# Hedgehog won't eat!



## saskia (Nov 28, 2014)

Hello,
I have a female hedgehog and I don't see her eat. (she is 2 years old) in the past few weeks she lost 70 grams of weight. the previous owner didn't have an exersize wheeL, I do have one and she is running on it the whole night but not eating. a couple days ago I tried to feed her crickets, she really liked them and ate about 10 of them. now she doesn't want crickets anymore. she doesn't want mealworms or wax moth larvae or kibble she just sniffs it and walks away. we have her for about a month now, previous owner had her in one enclosure with a male hedgehog, so she could be pregnant too maybe? i now removed the wheel from the enclosure so she doesn't run that much, what can I do to make her eat again?

saskia


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## Prickerz (Sep 17, 2014)

How long has she not been eating? What is the temp of her cage? Did you change her food?


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## sc2001 (Oct 12, 2014)

Have u counted her kibble? I do this every morning and night with my hedgie. This makes sure they are eating enough


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## saskia (Nov 28, 2014)

the cage temp was about 26-28 C. (79F) i heat it with a lamp. the food has been the same the whole time (royal canine fit 32 kibble), but i tried to feed her mealworms with it. 
I contacted the previous owner of the hedgehog about this problem, he thought the temperature was too high. i turned off one of the two lamps, now the cage is about 23 C (73F) it didn't really change anything. 
she hasn't eaten since a week or so. one day she ate crickets, so at least she ate something.
I will count her kibble tonight, hope she will eat something


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## Draenog (Feb 27, 2012)

If a hedgehog doesn't eat for 3+ days you need to start syringe feeding them. Not eating for that long can be very dangerous since their system starts to shut down which can do severe damage to their organs. If they don't eat for a couple of days they usually don't get hungry again (without syringe feeding) because it becomes a vicious circle of not eating/not wanting to eat. 

Did anything else change? Did you take the wheel out after she stopped eating or before?


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## TrendyK9 (Oct 31, 2014)

She may need a more mid range heat? Can you adjust the heat at all (more than turning off one light or the other)? I ask because 73 vs 79 seems pretty drastic, you should be able to control it a bit better than that - i keep my cage at 76 (according to the thermostat and both thermometers!)

Are you using CHEs, or is your "lamp" a light emitting heat lamp like used for most reptiles? If it emits light 24/7, even a colored light, then that may be messing with her natural cycle. She should have NO light for "night time" or she may not come out to eat/wheel/etc. 

If she still isn't eating and you have to syringe feed, then maybe a vet visit is in order.


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## saskia (Nov 28, 2014)

I use a reptile heat lamp, only during the day. I turn it oof at night. the terrarium is 26 C during the day and about 22 C during the night. I took the wheel out after i noticed her starting to lose weight. (two weeks ago)
She ate nothing yesterday, and she didn't poop either..
i went to the vet today, with both hedgehogs. one of them doesnt use her back legs with walking (Fluffy), and the other won't eat.(Prikkie)

the vet thought Fluffy had a lack of vitamin B or the limping was caused by a trauma, causing her to drag her legs behind her. she got an injection with vitamin B, if that doesn't work she will get a pain killer to walk better .

Prikkie was a difficault case, the vet didn't see any signs of disease at all. she looked very healty, but too thin. the vet weighted her again, now it is 420 G! when she came her it was 497 G (a month ago) she tried to syringe feed her, it was pretty difficault because she started to roll up in a ball. Prikky got an injection with vitamin B and a medicine which will make her hungry. (it didn't work yet) she said I should try offering her as many differend types of food as possible, and if it doesn't work syringe feeding. (I now have kibble, mealworms,waxworms, dead crickets and canned catfood that the vet gave me.) the vet said the temperature and everything was ok! she had no idea why she wont eat.. i will look if she eats today and if not i will try syringe feeding...


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## DSPO631 (Nov 28, 2014)

I had a similar issue with my hedgie a few weeks ago. Lack of appetite and dragging back legs. My vet said it was a lack of Calcium. I was advised to stop feeding cat food and go to hedge hog specific food. Of course I did not do that.

What I did do was move my hedgie to an isolated room that had a timer for a light source. Light goes on at 7 am and turns off at 9 pm. I also set up a CHE maintaining the temp between 76-80. 

I think that the fluctuation of 22 c (71.6 f) to 28 c (82.4 f) may be a little extreme. Also what is your light source? I found that my hegie did best when I had a very predictable schedule for light. My wife thinks it is a waist but I noticed a big difference in his behavior when I added the light.


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## saskia (Nov 28, 2014)

As a light source I have a reptile basking lamp. it is set on a timer from 6am to 8.30pm. then it turns off and the room is at about 22 c. 

how dod you get your hedgehog to eat again? did he start eating after you plugged in a CHE?


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## TrendyK9 (Oct 31, 2014)

I want to agree with DSP - the heat should be a constant temp 24/7, not fluctuating (especially that extremely). People recommend to keep it at around 74-78. Some hedgies like it warmer, others prefer it cooler. Your hedgie may be sensitive to the drop in temp or the resulting dropped temp. 

Turning heat off completely and letting temp drop to below 73 at night is risky and may be why she isn't eating. She might be trying to hibernate? 

A CHE (non-light-emitting heat bulb) with a thermostat will keep the temperature at a constant temp 24/7, whatever you set the thermostat to. When it reaches desired temp it goes off, when it drops it turns back on. You can put a regular lamp on a timer to keep a regular light schedule. 

I would try the CHE and see if it helps. It can be difficult to spot disease or illness with exotics. Did the vet recommend any sort of tests that may help if the injection doesn't? I would continue to try and syringe feed. You said she ate crickets - where they live? Or where they freeze-dried?


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## Draenog (Feb 27, 2012)

Sorry to hear that both your hedgehogs are sick! Hope they will get better soon. Do you still keep them together or are they in separate cages? 

I agree with the above comments, the temperature should fluctuate as little as possible. When using a heat lamp you should always use a thermostat too which regulates the temperature and keeps it steady 24/7. Big differences in temperature can trigger hibernation. Some hedgehogs are more temperature sensitive than others, and they often get more sensitive when they get older.

What made the vet think it was lack of vitamin B? Did they take blood samples? Does she only drag her hind legs or are there other symptoms as well (wobbly walk, etc)? When did these symptoms start?

If you have to syringe feed, Hills a/d is a good food for sick hedgehogs and it's easy to syringe (not sure what your vet gave you, but Hills is usually recommended)


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## sc2001 (Oct 12, 2014)

I agree with the above post. 

I think the heat fluctuation may be part of the problem. A CHE with a thermostat or a space heater with a thermostat are really the only two appropriate ways to heat a hedgehog cage. Neither emit light and both keep a steady temperature.


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## saskia (Nov 28, 2014)

Fluffy walks wobbly and drags her back legs. she did this since we got her. she didn't take blood samples. I hope the injection will work! she gave us a/d to syringe feed.

I got them in the same cage first but now I seperated them, so its easier to see how much they eat. they both have the same cage temperature, but only Prikkie doesn't eat.
Where can I find a good CHE with a thermostat?
Something like this? (but maybe with less Wattage, this one is 100W)
http://www.blue-lagoon.nl/producten...terra+ceramic+heat+emitter+100+w/015561220460

And how do i put it on a thermostate? (and what type of thermostaat should I use?)


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## Draenog (Feb 27, 2012)

Does she fall over too? A wobbly gait and dragging her back legs could be a sign of wobbly hedgehog syndrome, but it can also be a symptom of hibernation, malnutrition or illness. 
How was the situation at the old owner? Were they kept warm enough?

(Sorry @ English speaking people)

Ik koop mijn lampen altijd bij een broedmachine winkel (online), dat is namelijk veel goedkoper maar het zijn dezelfde soort lampen. http://www.broedmachine.nl/index.php/warmtelamp-1.html je hebt verschillende wattages, ik gebruik zelf altijd 100 of 150 maar ligt er ook aan wat voor hok je hebt. Met een open hok heb je een hoger wattage nodig want dat houdt slecht warmte binnen. Met een terrarium kun je vaak een lager wattage gebruiken. 
Je hebt wel een keramische fitting nodig want een gewone gaat smelten (alles is te koop op die website)

Zelf gebruik ik Lucky Reptile Thermo Control II thermostaten die doen het hier prima  Zit een duidelijke handleiding bij.


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## saskia (Nov 28, 2014)

She doesn't fall over, just drags legs and stands wobbly. it might be because the heat then.

The previous owner didn't have enough heat, just 1 lamp that wasn't a heat lamp and het turned it off at night. he said 20 C was warm enough.
Do hedgehogs see infrared light? we still have an infrared light at home, so could I use that too? (until the CHE arrives)
I syringe fed her twice now, how many times a day should I do that?

Ik heb nu deze gekocht:
http://www.blue-lagoon.nl/producten...e+warmtestraler+40watt+(che040)/8718421620302 
en een keramische fitting erbij. (dure egel haha) de warmtelamp die er overdag inzit is 25 watt en ik heb er nog 2 peertjes inzitten aan de voorkant die ook wat warmte afgeven. bij elkaar wordt dit dus ongeveer 26-28C.
Dus nu voor s'nachts heb ik een 40watt keramische lamp. die waarchijnlijk woensdag aan komt


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## phoenix1964 (Jan 23, 2014)

you need to get 16 cc (or ml) in to her at least. Also leave out some food for her to try. Once they are taking over 16 cc's their own appetite should start to kick in. If she will only eat a few cc's at a time them you will need to wake her and feed her more often. If you are getting spiked a lot wrap her up in a fleece. Did the vet show you how to feed her with a syringe? If not just gently tease at the side of her mouth until she opens up for you. A/D is an excellent food for a recovering hedgie.
good luck to you, keep with it.


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## saskia (Nov 28, 2014)

I syringe fed her 5 times yesterday, syringes of 3 ml. yesterday she did'n't eat anyting but she did move some food trough te cage.
she also pooped again, but it is thin and dark green, what causes this?


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## DSPO631 (Nov 28, 2014)

I suspect that the issue could be heat related. I would make sure you get it back up to between 75-80 f (24-27 c) ASAP. Previous owner was wrong when he told you that 20 c (68 F) was fine for your hedge hog.


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## saskia (Nov 28, 2014)

I ordered a CHE and it wil probably arrrive wednesday


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## DSPO631 (Nov 28, 2014)

Make sure you also get a Thermostat, I use a Zilla

I set the controller at 80 and it keeps my C&C cage between 77-80 degrees.


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## saskia (Nov 28, 2014)

okay, how do i get 16 ml a day in? the vet gave me a 3 ml syringe, should i feed her every hour, or can i do it in one go? she isn't really cooperating with it, she keeps pulling her snout in and rolling up..


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## saskia (Nov 28, 2014)

Oh and I mix the hills A/d with some water or else I can't get it in the syringe. 
does that mean I should give her even more than 16 ml?


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## DesireeM81 (Jun 14, 2014)

General rule of thumb is for every ml you get in her you can wait an hour. So if you get 3ml in her, then wait three hours and feed her again. I did this for two months with River and it was a struggle for sure. A/D mix with water is fine as long as it's not more water than A/D.

You can also go buy a bigger syringe. I used the ones for syringing babies medicine. It can be found in any baby aisle.


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## phoenix1964 (Jan 23, 2014)

go to the pharmacy and get a bigger syringe, one for babies should do it, but iif not then get a bigger one. The A/D should suck up just fine in the bigger syringe. They will ball up and pull in their snout. My daughter used a facecloth and would wrap her legs in it like a burrito, with only her head poking out. You should break the feedings up for now and try to get 4cc in at a time, if she will take more then try for 6cc's. If she will take more than 16 cc in a day this is good don't cut her back if she wants more. If she is wanting more then put food out for her to eat on her own as well as what you are syringing her.
We used to put the A/D out at night for her, just a tablespoon or so. Don't bother with kibble just yet.
If you are feeding her 16 cc and she still doesn't want to eat on her own then try increasing it up to 18 or 20cc. Each hedgie is a little different and there is no magic number where they will start to eat on their own. You just need to stimulate her appetite and get her going on her own.
Good luck to you and have a lot of patience!


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## saskia (Nov 28, 2014)

Ok so that would mean 24 ml a day, right? she got 12 ml today..


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## saskia (Nov 28, 2014)

Thank you for your reply, I will try. I have a bigger syringe now and I will try to get her to eat.
how can I see if she wants more food? i will put some food out for her tonight


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## phoenix1964 (Jan 23, 2014)

12 ml is a good start, but she still needs more for her own appetite to kick in. Tomorrow see if she will take 16,and leave some out at night.
My girl never went back to kibble after A/D and is still on wet food to this day.
Once she is eating well and her weight is back to where you want it then you can slowly mix in a good quality wet cat food and see how she tolerates that, but we will worry about that later
Good luck and keep updating on her status


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## DesireeM81 (Jun 14, 2014)

16 ml is recommended for babies, 24 ml is recommended for adults. Aim for 16 ml and if she eats more great!

But she NEEDS 16 ml, if you have to get up during the night to feed her than you will have to do that.


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## saskia (Nov 28, 2014)

It's going a bit better! 
when I syringe feed her she bites the syringe herself and doesn't struggle that much. I left some A/d and some insects out for her overnight, she ate 2 crickets, some mealworms and some A/d .

This morning there was poop everywhere, REALLY much... it wasn't green anymore but it was still liquid/thin.

The other hedgehog, the one that doesn't walk good, Didn't become much better at walking after the vitamin B injection. so her problem is either caused by trauma or the temperature differences.

The CHE arrived too, I installed it, so I hope it will go better tonight. I will let you know 

Should I still give her 24 ml?


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## nikki (Aug 28, 2008)

Giver her as much as she will eat. When she's had enough she will quit swallowing and you'll know. If she wants to eat more then 24 ml that's great.


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## Draenog (Feb 27, 2012)

Glad to hear she's doing better! Hope there will be more improvements with the new CHE.


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## saskia (Nov 28, 2014)

I installed the CHE, the cage is at a constant 24-25 C (76F)
I tried to syringe feed her, aand then she shat on me :/
But it was pretty bad, because her poop had the texture and colour of chocolate sauce...

Is there anything I can do to stop her diarrhea? and why does she have this?


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## saskia (Nov 28, 2014)

Prikky started gaining weight again (yay!) 23/12 she weighted 415 grams and today, 25/12 she weights 430 . 
but she does have really bad diarrhea... I don't know what causes it?? The food did change to A/d but that shouldn't be the reason? I thought that maybe she has tapeworm? so I gave both my hedgehogs a anti-parasite medication (stronghold for cats, 1 drip in the neck for each hedgehog) 

The CHE didn't really change anything yet. Fluffy still doesn't move her back legs, and Prikkie still has diarrhea and doesn't eat..


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