# Male Hedgehog Issues



## BNPratt (May 2, 2011)

Hey everyone,
Our hedgie is a male that is CONSTANTLY getting semen stuck in his fur. It's almost a daily basis. He has scratched himself pretty badly twice trying to get it out himself, so we trimmed his nails as best we could. Is there anything we can do to help fix this problem? We try to give him baths, but I read that you shouldn't bathe too often because it can dry out their skin. We also try clipping it out of his fur, but he is extremely squirmy and often the clumps are large and dried directly to his skin, so I don't feel safe trying to cut them out. Any advice on this would be much appreciated.


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## YellowPlanetarySeed (Dec 8, 2009)

Is it on his tummy? I just got my first male and he's 2 months old so I don't have any experience with this issue yet... but I am curious. However, if it is on his belly, you could try giving him a soak up to his belly and not a full on bath. The Aveeno oatmeal (baby or unscented) body wash can be soothing to dry skin. How bad are the scratches? Hopefully one of the experts can chime in on this but I've dealt with lizard injuries and neosporen WITHOUT pain reliever is safe for them to put on an injury to help prevent infection. Anyone know if the same goes for hedgies?


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## Judi (Jul 9, 2009)

I would just give him a bath as often as he needs it.

Also, does he have a sleeping bag or fleece cage liners? My male doesn't get as messy when he has something fabric in the cage. Softer than their tummies, maybe?

Neosporin will work on scratches.


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## Nancy (Aug 22, 2008)

Unfortunately, once it's well dried on, a bath will not take it off. What happens is the semen dries to their fur and as they move it pulls on the hairs so they start to chew or scratch at it. Sometimes, putting a bit of vaseline, vit E oil, vegetable oil, or flax seed oil will help loosen it but don't use any oil based product if there is an open sore. Often, the only way to get it off is to cut it off which is a challenge. 

If, when you get him up in the evening, he is damp from his boy time, use a warm damp washcloth or baby wipe to clean him off and try to keep ahead of the big gobs. 

Sometimes, nothing works. :roll:


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## BNPratt (May 2, 2011)

Yeah, it's on his belly. Usually bathing gets it off, but it takes a very long time. I'm guessing he does it very very late at night after we go to bed because it's always dried the next evening when we get him out. If frequent bathing isn't harmful I suppose we'll go that route, I wish the lil fella realized he was just making it hard for himself in the long run, lol.


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## MissC (Nov 15, 2010)

Snarf has footbaths 2-3 times a week and the water is just deep enough to wet his tummy. I don't think baths like these would hurt as it seems to be the back/quill areas that get dry and flaky. I'm just guessing. And quite relieved it's not an issue with him, considering the amount of...um...action...this area gets


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## Hedgieonboard (Nov 15, 2009)

I have one boy and its very much like Judi said about the fabric. He's on a fleece liner and always has blankets in his igloo so luckily the blankets get messy but he stays clean. I know other boy hedgies will find ways to get messy even with the fabric but with mine it works out really well and have never had any yucky stuff on him


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## beehivehedgie (Feb 13, 2011)

Hoggle has that same problem sometimes, he has a fleece liner but he has boy time anywhere, including his wheel. SO! I put him a bath that is up to his belly let him run around a bit and usually he is frantic while bathing, but when i was working on getting that off his stomach/under kneck he held very still for me. It must be very irritating!!! His came off but I used oatmeal puppy shampoo too which helped I am sure.


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## KathyTNY (Jan 21, 2011)

Oh dear, I just adopted a rehomed male hedgehog and have only had my lady Tiggy. So reading this thread has me totally freaked out about my new male!!! Yikes! I have NO CLUE if he is doing boy time or not!!!! I have fleece but he is a fleece diver so I have no idea if and when he is doing his boy thing!!!!! Oh dear, boys sound like a lot more work than girl hogs!

I have only had him for four days and I have had to give him a poopy booty foot bath every day because his feet are trashed! It goes to his tummy so maybe I am cleaning off the boy stuff and I don't even know it!!!

Kathy


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## YellowPlanetarySeed (Dec 8, 2009)

Haha, Kathy!! Cecil is my first boy too. Don't worry until there is something to actually worry about and remember it's perfectly natural!


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## KathyTNY (Jan 21, 2011)

YellowPlanetarySeed said:


> Haha, Kathy!! Cecil is my first boy too. Don't worry until there is something to actually worry about and remember it's perfectly natural!


I am trying to keep from making mountains out of mole hills.......but I am not taking my own advice......well, one day at a time. My dh did not want me to take on another hedgehog, but when this family came to me wanting to give me Pippin - I just could not say no. The family did not even know if he was a girl or boy and honestly I prayed that he was a girl because I had read lots of posts about boys and their toys and I didn't want anything to do with it.



You'll be hearing from me in the future on this issue, I am sure!

Kathy


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