# Syringe feeding problem, hedgie won't eat



## elithranielle (Apr 14, 2012)

Guys, we have a problem. Siege's new girl is refusing to eat. He got her a week ago and all she seemed to want to do is wheel. Yesterday when I got back i noticed she hasn't eaten at all. By evening she was clammy and a little weak. The temperature yesterday was at a comfortable 82F, the lowest point being 77F in the evening. She still wouldn't eat and her water looked untouched. I syringe fed her kibble mush last night. Today we got Hills a/d for her and had successfully syringe fed her this afternoon. Tonight, however, she refuses to unball. She's been in a ball since this afternoon, she even slept like this. I can't even see her face. I tried getting her to unball in water but she goes back in a ball as soon as I get her out of the water. What do I do? I can't feed a ball of quills.


----------



## kat (May 11, 2011)

have you tried offering her favorite food? like mealies? sometimes they will eat their favorite food if nothing else

are there any other changes? is her poop normal?

if shes in a ball, maybe shes in pain. a vet visit might be the way to go.


----------



## elithranielle (Apr 14, 2012)

Her breeder said she won't eat anything besides her kibble. We've tried offering her treats but she hasn't tried any, including mealies.  Her breeder also said that when she was with him, she didn't eat much either, but her whole litter, including her mom was like that. They just slept alot.

She hardly pooped last night and when we had to give her a bath after syringe feeding she pooped green mucous.  We thought it was just stress related.

We didn't think so much about the balling up. She's been balling up mostly since we got her. She hardly unballs. She doesn't pop or click though. Hardly hisses even.

I should mention that she's 12 weeks old and is undergoing quilling. I wouldn't normally worry, my other hedgies went on hunger strikes as well when they were quilling but the fact that she became clammy last night worried me.


----------



## kat (May 11, 2011)

how is she doing?


----------



## shmurciakova (Sep 7, 2008)

I was wondering also because I got a new hedgehog last week. She was from a pet store and I had fed her the same old food she had there. Besides not eating much, if anything, she also did not appear to be drinking at all! I was getting really worried about it but then I read in several places that often new hogs will not eat for several days after being moved. (My first hedgehog never did any of this I might add....). Daisy, the new girl, was a pig when she was at the store, where she lived the first 6 months of her life. I tried adding a piece of peach, I gave her a different brand of dry cat food, when I gave her wet cat food (Purina One), she suddenly started eating last night (day 6). It also *looks* like she has been drinking too.
It sounds like your new one is rather traumatized for whatever reason (who knows what goes on in their heads). I don't know if you should even continue trying to syringe feed her. I would just put the Hills and her regular food in her dish and leave her alone for a while. You said she was wheeling so that is a good sign. She is probably just trying to adjust and all the handling could be making it worse...I know it is hard to ignore the fact that she does not want to eat, but I'd at least try leaving her alone for a bit and see if she starts eating..
Good luck,
Susan H.


----------



## amberh511 (Jul 10, 2012)

I know this is a little late of a reply but if your hedgie is still not eating I recommend taking it straight to the vet. My old hedgie never ate either and I also had to syringe feed, sadly he had pancreatic cancer. Sorry i dont mean to be a downer and Good Luck! xoxox


----------

