# Zoonosis- has your hedgie made you sick?



## Sandwich's Mommy (Feb 15, 2015)

I only found one thread when searching this so I'm asking for new info. Has anyone gotten sick from their hedgie? I've had Sandwich over a year and wash my hands frequently , as well as using gloves to clean her cage, but no one is perfect. I went to the doctor after weeks of throat pain that I shouldn't have put off and found out I have a lymph node infection. When I asked what caused it the doctor said it could be anything "bad" or infectious that got in my blood stream or lymphatic system. They said take these antibiotics for 2 weeks and see, but I want to know if I should still be handling her? If anyone has experience with this? It seems like if I mention I have a hedgehog to a doctor they don't even know what they are, let alone what effect they have on human health. Since I'm her only caregiver I want to make sure I'm doing things right for both of us. Thanks for any info in advance


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## FinnickHog (Dec 1, 2014)

It's pretty unlikely it was caused by your hedgehog, especially if it's your lymph nodes that are infected. Here's a big, scary list of everything you can possibly get from a pet hedgehog: http://wwwnc.cdc.gov/eid/article/11/1/04-0752_article

That's an absolutely worst case scenario though, and you'd have to have a compromised immune system to catch a lot of those. There are very, very few cases of zoonoses between pet hedgehogs and humans yearly.

That said, there's always a chance. If you've been washing your hands and using gloves when cleaning up poop though, it's a pretty tiny chance. Is it a viral infection?


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## Sandwich's Mommy (Feb 15, 2015)

They didn't tell me whether it was bacterial or viral, likely because no blood was drawn. The physical symptom were pretty obvious. I just realized 2 things that may not be great in hedgie handling, I guess I just got so used to having her around. 1.I haven't been giving foot baths when I taken her out, she is usually on a towel but has been on the floor, . Because we use care fresh she doesn't ever have "poop boots" like when I tried liners (she hated the liners) the most she has is maybe some poo and paper liner stuck to back feet if it's bad I use a baby wipe to pull off. I try not to bathe her too often , even foot bathes, because the teen girl I got her from was bathing her DAILY! And scrubbing her quills with a brush each time, so when I got her at 5 months she was terrified of water and continues to be. 
2.Sandwich lives in out upstairs extra bathroom, because I can control the temperature, light and noise. It also makes bathing and cage cleaning convienent. I do dump her dirty water and using a glove I spot clean poop and put all in in the toliet and flush. I have however used that toliet a few times when I had to pee so bad I couldn't wait. It's certainly not dirty and the hedge poops don't touch the seat. 
I don't know if any of this is relevant or just poor hedgie hygiene, unfortunately my mind races despite knowing what I know about them.


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## Artemis-Ichiro (Jan 22, 2016)

Is your lymph node swollen? Does it hurt?


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## Lilysmommy (Jan 7, 2009)

See, I always want to comment on these threads and say none of that sounds harmful at all to me. But then I remember that I gave up washing my hands after handling the hogs and their stuff a long time ago, even when I pick up dried poop. So I guess I might not be a good judge. :Lol:


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## Sandwich's Mommy (Feb 15, 2015)

To reply to above, yes they are both horribly swollen, I no longer have tonsils so I knew something was wrong. I put of going to the Dr because I didn't have a fever and thought maybe it was muscle neck pain, until they just got bigger and bigger.


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## Sandwich's Mommy (Feb 15, 2015)

Lilysmommy. That makes me feel better though! I would rather just sigh and realize I'm a hypochondriac about everything.


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## Artemis-Ichiro (Jan 22, 2016)

When you touch them, do they hurt?


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## Sandwich's Mommy (Feb 15, 2015)

Artemis-Ichiro, not really mostly just uncomfortable


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## nikki (Aug 28, 2008)

Even when I had multiple hedgehogs I never used gloves when picking up poops or cleaning the cages and wheels. I think as long as you practice proper hygiene (hand washing) you are very very unlikely to contract any type of illness from your hedgehog.


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## Artemis-Ichiro (Jan 22, 2016)

Please take the medicine and go to the doctor if it doesn't go away, make sure they do all tests needed and always go to the doctor, don't procrastinate, it's better safe than sorry


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## CrysAnner (Apr 29, 2016)

Just throwing this out there not that im a doctor, nor do i know any symptoms but hedgehogs have been known to carry salmonella...


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## Sandwich's Mommy (Feb 15, 2015)

Thanks everyone for answers! Definitely taking all the antibiotics, and since I went to an Urgent care the first time, going to check with my PCP if nothing gets better after meds. I don't think it's salmonella since neither I nor sandwich have the common hedgehog or human symptoms. She hasn't had the lethargy or any of that. I just wanted to be sure I wasn't missing anything about hedgies but I'm keeping an eye out on both of us. Again thanks everybody!


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## Artemis-Ichiro (Jan 22, 2016)

Please keep us posted, here we not only care about the hedgies but also their humans.


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## Sandwich's Mommy (Feb 15, 2015)

I will keep you posted.


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## Lilysmommy (Jan 7, 2009)

You're more likely to get salmonella from food than from a hedgehog anyway. For that matter, you're more likely to get salmonella from food than from a reptile & they're more known for it than hedgehogs. It's honestly not much of a concern from them.

Hope you feel better soon, Sandwich's Mommy!


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## FinnickHog (Dec 1, 2014)

I'm terrible for santitization and I have a compromised immune system and I've never even had salmonella, so it's gotta be pretty uncommon.

Hopefully the infection clears up for you quickly!


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## Sandwich's Mommy (Feb 15, 2015)

So I thought I'd post an update. Took the antibiotics and lymph nodes didn't go down, so ended up having an ultrasound and they said everything was normal. Oh and no reason to believe any of it is hedgie related. On the hedgehog front, Sandwich is happy, healthy and hissy.


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## GsMom (Mar 12, 2016)

I have the immune system of a gnat and have never gotten sick from either of my hedgehogs. Statistically speaking, I think you're more likely to get sick from handling the dry cat/dog food they eat, than from the hedgehog itself.

I actually have 2 doctors that constantly nag me to bring my hedgehog to my appointments. My first hedgehog went with me to several medical appointments, including one of my post-surgical appointments with a neurosurgeon. It was a little surreal to have him playing peek-a-boo with a hedgehog, while he removed 30 staples from my incision, but more entertaining than most of my appointments. :lol: 

These doctors are not the back woods hicks (like I started out with, years ago), they're some of the best in the country, practicing at a major university/research hospital. I'm positive they know the risks involved and wouldn't allow me to bring a hedgehog to my appointment (much less harass me into it..lol) if there was a significant risk of causing illness, especially since so many of their other patients are also immunocompromised.


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