# Spazzing,jerking,twitching



## Dance2021 (Nov 19, 2014)

I'm very worried about my hedgehog. Tonight I held her for awhile in a fleece blanket and she was calm and normal and I put her back for two hours. I brought a cup of Luke warm water to clean a slightly bloody back toe nail. (I think it might be caused from excessive scratching from giving her a bath the other day, I was going to give her vitamin e and olive oil on her quils but...) as I slowly put my hand in there she bit me. We have had this before so I gave her some food since she looked agitated, washed my hands and she let me pick her up (after licking my hand for awhile). I rinsed her foot and with a cotton swab I cleaned the nail and she started squirming I dried off her foot and she started licking the air and stick her tongue out... I put her down in the cage and she started digging really fast, ran in circles then I said her name and she bolted into her bed. In her bed she is twitching and jerking about sort of like a seizure I thought but she is freaked I gave her food which she refused after 2 because she couldn't keep her head still. I turned off the lights and left her so she would calm down. What is wrong with her? Is she just in pain because of her nail or does she have another problem...? Thank you for replies!


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## Prickerz (Sep 17, 2014)

Is she still acting like this now? My guess is she was very stressed out, and sounds like she may have been anointing too... 
But wait for someone with more experience to reply


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## Dance2021 (Nov 19, 2014)

Thank you! 
Yeah she still is acting like this. I found her i her wheel but when she walked out she was doing the same twitching jerking jumping thing.


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## Lilysmommy (Jan 7, 2009)

Her behavior sounds to me like she may very well have mites. Scratching enough to have a bloody nail and that twitching all point to going nuts because mites are making her itchy. Get her in to the vet as soon as you can. When you do, make sure they give you Revolution to treat her, NOT Ivermectin. Ivermectin can be easily overdosed and is not safe for hedgehogs. It's usually given by injection, but can also be topical or oral. Revolution is topical only. Just make sure you're clear on what the vet gives you. Good luck and let us know how it goes. If you can't get her to the vet for a couple of days due to the vet being booked, holiday, etc., then give her another bath with olive oil in the water. That can help suffocate adult mites and may give her some relief for now. You will still need to take her in for Revolution though - otherwise eggs will hatch and she'll continue to have problems.


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## Dance2021 (Nov 19, 2014)

Thank you! I will try to get her to a vet soon.


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## Dance2021 (Nov 19, 2014)

Update: Gave her an olive oil bath. She was calm and relaxed the whole bath but then I took her out after she soaked she was squirming outside of my hands, wouldn't stay still, chewing on her feet and stomach and ran around the cage digging and jerking.


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## mdb392 (Dec 26, 2014)

Any updates on your baby??


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## Dance2021 (Nov 19, 2014)

She's doing much better little dry skin but easily fixed :grin:
Now with the cold she's been a little cold and more sleepy I've been heating up her snuggle safe heat pad for her but she still seems a little lethargic, more recently sneezing too:???:


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## sc2001 (Oct 12, 2014)

Do u have a CHE or a space heater? Heating pads/snuggle safes are not appropriate for heating. Heating pads can actually cause a hedgie to hibernate because of the temp differences throughout the cage. The air needs to be warm, not just a surface. 

Sneezing is never a good sign. She may have a URI. Do u see any discharge coming out of the nose?


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