# Hedgehog runs until his feet bleed



## cavalcante (May 14, 2013)

Hello!

My hedgehog Francisco loves his wheel, it's a solid wodent wheel that I bought from the breeder. I know he loves his wheel because the first day we brought him home he ran in his wheel for hours and slept in it for a couple of days. That being said, he seems to love his wheel a little too much as he runs until his feet bleed. I noticed it the other day, took his wheel away, cleaned up his feet and waited a week before giving his wheel back. Now that his feet are healed, I am letting him run for an hour a day and then taking it back. Eventually I will increase the time that he gets with his wheel but I am starting him out slow. I was curious if anyone else has had this problem with their hedgehog and what did you do to solve it? He's so sad without his wheel but I can't let him run until his feet bleed.


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## Hazesti (Jan 19, 2010)

I looked up the wodent wheel to try and understand why it would make his feet bleed. It's not a wire wheel (which are very dangerous) and it looks like the running surface is smooth, so it shouldn't be hard on their feet... But I think the problem is that the wheel is enclosed.

Hedgehogs will poop and pee in their wheel when running. They just do. But with a normal wheel the pee and some of the poop will fall out, I'm thinking that maybe his feet get irritated with the pee? I don't hear of a lot of hedgehogs having bleeding feet with solid surface wheels, but no one recommands the wheel you use because the hedgehog remains trapped in his own feces and fumes. :/

I would recommand you look into getting a bucket wheel such as this one http://www.carolinastormhedgehogs.com/t ... wheel.html

This is really the ideal kind of wheel for hedgehogs, and they aren't so expensive with shipping to what I've found in stores...


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## Nancy (Aug 22, 2008)

It is very common for a hedgehog new to a wheel to run it's feet raw in the first few weeks of having a wheel. It's kind of like us at the beginning of summer when walking barefoot hurts but then our feet toughen up. Hedgie's feet need to toughen up. This can happen regardless of the type of wheel. 

Sometimes their feet will only bleed once, others will bleed numerous times before they toughen up. Depending on how much blood there is, take the wheel out for a night or 2 or 3. Introducing it back slowly is a good idea. The only problem with taking the wheel away, without the wheel they will often find other things to do such as climbing the bars of the cage or trying to escape and that can sometimes risk more injury than the wheel. 

Although running feet raw can happen with any wheel, the Wodent wheel is not a good hedgehog wheel. Hedgehogs potty while running and the wodent wheel holds that mess in so they are running in their feces and urine more than with a bucket wheel that allows it to run off. The Wodent wheels are also time consuming to dismantle daily to wash. The openings in the Wodent wheel can be awkward for a large hedgehog to enter and exit. Finally, those openings risk injury if hedgie decides to jump off as the wheel is moving. A bucket or cake wheel is the best and safest option and Larry's (Carolina Storm) wheels are the best.


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## cavalcante (May 14, 2013)

Thanks for the replies. I think I will look into getting the Carolina Storm Wheel because I do hate taking apart that wheel everyday to clean it. Plus I'd like him to be able to enjoy it whenever he wants without as much of a mess.

He has been getting extra play time while has feet have been healing but he has managed to cause some mischief, like splashing all the water out of his dish. Silly guy. 

Thanks for the help! This forum has been very helpful as a new hedgehog owner.


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## cavalcante (May 14, 2013)

Hey there! I just thought I would update those who replied to this post. I bought Francisco a new Carolina Storm Wheel and he enjoys it very much. He has yet to injure his feet on it. I'm loving the easy cleaning too!


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## LarryT (May 12, 2009)

cavalcante said:


> Hey there! I just thought I would update those who replied to this post. I bought Francisco a new Carolina Storm Wheel and he enjoys it very much. He has yet to injure his feet on it. I'm loving the easy cleaning too!


 Glad you like it, thanks for your order!


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## HannahDanielle (Oct 13, 2017)

Hello! I am a new hedgie owner & have had my little bean for about 3 months. i had bought her a Silent Runner Wheel (the green one, Wide) the first month or two she never used it. now she uses it excessively. i had bought a nail trimming track since she will absolutely not let me cut her nails, looked at the reviews & a few hedgehog owners said it works wonders for their hedgies. so i did as the instructions said & left it in her cage for about a night, i had realized she was running alot slower on it & barely ran that night. so i took it out & put her normal track back in & she ran like crazy. A day or two later i had seen blood tracks all over her cage & wheel. i immediately took her wheel out for a few days & cleaned her feet & wheel. she had been getting around fine. here i am, 4 days later & put her wheel back in last night & she was fine all night & day today. i come back home & see blood again. its her normal track so im confused. possibly the trimmer track had irritated her feet but she should be fine with her normal track. i see a little snag on one of her feet so im going to wait until it heals until i even think about putting a wheel back in her cage. but im scared it will continuously happen. what should i do??


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## nikki (Aug 28, 2008)

Please don't post on old threads, this one is from 2013. Please start your own thread with your questions.


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