# Surgeries for Mishka and Charlie...



## greenbeansrabbitry (Sep 10, 2008)

For the people that don't know, last night Charlie and Mishka got into a fight. I was getting ready to go to bed and I heard screaming, so I ran out there to see what was going on, everyone just looked at me like I was crazy. Then my little man Charlie came over to me and I saw his eye. It was sticking out of his head, not completely out, but almost. Can you say I panicked? I grabbed him, moved him to another cage, then ran back to check Mishka over, I saw a spot of blood that wasn't there before, so I picked her up and she was bleeding from her vaginal opening. I put her back down and ran over to Charlie, I picked him up and he has a nasty wound on his butt. I then put him back down and run back to her, there was a puddle of blood about the size of a dollar. By this point I was squalling and trying to figure out what to do because it was 2 AM, I didn't have a ride to get to the vet, and no one's awake to help me. I then started calling several vet offices, then someone on FB recommended an emergency clinic in Hickory so I called them and they gave me instructions. I did what they said and everything, the hogs were acting totally normal, eating and drinking. I was suppose to get a ride at 5 AM but that fell through and it ended up not happening til after 8 AM. By that point I was able to get ahold of my vet. She's going to keep them tonight. Charlie is most likely going to lose his eye, he has to have surgery, and he's on antibiotics for an infection. Mishka has to have an emergency spay. Please keep them in mind and hope for a speedy recovery!


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## CritterHeaven (Feb 21, 2011)

Oh no. What a nightmare. I hope it all goes as well as possible. You had them together to breed I assume?


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## greenbeansrabbitry (Sep 10, 2008)

Thank you. Yes they were in for breeding.


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## CritterHeaven (Feb 21, 2011)

Oh my. Poor babies.


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## KathyTNY (Jan 21, 2011)

Oh dear, your poor darlings!!! What a horrible thing to have happen - especially in the middle of the night!!!! Keep us posted - praying everyone makes it out okay.

(This is one reason why I don't want to breed......lots of added risk factors I could not handle!)


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## LarryT (May 12, 2009)

So sorry this happened  Will be praying for you all.


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## PJM (May 7, 2010)

I am so sorry!!! I hope they are both alright! I can't imagine going through that. 
Please let us know how things go! I'll be thinking of all 3 of you!


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## greenbeansrabbitry (Sep 10, 2008)

Thank you everyone  I just talked to my vet, she said we may be able to save Charlies eye, he might not need surgery afterall, but if we are able to save it, she doesn't know if he'll be able to see out of it anymore. She's going to be keeping them for a few days. She's going to call me back tonight or in the morning and update me.


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## elise5211 (Jun 2, 2011)

Wow, that's scary! Hope they fully recover!


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## Nancy (Aug 22, 2008)

OH NO!!!!! I am so sorry this has happened. Fighting is one of the things that people rarely think of when putting boy and girl together and it doesn't happen that often... thank goodness... but it does happen. 

I hope they both will be okay. 

Hugs


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## fracturedcircle (May 31, 2010)

gentle hugs from me too!


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## greenbeansrabbitry (Sep 10, 2008)

Thanks everyone! I just heard from her again! She got Charlies eye back in, not sure if he'll ever regain vision, but he doesn't need surgery! Don't get me wrong, we're not out of the woods yet, but so far it looks like he won't need it! Other than that he is on pain killers and antibiotics, the infection and irritation should clear up in no time! 

As for Mishka, she does not want to spay her as of yet, she's acting completely normal and on the inspection of her, the only thing she found wrong was irritation in her vagina, which she thinks may have caused some of the bleeding. I personally think she may have aborted her babies because in the puddle of blood was these egg looking things(looked like tadpole eggs, so I don't think it was sperm, but it could have been I guess lol). I don't know if hedgehogs do this? I've had it happen in other animals. She said by the way I described it, that is what it sounded like. She thinks she felt follicles, but she's not sure. Mishka is relatively easy to tell when pregnant because she swells up like a balloon, so we're going to wait and keep checking her weight. I would really like some opinions on this. I've never had to have someone spayed(hedgehog wise) so I'm not really sure what to do in this situation. She's acting completely normal, eating and drinking, playing, huffing at me for doing something she doesn't like(she was before she left I should say), etc. She hasn't bled anymore. Any opinions would be greatly appreciated!


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## CoxMD (Apr 30, 2010)

You say she was pregnant? But they were together for breeding? Could you clarify that for me?  

I wish your quilly babies all the best and a speedy recovery!


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## mizgoldstein (Feb 12, 2011)

first and foremost.. I am so sorry to hear this and my heart goes out to all three of you! I will certainly be keeping them both in my prayers and will send good vibes their way for a speedy, healthy, and happy recovery!

now sorry for the newbie knowledge, but I just want to make sure I'm understanding this correctly.. so Mishka was possibly pregnant before the fight? and aborted her babies because of the fight? and this fight was just an instance of attempted mating gone wrong right (I'm inferring this based on the location of Mishka's wounds)? and lastly, how is spaying her a rememdy to this problem? are they afraid permanent damage was done to her reproductive system? 

I'm sorry for all the questions, I just try to use everything I read on here as a learning experience (I don't even have my hedgie yet, she's still weaning, I'm getting her in a week or two, I just wanna be as knowledgable as possible before she arrives).


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## greenbeansrabbitry (Sep 10, 2008)

Let me try to clarify. Yes she could have been pregnant but if she was it was very early. Different breeders have different breeding practices. I myself usually keep them together for 1-2 weeks, never had a problem with this, and neither has my mentor or anyone I know that does this. I had them together for 6-7 days, separated for about 5 days and put them back together for a few more days(was going to be be separated today). This is also a breeding practice, I've never heard of anyone having problems with it, but this was my first time doing it, which I don't think I will ever again after this incident. If she got pregnant the first night she would be around 15 days. If she was pregnant she may have aborted the babies, I've never had it happen in hedgehogs but I'm guessing it's possible. If that is what happened then I'd assume it was from the fight. I'm on the edge about that being it or it being something else. This is where I get confused myself, since I don't know what caused the bleeding, I don't know if she needs a spay or not. I havn't heard from my vet since yesterday when I last posted about it, so I'm not sure what's going on. Like I said, I've never had to have anyone spayed so I don't really know much about it. That was mostly directed at breeders with experience with this, I know there are some on here and I might PM one because my nerves are all to pieces. 

Don't be sorry about asking questions, that's one way you learn things! I'll answer any I can.


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## Nancy (Aug 22, 2008)

A breeding schedule of having them together, then apart, then together again is not ideal. If the girl gets pregnant the first or second day they are together, then she has 5 or 6 more days to put up with his advances. Then being apart for a while and then put back in, she would be a couple of weeks pregnant by this point and will not be receptive to him which can cause her to be aggressive towards him. 

When I started breeding this was an often suggested breeding schedule but not followed that much anymore. Generally keeping them together for 3-5 days is all that is needed and some breeders will put them together and watch and once mating has taken place will remove the male.


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## greenbeansrabbitry (Sep 10, 2008)

Just giving an update, they are both home! The vet got Charlies eye back in, she said at the rate he's going he may even regain vision in it! He's on 3 types of medicine and an ointment on his eye. I have to give him one medicine twice a day, another once a day, and the other once a day, the ointment 4 times a day. Mishka is also on medicine, again I have to give her one medicine twice a day, another once a day, and the other once a day. My vet is going to call me back later and we're going to setup a time to have Mishka spayed. I'm so happy to have them home.


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## mizgoldstein (Feb 12, 2011)

so happy to hear they are home and doing well!


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## Nancy (Aug 22, 2008)

That's great news. I hope Mishka's spay will go well.


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## greenbeansrabbitry (Sep 10, 2008)

Thanks yall


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## greenbeansrabbitry (Sep 10, 2008)

Hello everyone, just an update. Mishka is home from her spay. She was indeed pregnant, the vet found 3 babies, she probably could have carried the babies but most likely would not have lived through the delivery, so I'm happy with my decision to get her spayed. She's on pain medicine and is going to be under close watch for the next 10 days (and longer due to my paranoia, it says 7-10 days on the discharge papers though). She will be living out the remainder of her hopefully super long life here as a spoiled rotten pet who gets everything she wants(so pretty much the same :roll: but extra (if possible!)). 

As for Charlie, he's doing great, still on medicine, but acting like his cute little cuddly self. I doubt he'll ever regain vision in his eye, but he's healing up great.


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## rivoli256 (Mar 1, 2009)

so glad to hear everyone is healing well.


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## PJM (May 7, 2010)

I'm so glad they are both alright! Wonderful news!


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## shetland (Sep 2, 2008)

I'm glad they are both doing well.


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## greenbeansrabbitry (Sep 10, 2008)

Thanks everyone


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## TikiLola (Jun 23, 2011)

What a frightening experience for all of you!Glad everyone is fin now.


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## greenbeansrabbitry (Sep 10, 2008)

Thank you


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## greenbeansrabbitry (Sep 10, 2008)

I think there may be a problem with Charlies eye, I'm not sure though. Going back to the vets first thing in the morning.


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## rivoli256 (Mar 1, 2009)

oh no! thoughts are with you...please let us know how it goes.


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