# Bloated Belly?



## Alyssa (Jun 20, 2009)

Hey guys! It's me again! And Yugi again!

So, good news first; his eye is healing. There's a little scar on it but it should be fine. But something strange has come up.

Yugi's belly is... well, it's bloated. He's normally a really skinny guy but tonight he looks a little bit like his son, Chas (who is like twice his size!). It's happened once before, and I freaked out and thought it was a tumor or cancer of some sort. The next morning, though, it disappeared and his stomach was back to normal! So I'm not sure what's up. Is it constipation? A hernia? Something ruptured?

He hasn't been acting completely strange. He eats his food, drinks his water, I see enough poop in his cage. The only truly weird thing he does is shake his head. I've uploaded a picture of his big belly.

If it's still there tomorrow I'm taking him to the vet for another check up (might as well confirm for sure that his eye is on the right track). But I just don't know what this is.


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## LizardGirl (Aug 25, 2008)

Whatever it is (and I hope it's not too serious) get to the vet asap. I haven't heard of something like that happening, but it doesn't look good. Only your vet will be able to tell for certain what's going on and how to treat it/prevent it from happening again. 

Good luck!


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## HedgehogBoy42 (Jun 21, 2009)

That's what happened to my neighbors hedgehog when she was pregnant (obviously). But I guess that's impossible since you said "he". I don't know what it is, but I would get to a vet.


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## HedgeMom (Nov 7, 2008)

When he is "bloated", does his weight increase? Is it possible that he's plump from eating and drinking?


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## Alyssa (Jun 20, 2009)

Well I took him to Pet Emergency Inc (Dr. Doty is an exotic animal expert, and my friend who works there raved about her and her knowledge of hedgehogs) and got him checked out. She believes that he's constipated (since it keeps coming and going--it's disappeared and reappeared twice since the visit) and has given me this liquid oral medicine called "Metoclopramide," which is to "help intestinal pain & increase motility." 

His stool is normal, not watery or green, but they come out in little chunks rather than his normal chains. So it SOUNDS like he's becoming chronically constipated, but what really scares me (and baffles the vet) is that he's lost about 10% of his weight since the last visit (which was about 2 and half weeks ago). So she thinks there MIGHT be something lurking in his belly (tumor/cancer) but can't feel anything (when he's bloated, you can poke his stomach and it feels like... well, there's air? Like an inflated ball) and I couldn't afford to get x-rays at the time... so I've been feeding him more fibrous kibbles, giving him his medicine, and I'm going out now to get some canned pumpkin to see if that helps.

Do tumors come and go like that? One moment he's big and bloated, the next he's flat and taut. He seems to be getting pickier about what he eats (I watched him dig and toss food out of his bowl) but he eats none the less. 

Another thing that scared me so bad was, right before I took him to the vet, he made a whining sound when I woke him up. He did it again this morning when I woke him up to give him his medicine. So he must be in pain (I felt horrible hearing that sound!  It's like the most depressing sound ever!) but is it possible it's intestinal pain?

I'm sorry for asking so many questions and going off on tangents, but I'm just scatterbrained and worried that my little boy is hurting and I'm not helping him!


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## dorasdaddy (Dec 23, 2008)

It sounds as if he may have an intestinal blockage of some sort...what kind of bedding is he on? some hedgies will ingest some of the different types of bedding and they can cause a blockage. You need to find out ASAP what it is because a blockage can be fatal if left unattended.


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## Alyssa (Jun 20, 2009)

dorasdaddy said:


> It sounds as if he may have an intestinal blockage of some sort...what kind of bedding is he on? some hedgies will ingest some of the different types of bedding and they can cause a blockage. You need to find out ASAP what it is because a blockage can be fatal if left unattended.


He's on a liner I bought from Nancy years ago (I should actually buy some more items for her! Chas has ripped a hole in his hedgebag. :|). There's nothing in his cage aside from a wheel, two bowls, and two ferret balls.


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## Nancy (Aug 22, 2008)

How old is he and how much does he weigh? Do you weigh him daily? Depending on his weight, a 10% weight loss may be nothing to be concerned with. A hedgehog that weighs 300g or less, 10% could be nothing more than the first weighing was before he'ed gone potty. Still, it is something to keep an eye on and I'd start weighing him morning and night. That will give you an accurate assessment of his weight and if he is really loosing.

Tumours don't come and go but tumours can cause internal bleeding a filling with fluid. That doesn't come and go either. I wonder if he is filling with gas? What foods is he eating and does he get any treats that could make him gassy? 

Does he have trouble eating his kibble? I wonder if his fussiness is because some foods are easier for him to eat. Try offering him a dish of dampened kibble as well and see if he prefers the softer food. 

When he is bloated, have you tried giving him a warm bath and see if going potty will relieve it? 

I really don't have any advice.


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## LizardGirl (Aug 25, 2008)

I am kind of thinking it looks like gas, too.


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