# New Hedgie/ First one!



## darkally (Oct 16, 2010)

I just brought home my very first hedgehog, and I likely did a big no-no as far as Hedgie owners are concerned, I saw the warning signs but well let me say my story first...
I have been wanting a hedgehog for awhile now, since I saw a few videos of them on youtube..I began to research everything i could about them, (this site has been very helpful!) and I know that the best places to get one are usually from breeders with papers and everything. They are a tad expensive, but they are also an exotic pet, so I can understand that. 
Anyway..I did not get my new hedgehog from one of those breeders..I saw one on craigslist and well you can guess..$50 bucks later I brought her home...
She does not have a name yet, so I am going to refer to her as leme, ( well she does but it is long and kind of hard to remember..lemewinks?)
The deal is, and I am hesitant to come to my own conclusions on this as I do not know the person I received the hedgie from. And I am not intending to speak badly of them either, I just want to lay out what I am seeing and hopefully get some feedback on what to do next.
The person was unsure of her age, but they had her for about 7 months and they were giving her up because they were moving. They said they talked to a vet about leme's condition, since she had just started losing some quills near the top of her head, the vet said it was dry skin..and I know that i would need to use Aloe or Olive oil ect. The only thing is that her ears appear somewhat tattered too, and that makes me think it could be mites, which I really hope not! She said that leme has been in good health the whole time she has had her as well (besides for this) 
Leme came with a,i'd say medium sized cage, a bit chewed and battered, but no biggie, I will get her another one soon, some cat food, a water bottle, and log with holes in it for her to hide away...no wheel though so that is also on my to do list.
The girl that gave me leme did admit she did not know much about hedgehogs and did not tell me how she came to get her, but I did not want to pry either. She was not sure what kind of hedgehog she was either..
The only other thing leme did not come with of coarse was papers, so I am guessing that I am taking a chance at WHS..I am going to post some pictures of her later and if anyone has any advice it would be appreciated..
I know I might be getting into more than I bargained for with this, but I am willing to do whatever it takes to make sure the girl is healthy for as long as I have her...which will hopefully be a long time!


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## LizardGirl (Aug 25, 2008)

Congrats on your new girl! It's great you have her now and will be taking great care of her.  Sounds like you are doing everything right so far. Do you have a heat system set up for her yet?

I wouldn't worry about WHS, it's not nearly as common as it seems. If she does seem wobbly, chances are it's temperature related.


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## darkally (Oct 16, 2010)

That is also on my to-do list. For today I am just going to give her her space.( going to need to get a thermometer as well, it seems pretty warm in here, but I want to be sure) Then I am going to go shopping!  I am probably just being over paranoid or over worried that something may be wrong with her, but I am going to be watching her all the same just to make sure and take the proper precautions.
The only reason I said that about WHS is because she could be from a pet shop for all I know..She does not appear to be wobbly, but she also has not been awake much yet.


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## Puffers315 (Apr 19, 2010)

I wouldn't fret over WHS too much, its a possibility even with ones from breeders (much less of course with pet store hedgies) but as Lizardgirl said, its not as common as it seems and when they do show signs, many times its something else.

You sound like you're on a good track, two most important general things is heating and lighting (at least in my opinion) which you're already getting a thermometer for the cage. 75'F is the ideal temperature to aim for, comfort range is 73'F to 78'F but it depends on the hog, and of course anything cold can send them into hibernation.

Lighting is easy, any simple lamp near their cage, desk lamp or just the room lights on for about 12 hours. If they sense short days, they might try and hibernate.

You might try a water dish instead of a bottle, bottles tend to make them drink in an unnatural position, so some might drink as much as they would with a dish, offer both though and make sure she is eating and drinking.

Keep her on the same food for a couple of weeks, its usually stressful for them when switching homes, just something they don't like. Depending on how she acts, give her a few days before handling and bonding with her, allows her to get a little comfortable in her new home. Also beware sometimes they might be friendly and outgoing at their previous home, and might do a 180 and become a brissly hissing ball, but they'll get over it with time and handling, its just the new home, but each hog is different, some might not even care.

Food wise we have a recommended food list, people usually do a mixture of two or three different types as no cat food has everything they need. Slowly add it into her food while removing more of her original (unless she's on something good), otherwise they can get an upset stomach.

You're on the ball with a wheel, they need them for burning off energy and just general exercise, a wild hog can do up to 10 or more miles a night searching for food. Sounds like she never had one, so it might take a little time for her to learn how to use it (some though just somehow know). A Comfort Wheel is the best commerically sold wheel, 12 inch, most others have hazards and can be dangerous. No wire or mesh surfaces, only solid, and no side supports. I always recommend the Carolina Storm Wheel built and sold by LarryT, quiet and easy to clean, and he ships them super fast.

Darkness can also be an important factor, it doesn't matter when you're bonding with them but they usually have their own personal time late at night (usually wheeling and eating). Its something I learned from my guys. My female will come out if the lights are off and doesn't mind the glow of the tv and monitors in my room, but my male will -not- come out unless he has total darkness (well, he comes out and eats but doesn't stay out).

Besides that sounds like you've done your homework and probably read the stickies here at the forums. Lizardgirl also has a book she has written thats a great read.


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## susanaproenca (Aug 14, 2010)

If all she has is only dry skin (no mites) you can give her a bath using Aveeno oatmeal soap and a little flaxseed oil in the rinse water. I find flaxseed oil to be extremely helpful when Col. Mustard has dry skin.

Flaxseed oil is actually better than olive oil, because it rinses off more easily.


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## darkally (Oct 16, 2010)

Thanks for all the advice you guys. I am just really shaking my head over this one, I am wondering how she was taken care of for 7 months without a heat source, and probably the wrong food, and no wheel..Leme has not been up since I brought her home except to root around every now and then, I have it dark by her cage now, since it is night time..I am kind of afraid to bother her too much and have been hoping she will get up on her own as it is nearing midnight here. I want to try and handle her to asses her sitch further..I know it may take her time to get use to me though..


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## Hedgieonboard (Nov 15, 2009)

Congrats on your new hedgie, she seems like she's very lucky that you have her now and I think its great how much research you did  If you are wanting to handle her you could always pick her up with a hedgie bag if she came with one or a little hedgie blanket and just let her get used to you on your lap for a little bit, she may stay in a ball but she will be getting used to you. You could start out with short 10 to 15 min intervals and then put her back if she looks like she is stressing. That way she starts getting used to you and you can enjoy starting the bonding process


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## darkally (Oct 16, 2010)

She woke up once for about five minutes, but hissed if I even stuck my hand into the cage. I put a blanket in there, but I don't really want to wake her up, might try the blanket method later, is it unusual for her to sleep so much at this hour or do they usually get up in random spurts if left on their own? And I guess I am a bit timid of just trying to pick her up with my hands anyway and I don't want her fearfulness to become a habit. I did research, but even now I feel like I did not do enough or might get something wrong.


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## shaelikestaquitos (Feb 2, 2010)

darkally said:


> She woke up once for about five minutes, but hissed if I even stuck my hand into the cage. I put a blanket in there, but I don't really want to wake her up, might try the blanket method later, is it unusual for her to sleep so much at this hour or do they usually get up in random spurts if left on their own? And I guess I am a bit timid of just trying to pick her up with my hands anyway and I don't want her fearfulness to become a habit. I did research, but even now I feel like I did not do enough or might get something wrong.


Sticking your hand in the cage might upset her more than if you take her out, just because some hedgies are very territorial.

Kashi used to be fine with being handled, but he was NOT okay with me putting my hand in his cage for the first few days. He'd growl and charge at my hand :/

I don't know what time it is over there, but if you have lights on, usually hedgies will not come out on their own.


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## darkally (Oct 16, 2010)

I made sure to keep it dark in here after the natural dark hours of the day, I only have a tiny lamp on to be able to see and its glow is facing away from the cage. It is after midnight here. Like I said though I was a little too afraid to just pick her up, afraid it would scare her and she would poke or try to bite me.


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## Puffers315 (Apr 19, 2010)

sadly that's one of the biggest problems of youtube, the videos you see of Hedgehogs are always those that are very social and been worked on, your girl might need some work, from the sounds of her previous owners, its very possible she didn't get handled much, which will make her very anti-social towards human, but that can be changed over time and bonding.

If its the first few days, then she'll probably be on edge and cautious, its in their nature to be so. Just make sure she is eating and drinking, if not, place some kibble inside the door of her house or near where she is sleeping.

Its also possible the tiny lamp is disturbing her, even with the glow facing away from the cage, its probably still giving light off into the cage. My male like I said will not come out unless he has total darkness, and I mean utter total darkness, if I look in his cage right now, you cannot see a single vein of light. About a month back I had used a blanket to cover his cage instead of a blackout curtain, there was just enough light to see the outline of his stuff, but it was enough to keep him inside his house, except to come out and eat and drink. Otherwise he is typically on his wheel.

You might try using a blanket or even some folded fleece when picking her up, she's probably going to spike up and even ball up at being handled, especially if her previous owners didn't handle her too much. Like Shae and others said, just sit with her on your lap with her covered up, first few nights she might stay in a ball but sooner or later she'll peek out, maybe start exploring.

It can take time to tame a hog, but its worth it, especially when you see the changes. I got lucky and my first Hedgehog was very social, all she did was huff at me, never quilled up or hissed. After a month with me, she didn't even huff at me unless startled, and it was rewarding in a way. But you'll overcome the fear of being poked, its not that bad.


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## darkally (Oct 16, 2010)

Thank you  I put a blanket over her cage before I read your post..I was thinking 'just in case'..She got up again and has eaten and drank. The lady who gave me her said she was very friendly and liked to cuddle. She also said that she never quilled her before either. So I am going to take a breath and carefully take the first step here


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## Puffers315 (Apr 19, 2010)

Excellent, if she was handled, calm and friendly with her previous owner, then she will be with you over time, say a week or two, possibly a month, it just takes some time and dedication to build up a bond and trust with her, she's hissy now more or less because its a new home. Find some mealworms, bribery with treats is a good method of building a bond.


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## darkally (Oct 16, 2010)

OK so that was really hard. I finally got her out of the cage using a blanket and she proceeded to try and run everywhere! and ended up under the blanket, every time I tried to get her back up to put in caged she hissed. She kept trying to get to the edge of the couch. And I was afraid she would jump off and hurt herself so I kept trying to get one of the towels to block her off. I had several towels and a blanket. They ended up all twisted up. I only manages to pick her up once or twice to get her back on the blanket, but she seemed agitated so I did not want to try it again. And she is a little on the big side. so it is hard to do the scoop method from the sides.


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## Puffers315 (Apr 19, 2010)

Hehe, I call that a Hog Rodeo, but more or less she was probably trying to find a place to hide, but its still good to get her out, even 10 minutes a day will help along with the bonding process.


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## PJM (May 7, 2010)

Welcome to HHC & congrats on your hedgie! It sounds like you are already making her life better. Just be consistent & patient. We're excited to hear how everything progresses. Like everything else in life, it's scary & unknown at first, but does get better.


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## Olympia (Aug 4, 2010)

I had the same thing happen with my 2 hedgies when I got them. Once they got out of their ball, they would always try to run away from me. What I did is I built a playpen with pieces of cardboard securely attached with twist ties, big enough so that I could sit in it and there would be a lot of place left for a hedgie to run around me without being able to get out. I sat in the playpen every night with my hedgie in my arms at first, in a blanket (and I used and still use a blanket to pick them up, I feel more secure that way). When she got too squirmy I put her down and left her wander around. After a little while, I`d pick her up again until she wanted to get down again. That worked great for me, they gradually got used to being held and petted (one likes to be petted on her back and the other only on the side of her face) and now I have one that never wants to get down, she`s a super snuggler and I can sit anywhere with her and one that sometimes likes to snuggle and some nights just wants to run around so I have a small playpen set up for her in case she doesn`t want to stay with me.

Don`t be intimidated by the noises and jumps she may do, it`s normal at first and you don`t want her to think she can make you put her back in her cage if she does that. Just keep your hands away from her face in case she decides to bite, that`s about the worst she could do and not all hedgies do it. Both of mine never did and I was always very careful for the first few months to never put myself in a position to be bit. Once I got to know my hedgie better, I knew what she would and would not tolerate. For me, a big part of the fun of having a hedgie is to get them to trust you and get to know their personality. It takes work and patience but it`s very rewarding.


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## darkally (Oct 16, 2010)

Thanks. I have a feeling she is going to need a bunch of extra TLC. I am just glad I found her and that she did not go to a home that would not have taken care of her right. 

I do wish I knew how old she is and where she came from..But unless knowing those things will severely impact anything, I guess it will have to remain somewhat a mystery..

I am going to try and post pictures when I can though, and again I want to thank you all for the positive feedback and help! It is very appreciated.


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## darkally (Oct 16, 2010)

So is it alright to continue to try and pick them up then even if they spike up or ball up? I tried the blanket too, but it was very hard to pick her up that way still, she is good at getting under it and even better at not letting the blanket get under her.


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## Olympia (Aug 4, 2010)

Yes, if you wait to pick her up until she stops balling up you`ll probably never do. She doesn`t know you and she`s frightened, it`s normal.  Use a folded blanket over your hands so you can`t feel the spikes and be gentle but don`t hesitate, even if you`re nervous. They can feel your nervousness and they respond to it. I put the blanket over my hedgie with my hands on either sides of her and if she`s in a ball, I gently tip her to one side so I can get one blanket-covered hand under her and then tip her on the other side to get my second hand under. Also, talk to her before picking her up, tell her what you`re gonna do. It`ll let her know it`s you and that you`re coming for her. Eventually she`ll know what to expect and get less frightened. If she keeps running into her house when you try to pick her up, take out her house before you do it.


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## darkally (Oct 16, 2010)

Right now she doesn't really have a house.. She just hides under the litter one one side of the cage. I have a towel over her and she does not like it when it is moved. And hisses at me.
I really want to be able to check her paws and the area that has the quill loss more thoroughly as well, and giving her a bath the first time should be interesting too, I hope she is at least fond of water.. 

I try not to be nervous when picking her up but for some reason my mind says QUIllS! 

But you guys are right it is just going to take time for the both of us.


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## PJM (May 7, 2010)

It's one of those things where the anticipation is worse than the reality. Yes, you may get poked or bitten. But, other than the initial shock, it doesn't really hurt much. It's like getting a shot from the Dr. or the Dentist. The unknown is the worse part. Once you've been quilled a time or two, you realize, it's not so bad. Then you can relax. Then you won't get quilled so often. Just hang in there...it gets better!


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## shaelikestaquitos (Feb 2, 2010)

darkally said:


> I try not to be nervous when picking her up but for some reason my mind says QUIllS!


I was the same way when I handled a hedgehog for the first time :lol: 
Luckily Leela (my friend's hedgehog that I had pet sat for a few weeks) was a super social hog and got me comfortable with holding hedgies 
PJM is right, though, it really doesn't hurt other than the initial shock 
I used to flinch when Kashi would bite me, but lately (he's become randomly aggressive) when he bites it doesn't even phase me anymore. Now that I don't have a reaction he's stopped biting completely


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## jinglesharks (Jun 15, 2010)

shaelikestaquitos said:


> darkally said:
> 
> 
> > I try not to be nervous when picking her up but for some reason my mind says QUIllS!
> ...


Yeah, I was the same way with biting. Pepper had a few weeks of being really cranky in the summer (I think it was because of the heat) and would bite me almost daily, so it got to the point where I really didn't care. People would say, "How do you just sit there like that?!" but it just became really automatic to stay still and wait for him to let go. Once he realized he wasn't going to be put down or get what he wanted from biting, he stopped completely. He hasn't bitten me in months, except for the occasional soft "mum I'm hungry!" nibble. :lol:

Oh, and you get used to quills, too. When I first got Pepper I used to use fleece to pick him up a lot and when he spiked it really hurt, but now I can pick him up with my bare hands when he's at his spikiest without any problems. My boyfriend, who doesn't handle him much, still finds it painful if Pepper's balled up, so I'm pretty sure it's normal to get used to it if you handle them regularly.


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## darkally (Oct 16, 2010)

I held her today, I used light gloves soaked in her skin treatment, I know most say not to use gloves, but I let her sniff at my arms and brush against them too, I did not think it would be much different than trying to use a blanket. I scooped her up in the towel she had been using, but once she got out she began the running again, this time though I did pick her up a few times. I used a Q-tip to brush on the aloe and vitamin e oil, she didn't really like that very much but also did not protest too loudly and did not ball up at all she was more curious than anything. In fact I have never seen her actually ball up, unlike the pictures of a bunch of other hedgies in here. And I have only seen her puff up twice, once when the cat got too close to her cage another time when she was playing with a piece of cut cardboard tube. She was more active today, it was good to see her out and about.

I haven't found any poo in her cage, but when I hold her she doesn't mind pooping all over me. 

Also I found a quill or two in her cage and the ball was intact.

I have some fish oil that I was considering adding to her food, but it is 1k mg is that too high? Should I even add the fish oil at all?


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## Nancy (Aug 22, 2008)

Aloe is on the SPCA poisonous substance list. I wouldn't risk using it.


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## darkally (Oct 16, 2010)

Oh yikes!

I guess that means no baby oil then..


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## LarryT (May 12, 2009)

A few drops of fish oil on the food is ok but it can cause some real stinky poops. Flax seed oil is what alot of us like to use.


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## Nancy (Aug 22, 2008)

No, baby oil is bad anyways. Despite it being for babies, it is harsh on the skin. Your best bet is to buy flax seed oil capsules and use it on her skin.


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## darkally (Oct 16, 2010)

Alright, where do you guys usually get the flax seed oil at?

is it ok to put it in the food and on her skin? I don't want her to go bald and she has lost a few quills already.


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## susanaproenca (Aug 14, 2010)

You can get the flax seed oil at pharmacies (cvs, walgreens, etc) or department stores like walmart, target... Get the one that comes in capsules as it will last you a long time and the capsules won't go bad. 

Just poke a hole and put it on her food a few times a week. After baths, you can poke a hole and squirt it in the rinse water. You can also put a tiny bit of it on her ears to help with tattered ears.


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## darkally (Oct 16, 2010)

Wow, I am really upset right now. I went to petsmart and bought the 12' comfort wheel and it broke in like two seconds! What a rip off, it must have been deformed or something when I got it and did not notice. it was $16 too, so I was thinking it was a decent deal instead of ordering one online. I want to get what she needs but I still want to shop smart about it. It can still be set up in the stand but it just seems warped to me..

Thinking about getting a ball for now, do they usually go for those?


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## jinglesharks (Jun 15, 2010)

darkally said:


> Wow, I am really upset right now. I went to petsmart and bought the 12' comfort wheel and it broke in like two seconds! What a rip off, it must have been deformed or something when I got it and did not notice. it was $16 too, so I was thinking it was a decent deal instead of ordering one online. I want to get what she needs but I still want to shop smart about it. It can still be set up in the stand but it just seems warped to me..
> 
> Thinking about getting a ball for now, do they usually go for those?


If you mean a hamster ball, no, they are dangerous for hedgehogs. Their nails can get stuck in the slit where it snaps together and also since hedgie's "go" while running, it'll get really messy and smelly and be pretty unpleasant for them. A wheel is the way to go. Maybe try to take the wheel back?


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## darkally (Oct 16, 2010)

Yeah, I am going to, I wanted to ask about the ball, because once again it is actually on other sites that is is fine to do..there are a lot of scary sites out there, I did not think it was but I just wanted to make sure.

The drive is a long one, over an hour for us, the nearest place is actually a co-op that might possibly have wheels and other accessories, but it is a hit and miss if they will or not.


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## shealynn87 (Jun 6, 2010)

I would really recommend The Carolina Storm Wheel. Larry T makes and sells them! They are not cheap but they are worth the money and the quality far surpasses any store bought wheel. They are big enough for an adult hedgehog, they are silent, and very easy to clean!


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## darkally (Oct 16, 2010)

I can see that most do use that one, I just wanted to see if there were any unexplored avenues, If I am lucky I might even find a used one somewhere..I just hate buying something and then finding the same thing for much cheaper  And it happens all too often. I mean if I cannot find anything then yeah I will defiantly consider getting one.


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## susanaproenca (Aug 14, 2010)

I recommend the Carolina Storm Wheel as well. It's safe, VERY easy to clean and very silent. We moved Col. Mustard to our room now (it's the warmest room in the house) and all I can hear during the night are her little feet tapping, but the wheel itself doesn't make any noise.


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## darkally (Oct 16, 2010)

I just hope she will learn to use one. In the few minutes I had it in her cage (before I realized it was unusable) She tried to get on it, so that is a good sign.


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## shealynn87 (Jun 6, 2010)

I understand not wanting to waste money  I think the reason we all recommend the csw is because everything else had been tried and it has been proved to be the best. If you really want to save money and get a good quality wheel you should make a Do it yourself bucket wheel. If you google it you will find websites telling you how.


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## darkally (Oct 16, 2010)

Not sure, I might check that out too..

Update for today
I got her out again today, she is much friendlier than I thought she would be. The hardest part is getting her out of the cage, she huffs and spikes up. But once she is out she is so curious about everything. She let me pick her up, without fussing and put her on the floor for awhile. The only thing is it is hard to hold her because she wants to go everywhere. I put her against me and she runs up my shoulder.


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