# Medicine question before starting it today



## amberkinn (Oct 9, 2011)

Okay, so yesterday I took mercury to the vet for her first time. She was perfectly comfortable snuggled in her tons of blankets and towels in her carrying case, I even saw her sprawl out on her belly under her blankets while waiting for my new puppy to finish getting her 3rd set of shots, rabies, and her tracking chip and deworming. (I took them both to make it one trip.)
Then came her turn to see the vet, and...let's just say she was NOT happy, lol.







(She's 228 grams!)
I turned on his sink water thinking this would help her to come out of her ball, as it would help me when I first brought her home. She's perfectly comfortable coming out of her ball around me now, and has even started crawling onto me to snuggle!
The reason I took her to the vet is because I've been hearing a small gurgle in her huffing, and I thought she might have a respiratory infection. She has been eating fine, drinking fine, and her stool/urine is fine, but I've been concerned with the sound of her huff. I don't really know if it's just her huff or if she was sick. I explained this to him and he listened to her and said he was hearing it too and it concerned him, but he'd like me to bring her back so he could look at her nose and ears as she wouldn't come out of a ball. But he prescribed me this to give her 0.1 ml of every day for 10 days: http://www.1800petmeds.com/Albon+Suspen ... 10336.html (albon suspension) I think it's a general anti-biotic, but I thought I would post on here to make sure you guys thought it was safe. She was born on Halloween night, so that makes her 2 months and 2 days old.
He is a general animal doctor, and sees anything from horse to hamster. He didn't seem especially familiar with hedgehogs, so I am a little worried. Here is her info:

- How old is your hedgehog? - 2 months 2 days.
- How long have you owned your hedgehog? - almost a month
- Has there been any changes in the 2-3 weeks prior to the symptoms starting, such as, you on vacation, hedgie cared for by someone else, new cage, different cage location etc - Larger cage, other than that, none.
- Poops in corner of the cage, kind of cleanly hedgie 
- No problems urinating as far as I can tell, and no dark / bloody urine.
- Wet nose, almost always, licking nose
- Breathing is a little gurgled, which was my concern with her huffing
- Eating is good, Drinking is above good
- Dry skin, but she is quilling, so I kind-of applied this to that fact
- Energy - tires easily.
- Medicine - Albon Suspension 0.1 ml once a day 10 days?


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## Kalandra (Aug 25, 2008)

albon is sulfadimethoxine. It is one of the antibiotics listed in the hedgehog formulary I have.


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## raerysdyk (Oct 21, 2011)

When I brought Brillo home (7 weeks old) he came down with a URI. I believe he was put on the same antibiotics (or at least a general med of the same family). I had no issues- except he didn't like it. :? So, I think you should be just fine with the meds.


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## amberkinn (Oct 9, 2011)

Thanks you guys. I just gave her her dose for today and she licked it all up, she seems to like how it tastes. She even started looking around for more! :lol: This made me laugh as she's a picky eater.


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## amberkinn (Oct 9, 2011)

Just wondering but does it give diarrhea?  She's had loose stool. She's been A LOT more active so I know she's feeling better, but I'm worried about the very (very) loose stool. It may have even been dark urine. I'm not completely sure.  I will keep watching, but are these normal side effects in hedgies?


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## raerysdyk (Oct 21, 2011)

Diarrhea is "normal." The sulfadimethoxine is a general antibiotic which treats enteric (gastrointestinal) infections as well as respiratory. So, some of the "good" bacteria in the gut is killed off, making stool runny. 

Brillo was the same way when he was on his antibiotics. Just make sure that your little one is eating and drinking enough. Keep note of any changes, and make sure there isn't any blood, but the stool should return to normal once you have stopped the antibiotics.


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## amberkinn (Oct 9, 2011)

raerysdyk said:


> Diarrhea is "normal." The sulfadimethoxine is a general antibiotic which treats enteric (gastrointestinal) infections as well as respiratory. So, some of the "good" bacteria in the gut is killed off, making stool runny.
> 
> Brillo was the same way when he was on his antibiotics. Just make sure that your little one is eating and drinking enough. Keep note of any changes, and make sure there isn't any blood, but the stool should return to normal once you have stopped the antibiotics.


 Okay, thanks a lot. I feel a little better now, but I will keep watching to see if there are any more serious changes.


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## Kalandra (Aug 25, 2008)

Antibiotics can cause a hedgehog to get loose or green stools. Are they just loose or is it real diarrhea where its watery and frequent? You can contact your vet to let him know the GI changes, he may want to switch to a different medication if it is causing too much upset. Also ask about adding probiotics. I use acidolphilus with anyone who is taking antibiotics to help combat the GI upset.


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## amberkinn (Oct 9, 2011)

Kalandra said:


> Antibiotics can cause a hedgehog to get loose or green stools. Are they just loose or is it real diarrhea where its watery and frequent? You can contact your vet to let him know the GI changes, he may want to switch to a different medication if it is causing too much upset. Also ask about adding probiotics. I use acidolphilus with anyone who is taking antibiotics to help combat the GI upset.


The stool is almost literally liquid, which is why I've been trying to see if it is actually dark urine but I still can't tell; either way it is weird for her normal 'potties'. It isn't frequent, but it is random which makes me think it's the urine -- some are just very soft instead of watery. I'll call the vet tomorrow and talk to him about it. Thanks for your advice.


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## Kalandra (Aug 25, 2008)

Hopefully your vet will have some good advice. It certainly sounds like something is still not quite right. Hopefully its just the antibiotic is causing too much upset and a new one or a reduced dosage will settle her.

Have you tried taking a little white paper towel and pressing it to one of those spots? Maybe you can tell if it comes back with any solid matter or not. Or place some white paper towel in the bottom of her cage to get a better idea of what those spots are.


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## amberkinn (Oct 9, 2011)

Great news you guys, the stool went back to normal and her huff isn't sounding even half as gurgled as it was before! I think she's getting better, I'm so thankful. I don't know why the stool changed, that was weird. The vet said it was a possible side effect of it and to watch if she worsened. But she's been 10x better! I'm so thankful.


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## Kalandra (Aug 25, 2008)

Excellent news!


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