# She is not the same anymore :(



## nSeagull (Nov 6, 2012)

Hello Hedgehog Central users, this is my first post although I have been reading this forum for one year. I got my female hedgie from a breeder in April 2012. I prefer calling it a rescue, because the breeder told me that my hedgie was male, she got a swollen leg, lice, mites and fleas. I took her to an exotics veterinarian and applied anti-parasite medicine. The best part of this, I was still thinking that she was a male. She was cuddly with me and loved to play. I used to put my hand on the floor and she would walk into it. One morning, I was doing my daily check to her and I found a stillborn baby hedgehog. I saw a leg coming out of my hedgie, but it was just stuck. As I am not working and I live with my parents (I'm 18) I couldn't get her to the veterinarian that told me she was a male. After one hour of suffering my parents arrived and we took her to the veterinarian which did an X-Ray analysis and caesarian section to take the two babies that were stuck in there. I never seen something like that, thanks that the veterinarian had gloves, but my hedgie was biting the gloves so angrily. I was givin her the antibiotics that the vet provided me and some special food for 1 month.

After that she was really harsh with me and with anyone, if she is outside her house in her cage and sees me coming she runs into her house and stays there shaking really nervously. I really love her and I want to be with her like 8 monts ago, when all that things happened. I couldnt do much things because of the university, but I will find time. Please Hedgehog Central, help me!


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## Sar-uh (Sep 6, 2011)

Yikes, how scary! Sounds like your poor hedgie has been through a lot  I imagine she was probably pretty traumatized by everything that's happened, so it will probably take some time to gain her trust again. Just be patient, and handle her gently and frequently. She may seem really grumpy while you handle her, but she's just frightened. Sit with her in a blanket or snuggle sack on your lap while you read or watch TV. Go ahead and put one of your worn shirts in her cage so she can associate your smell with being in a safe place.

Like I said, it could take a while (perhaps months) to get her to come around, but just keep at it.


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## nSeagull (Nov 6, 2012)

Thanks, I did all that when I received her, I thought that doing it again wouldn't work. I'm going to do it all over again. She used to eat from my hand, but now she won't... I thought about giving her mealworms, but how? I also have read that it is good to put a light for my hedgie that is turned on by the night time. Shall I build a low cost led-lamp for her?

I really love my hedgie and I just want her to be happy.


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## LizardGirl (Aug 25, 2008)

It is so sad to hear your story, and that you both had to go through all that.  I really hope she turns around for you, it sounds like you have done everything you can for her. Offering treats like mealworms might help get her more excited about handling, but the best thing is probably just to calm and quiet and reassuring for her, and definitely try to do things consistently each day - she'll respond better when she's expecting a nightly handling, for example, rather than being taken out at random. Holding her at night when she's more awake might help, though it's probably just going to take time and a lot of patience. Good luck working with her, and I'm very glad she ended up with you to be well cared for!


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## lilythehedgie (Sep 20, 2012)

First off, I just want to say that it sounds like you hedgie has ended up in a great home with you and that you clearly love her. For mealworms, I go to petsmart and buy a little container of them. Then I stick them in the freezer overnight. (That kills them, I don't like them all wiggly and squirmy. :lol: ) You don't have to freeze them though. When you are going to feed them to her, take the mealworms out and get some tweezers. Use the tweezers to pick up the mealworm and give it to her. Just kinda plop it down in front of her. You might have to put it a little away from her face if she is really huffy at the tweezers. Once they smell it, they will usually run forward and eat it. If you feed mealworms with your hand, your hedgie will associate your fingers with food, which will encourage biting. Good luck!


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## nSeagull (Nov 6, 2012)

Thanks a lot to all of you! Right now shes in a blanket on my lap while I'm writing this post!  I just gave her a bath and shes now sleeping. I hope that doing all the things you people told me she will recover faster from her shock. About the lightning question... I've read that having a light on by night time will make my hedgie more active and responsive, is it true?

Merry Christmas HC!


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## Lilysmommy (Jan 7, 2009)

Do you mean all night or just during bonding time or something? Usually all light is going to do is make a hedgehog run for cover and sleep, so I'm not sure what whatever you read was thinking! :lol: Having a low light on during bonding time can make them more comfortable and willing to explore, while still allowing you to see them. But for most, light = sleep time.


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## nSeagull (Nov 6, 2012)

Thank you! I was thinking about going to get a LED lamp for her, but now I wont :lol:


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## SpiritWolves1 (Apr 5, 2012)

idk if this is what you meant but my hogs have lights that turn on at 7 am and turn off at 9pm, which helps keep hibernTion attempts away. So light would be good. Just during the day though 

As for cuddly time, some hogs like different times, Dallas likes being cuddled in the morning, oliver at night and shade likes being cuddled at lunch time.


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## nSeagull (Nov 6, 2012)

Hibernation is not a problem here, I live in the Canary Islands, right now it is 20ºC :lol: 
I meant just light in the night time, but thanks for all your help. I need to know how to find the time that my hedgie loves to cuddle


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## nSeagull (Nov 6, 2012)

I had her in a blanket on my lap for 4-5 hours everyday, and she now trusts more in me!  She even ate chicken(boiled, without salt or anything) from my hand(she knows that my fingers are not for buying :lol: ) Thank you people for helping me! We are happy now


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