# URGENT: Pneumonia, Hind Legs Problem, Syringes & Lethargy.



## alejassi (Jul 17, 2012)

Please read, I am a first time hedgehog owner and I know its long but please read.

Hi everybody! 

Although I have never written on this forum before, I have been a consistent lurker(does that sound stalkerish?) and I am grateful to this community because your answers to other user's questions have helped me a lot with my own hedgehog.

And so I'm hoping you guys can help me this time by giving me any type of advice/support/response you are able to give. All is appreciated. 

I have a hedgehog and his name is Nunu and he is about 4.5+ years old(that is an estimate my vet gave me, I don't know because I bought him from a previous owner.) I have had him for 2 years. He is very sweet and very friendly and absolutely LOVES mealworms and his wheel. 

On July 15th, I noticed that Nunu was dragging his hind legs. It seemed to come out of nowhere because two days before the 15th, he seemed to be fine. That is when I took a closer look and realized that he was only walking with his two front legs while dragging his back two legs and he seemed very weak. He also stopped eating and drinking water and he had a runny nose, started licking his nose and he was breathing poorly(stuffy breaths, was wheezing, sneezing and the whole URI lot). I immediately took him to a vet on July 17th and she told me that he was a very weak hedgehog and that her first guess was WHS (Wobbly hedgehog syndrome). She also said that he might be fighting off pneumonia. She then gave me Carnivore to syringe feed him 4ml-5ml 4-5times a day and medicine called orbifloxacin to give .05ml twice a day. She also injected fluids in him because he was dehydrated. She also suggested that I visit her colleague who is actually an exotic vet (the hospital didn't tell me that the doctor I saw was not an exotic vet which was what I requested since the very beginning but whatever...) I had set up an appointment for July 21st and in the meantime Nunu looked horrible. He was lethargic. His poop was mucous Forrest green (though I think that could be because of the antibiotic or the infection...then again idk .) He did not want to eat that Carnivore mix that the vet gave me. He preferred the medicine more than the actual food...I seriously thought he was going to die and I prayed for July 21st to come soon because I knew that whatever she gave him was not enough. I cried and cried because at that point the possibility of having to euthanize him in my mind seemed very real and a viable option because he wasn't getting better and was very lethargic and unresponsive. He seemed hopeless. 

Well anyways, July 21st came and I took him to the exotic vet. I told them that his poop was forest green and that Nunu didn't like that Carnivore mix and that he was still dragging his hind legs & that he was still sneezing, and still had URI/pneumonia in my opinion. He took a look at Nunu and examined him in a way the other vet didn't. He came to the conclusion that Nunu is still able to feel stimulation on his hind legs and that he would like to X-ray him but that he couldn't at that time because Nunu was too weak. He then injected Nunu fluids and an analgesic. He also instructed me to give Nunu .12ml Meloxicam twice a day and .15ml chloraphenicol twice a day along with the orbifloxacin Nunu was already on. He also gave me a/d food for Nunu and to feed him 4-6 times a day 4-6ml. He told me to see him in 2 weeks. He told me I need to get him fat because he was weak and needed the extra of everything to fight it off. 

After a week of following this regimen Nunu has started to use his hind legs and can now actually walk (yaay). He is still a bit wobbly but it's a start. It is clearly not WHS (I think.) But I am still left with some problems. He is still sneezing but does not lick his nose. He occasionally does have a bit of mucous but nowhere near the amount he had before (like he has gotten a lot better regarding the URI/pneumonia I think. He doesn't sound like a truck anymore.) He is still pooping mucous forest green and he seems to be more lazy than what he used to be, then again most of his time before was spent on his wheel and right now he has no wheel as instructed by the exotic vet. He is definitely more willing to eat food and drink water through a syringe but is not wanting to do so alone. But when I give him the food through a syringe he enjoys it and I have given bigger portions now because he lets me. I keep him in a warm room as instructed by the vet. 

All he does is lay around while i give him tummy rubs because he seems to like them and I don't want him feeling more bored than what he already seems to be. There are times that he does walk around his cage and he does not poop or pee where he sleeps but he also seems to get tired easily. I guess I want to know what are your opinions? He has gotten much better. He is able to walk, and seems more alert but aside from pneumonia, I have no other diagnosis. 

Do you have any suggestions as to what this is or how to treat it? Do you think he will get better? Is there hope? I am a college student and the reason I have been able to dedicate so much time to him and syringe feed him is because it is summer and I also work at home. Once I go back in the fall, I need him to start eating by himself. Do you think he will ever start to do so by himself? My parents don't want me to go through with his next appointment since I will most likely be paying another 250+ for his X-ray, visit and w.e medication they want to give him, but I feel as though I owe it to him so I will go. However, I don't know how much longer I can do this since I am financially limited and soon I won't be able to finance the vet visits but I don't want him to get sicker and I don't want to lose him for lack of finances. I would never forgive myself. Hence why I am also asking you all what tests should I tell my vet to perform on him (blood tests, Xrays, etc..) so that i don't waste money on appointments to have the doctor do what he could have done is one appointment. 

My vet seems to be knowledgeable( he is a staff veterinarian at the Wildlife Conservation Society's Bronx Zoo, and The Animal Medical Center's Avian and Exotic Medicine Department in New York City) and so I am not too worried.... but then again I feel as though Nunu is the first hedgehog the hospital has treated. He gets a lot of attention and there are always so many people around him. 

I want to see if i can give my vet ideas as to what he should be looking for...

Any input/questions/responses/advice you have are welcomed. I am desperate for him to be cured in the least amount of time he can because I have the monetary funds now, but I won't have it forever. 

And I don't plan on euthanizing Nunu because I think he can pull through this but if he doesn't when is it time? I am a first time hedgehog owner and to be quite honest a first time pet owner overall and I have grown so attached to him that I think I am lacking objectivity.


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## nikki (Aug 28, 2008)

I don't think its WHS either, if it was it would have come on alot slower. I wonder if he wasn't just to weak to walk properly and now that he's feeling better he's walking better. The antibiotics seem to be helping so that's good. He may just need more antibiotics to help him get better. 

Once he's feeling all better he should go back to eating on his own. The one hedgie I had to syringe feed started eating on her own when she was feeling better.


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## Immortalia (Jan 24, 2009)

The only thing I can think of suggesting is just to get a swab sample of his snot bubbles and send that out for a culture and sensitivity test to determine what antibiotic will work best. I also remember another member here being given a steroid (prednisolone) for a persistant reoccuring uri and that cleared the snot bubbles fast, so it's something to talk to your vet about.

Oh! And might want to add some probiotics between medications to help his tummy feel better. Give it a few hours before or after his meds. You can use benebac or acidophillus(pills from pharmacy sections, just crush and give hefty pinch on treat)

As for the "when is it time" question, it's really up to him, and also you. Quite honestly, you have done much more for him than many other pet owners, you have given him the best care possible. So no matter what happens, be it that he gets worse, or you run out of funds, or he thrives and lives a few more years, know that you have done what you can do for him, to ensure that he lives as happily and as pain free as possible. 
Do not feel guilty if you do run out of funds, because you did the best you can. And the kinder thing for sick or elderly ones, is that better too soon, than too late. Letting go is the hardest thing to do, and you won't really know when exactly is the time until you get there, your heart breaks, but you are determined to end the pain.

But, we'll be praying that he gets better just in time for you to start school. ^_^


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## alejassi (Jul 17, 2012)

First off, thank you so much for reading. I don;t know you guys but it really means a lot to me and has definetly changed my perspective about forums (this is my first time commenting on a forum..  ) I didn't realize it was SO long until after I submitted. I guess time flies when you are writing about something you care about...lol

Nikki: You have given me hope that he'll start eating when he gets better. I wasn't sure before and my family doesn't handle him like I do so I am the only one that would be able to care for him. I'm so glad that him returning to eat on his own is even a possibility! Thank you!

Immortalia: And I will definitely will buy Nunu either benebac or acidophillus. Oh also, he doesn't seem to be wanting treats(though I haven't tried in about two days) though, so could I mix it with his food maybe? He seems to be pooping regularly, except it is forest green still so thank you for this advice! I will ask him to take a swab sample and should I still go through with the Xrays?

Thank you for the advice on the euthanasia topic. I never thought it was going to be so hard to let go of such a little pet but when I had that initial scare I cried and cried because I thought that that was it for Nunu. It just seems so hard because even before his sickness Nunu has always been a very strong hedgehog. He didn't have the most caring owners before and when he got sick before, no one took him to the vet but he pulled through on his own. Thank you so much for your prayers. Nunu and I appreciate it so much! 

Love to you all and your pets<3


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## Immortalia (Jan 24, 2009)

The benbac is globby and hopefully, he'll just lick it and eat it himself. Otherwise, for both, just mix it in a bit of A/D and let him have a snack. ^_^ Hopefully, it'll help with the tummy issues. Just remember to not give it at the same time as the antibiotics, as those will just kill all of the good bacteria in the probiotics too.

As for the xray, I'm not really sure. I mean, they could take the xray and see if there's fluid in his lungs. They could take the xray to make sure there's nothing really going on in his hind end. But do I think it's an absolute necessity at this point in time? Not really. If he's walking fine, I might put off the xrays. Plus, if he's willing to walk, treating the URI/pneumonia is more important for the time being. As long as he is well behaved, the vet should be able to hear his breathing with the stethescope and actually hear if there might be fluid in the lungs from the URI. 
Though I personally have not had these problems, it may be good to wait for Nikki or one of the other admins/experienced owners pipe in. Again, you can also talk to your vet about this, let them know you do have a budget, and what is more important.


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## Mommatobe (Apr 5, 2012)

I am just wondering why the vet prescribed Meloxicam? Was it to help with the pain associated with his breathing or is he concerned about possilble joint issues? Meloxicam is used long term in arthritic patients so make sure to keep a close eye on his mobility when the Meloxicam is done and if he starts to have issues with his hind end he may need it long term, also maybe call the clinic and give an update and speak with the vet over the phone about how he is doing and if it is necessary to go in. If he is doing well I would say just keep doing what you are doing with food and probiotics will be a great add-on and clarify why Meloxicam is being used. And the culture would be great to to ensure he is on the right antibiotics for his URI. Good luck with him and let us know how he does.


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## alejassi (Jul 17, 2012)

Hi all, 

So I went to the doctor and he said that Nunu is doing well with his medicine and that I should feed him wax worms. He gained weight so he isn't too worried about the fact that he is very lethargic just yet. He told me to give Nunu Pedialyte (50% water & 50% pedialyte). He didn't say anything about X-ray so I'm thinking that it isn't needed anymore. He also found out that Nunu has a heart murmur but that it is a secondary issue for now and will most likely prescribe heart medication for him later but not now. 

I am going to buy the benebac and the wax worms today! Oh and he ate mealworms by himself today so I think that's a sign that he is getting better & he seems to have a bit more energy because he started to explore my bed instead of just laying on it. 

He also said that he suspected the first time he saw him that it could potentially be arthritis that is weakening his hing legs but now that he is walking again (he is walking a bit slower but walking!) he thinks that it was more related to the fact that he was weak but that I should still finish up another week of Meloxicam. He wants to see him in two weeks!

And I'll record my next visit with the vet here just so that it may help another person that might have a hedgie with pneumonia and sudden lack of use of his hind legs. 

Thank you all for your thoughtful answers! Honestly what a lovely forum!


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## Louislove704 (Oct 14, 2016)

alejassi said:


> Hi all,
> 
> So I went to the doctor and he said that Nunu is doing well with his medicine and that I should feed him wax worms. He gained weight so he isn't too worried about the fact that he is very lethargic just yet. He told me to give Nunu Pedialyte (50% water & 50% pedialyte). He didn't say anything about X-ray so I'm thinking that it isn't needed anymore. He also found out that Nunu has a heart murmur but that it is a secondary issue for now and will most likely prescribe heart medication for him later but not now.
> 
> ...


My hedgehog is having the same symptoms. What was your outcome?


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## nikki (Aug 28, 2008)

This thread was started in 2012. The person that started it hasn't been on the forum since then. Please start your own thread with your question.


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