newest advances. The all said the same things, "I don't know", "Put her down", "Well we could try..." and "Flesh Eating Disease". She was in constant pain, and I was about to have her put down. We took her to the vets at the U of S Vet Clinic, and within 24 hours we had an actual answer, she's been on medication for 48 hours, and she's already much better. She has a extremely rare disease, were her skin and fur where literally being eaten away, exposing her tissue/muscles/bones. Half her body was like this in less then 24 hours.

Had more knowledgeable, more experienced vets with access to better equipment, techniques and *research* not have seen her, she would be dead right now.

If you would like all the reasons they gave me for not feeding *too many* fruits. I will have it for you when I can call the vet to ask. Because off hand, no I cannot remember every detail of what they said, and I'd rather have it word for word what they think, then have you come back saying your right and that's that.


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## Guest (Jul 30, 2011)

Hedgieonboard said:


> I'm not sure if this was directed at me but I know I certainly wasn't trying to scare people off. I was responding to something within the thread and was just stating that I didn't think the statement was incorrect to say that they fed more veggies than fruit because of the sugar. I was saying that I too agree with that. I feel that sharing opinions is helpful the poster and since they were asking about different foods to try as well I do think that it pertained to the subject.
> 
> May have nothing to do with me but since my post was listed as well I thought it best to clarify.


I just happened to hit quote on you its for everyone and based off of so many things starting off opinions being stated in topics lately, call me a firefighter and I am just stomping any fire before ti happens you are perfectly fine its in no way directed at anyone in particular.

I just wanted it clear to people how quick we slip off topic even for the right reason and I do agree your point of view is valid, but I am certain you see how both LizardGirl and I read it differently its easy for words to be misconstrued by anyone and its important we remember how difficult it is to communicate in text alone as it doesn't properly express the emotion and tone which makes words easier to understand.

For example if I said stop in a regular tone of voice you would maybe consider stopping or maybe not.

If I were to command in a loud voice it might startle you and get your attention and you will likely stop.

Granted in this case I can somewhat get the same point with text hence stop vs STOP!.

But I cannot do that with everything I say on the forum, I hope that makes sense


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## Guest (Jul 30, 2011)

CanadienHedgie said:


> LizardGirl said:
> 
> 
> > Well, you implied that the sugar in fruit was bad, and you might want to check and see if there has ever actually been a problem with that, before telling people to "be careful of feeding too much fruit". I highly, highly doubt a hedgie could ever eat enough fruit to cause problems unless it was fed strictly as the staple food.
> ...


Canadian I know how passionate you are about your animals and I do not think anyone here is disputing that, it is just the truth that sometimes you come off with your posts as if your words are facts and the only right way to go with things and it can be taken in the wrong way.

I asm sorry your dog went through that and I dont' think anyone is going to despute who is wrong and right, but I will point out doctors even the best human doctors have thought things were good for people at one time or another only to be proven wrong. Things change constantly and I respect that you take their word and do not think it is wrong for you to do so. I reread your post and you did not say do not feed tons of fruit or anything of the sort you said feed more veggies then fruit (because of the sugar). This easily can be taken especially by someone with less knowledge as fact and that may or may not be the case, but remember that choices are up to the individual and whats wrong and what is right is never 100% clear.

I hope I am not offending you with this post as it is the last thing I wish to do, merely make sure you see where this is coming from. I think your are probably one of the most passionate members we have, however I think sometimes it gets the best of you and that isn't anything bad, this is just my opinion.

I mean some of the best vets around were endorsing science diet just a decade ago for dogs and cats, facts can change and nothing is absolute. I hope you realize I am not bashing you or anything I just think I am clearing up this matter and closing it back to the original topic at hand...

STINKY....SMELLY.....POOP! :lol: :lol: :lol:


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## MissC (Nov 15, 2010)

I didn't read the entire thread as much of it seems to be arguments.  

I'm no baby expert but shouldn't hedgies at 8 weeks be on a good cat/kitten food fairly HIGH in fat?

SonicGems: I would check out some of the info in the threads about feeding babies.

LizardGirl has been doing this for a LONG time and her opinions hold a lot of weight with me...just sayin'.  

There have been a lot of posts on HHC lately which are stated as fact - not opinion by some of the newer members...it's easy to fall into. Just a gentle reminder to be careful how strongly you make your case. That's why I almost always say IMHO or 'I would blah blah blah'...it makes you sound more conversational and less 'expert'.


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## LarryT (May 12, 2009)

Copy and pasting does not make an expert and alot of the stuff on HHC is very outdated so be careful what you copy and paste as advice.  
Most all the breeders I know and that's ALOT feed Purina One in their mixes, not saying it's the best food ever but it has been fed to alot of hogs through the years, I feed it in my mix and always have.


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## SonicGems (Jul 30, 2011)

It is true that how you word things makes your statement.
I'm one of those people who will better take advice from someone who was gentle with me rather than a person who uses a "these are the facts, what you're doing is wrong" tone.

As in relation to my actual question on this thread, and not in response to arguments that managed to start somehow:

Are candles okay to light?

In the day time I've been opening my window so the air will circulate in my room. It's very hot outside right now so there will be no dramatic changes in room temperature. If anything it may make my room a little hotter for her. :lol: 

I know air fresheners aren't so good because it will irritate her, so I was wondering if a candle would be better. They do help the smell in my room if I have them lit.

*and I will be investing in some baking soda boxes!
** and I cleaned her wheel and that helped


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## Lilysmommy (Jan 7, 2009)

Glad to hear that cleaning the wheel helped the smell a bit. Candles are a bit iffy like the air fresheners...A lot of times they have pretty strong smells too, so they could also irritate hedgie noses. If you do decide to try them, I'd make sure they're nowhere near her cage and that you use the mildest smelling ones you have.

Opening the window is a good idea, just make sure she's not getting any drafts around her cage either. Even warm drafts aren't good. Speaking of the temperature, do you have a digital thermometer for her cage? It's usually a good idea to know the exact temperature in the cage, just to make sure it's staying at a safe temperature.

I hope the baking soda helps too, when you get it!


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## SonicGems (Jul 30, 2011)

Lilysmommy said:


> Glad to hear that cleaning the wheel helped the smell a bit. Candles are a bit iffy like the air fresheners...A lot of times they have pretty strong smells too, so they could also irritate hedgie noses. If you do decide to try them, I'd make sure they're nowhere near her cage and that you use the mildest smelling ones you have.
> 
> Opening the window is a good idea, just make sure she's not getting any drafts around her cage either. Even warm drafts aren't good. Speaking of the temperature, do you have a digital thermometer for her cage? It's usually a good idea to know the exact temperature in the cage, just to make sure it's staying at a safe temperature.
> 
> I hope the baking soda helps too, when you get it!


Her cage isn't near the candle or the window, or my air vent for that matter.
I have a towel covering the back of her cage so no drafts come up through there.
Thanks for telling me about warm drafts though, I didn't know that.
But I guess when it comes down to it, wind is wind.

I have a normal thermometer for now, and I'm looking to get a digital one next time I head to the store.
They aren't too expensive are they?


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## Guest (Jul 30, 2011)

You can probably find a digital thermometer for under $10 that will serve the purpose.

Be careful about covering the cage during the day it has been discussed that they need a light source over their cage for 12 hours consistently to convince them the days are long and help prevent hibernation attempts. It can confuse their instincts if the light source isn't consistent and convince them winter is on its way.


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## MissC (Nov 15, 2010)

In addition to the baking soda, you can also use vinegar to dispel smell. :lol: just put out little bowls of it around the room. Keep in mind it IS a strong smell at first so don't place any too close to your hedgie's cage. This has worked wonders for me when cooking something with a strong accent like cabbage or seafood. 

I got the idea from a Google search for 'homemade natural room deodorizers' or something similar.


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## SonicGems (Jul 30, 2011)

TWCOGAR said:


> Be careful about covering the cage during the day it has been discussed that they need a light source over their cage for 12 hours consistently to convince them the days are long and help prevent hibernation attempts. It can confuse their instincts if the light source isn't consistent and convince them winter is on its way.


The towel wasn't covering her cage too much, just the back which faces the wall anyways.
The front of her cage is completely exposed to light, and there is always light in my room in the daytime whether I like it or not because my room is small and has two large windows.

But I flipped the towel back a little bit anyways, just in case. 

Thanks for telling me this. I'm very scared about her going into hibernation and I'm doing what I can to prevent it! :?


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## Guest (Jul 30, 2011)

SonicGems said:


> TWCOGAR said:
> 
> 
> > Be careful about covering the cage during the day it has been discussed that they need a light source over their cage for 12 hours consistently to convince them the days are long and help prevent hibernation attempts. It can confuse their instincts if the light source isn't consistent and convince them winter is on its way.
> ...


You'll want to ensure an artificial light source as the days grow shorter there will be less natural light coming into your windows


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## SonicGems (Jul 30, 2011)

Thank you all!

The 50/50 solution of water and vinegar is like a miracle!
It's like, they both stink so they cancel each other out 

I'll be buying baking soda boxes, a spray bottle to put the solution in for an easy spot clean, and I'll have my window cracked during the day.


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