# My hedgehog is smellier than normal



## blinddeafdumb (Sep 27, 2010)

I've had my hedgehog about five months, he's around six months old. He's always been a little smelly, but starting about a week ago his feces have an overpowering stench. When he poops on his wheel I can't even be in the same room. It smells about the same as it used to, but just much much stronger. I'm considering moving him out of my room, the smell is really unacceptable. There's been no change in diet or any other changes that might have caused this. He's acting normally, so i don't think he's sick. Unfortunately after I got my hedgehog I lost my job, so I cannot afford a vet visit. Do hedgehogs get smellier as they age? What possibly could have caused this and what can I do to fix it?


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## PJM (May 7, 2010)

I know you said there has been no change in diet (but I don't know what his usual diet is). Does he had seafood or fish as part of his diet? That can produce extra smelly poop.


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## blinddeafdumb (Sep 27, 2010)

PJM said:


> I know you said there has been no change in diet (but I don't know what his usual diet is). Does he had seafood or fish as part of his diet? That can produce extra smelly poop.


I mixed a big bag of chicken catfood with a small bag of fish catfood, I think that he's eating probably 75% chicken. He's always eaten this same mix though, so I don't know why the smell would be newly occuring thing.


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## silvercat (Oct 24, 2008)

He could be eating more of the fish pieces in his bowl.


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## krbshappy71 (Jul 17, 2009)

Have you checked the Dry Cat Food list to ensure the food you are feeding is recommended? If feeding a poor quality food it could be affecting him slowly without showing other symptoms yet. Sort of like dogs being more gassy on a cheap junk food dog food. Even though the dog food is approved for sale, it isn't necessarily the best for them and changing the dog food to a higher quality can sometimes help.

Here is a link to dry cat foods that are preferred:

viewtopic.php?f=6&t=15


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## blinddeafdumb (Sep 27, 2010)

krbshappy71 said:


> Have you checked the Dry Cat Food list to ensure the food you are feeding is recommended? If feeding a poor quality food it could be affecting him slowly without showing other symptoms yet. Sort of like dogs being more gassy on a cheap junk food dog food. Even though the dog food is approved for sale, it isn't necessarily the best for them and changing the dog food to a higher quality can sometimes help.
> 
> Here is a link to dry cat foods that are preferred:
> 
> viewtopic.php?f=6&t=15


Both of the foods that I'm feeding him are on this list.
Blue buffalo longevity for mature cats and wellness indoor health.


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## krbshappy71 (Jul 17, 2009)

Ah well it is good you have already chosen good food. 

SMELLY BOY. 

Maybe try an air purifier in the room but that doesn't explain the extra smelly-ness. Personally I cannot sleep with my hedgies unless I absolutely had to because the smell and noise wakes me.


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## PJM (May 7, 2010)

I keep wondering about puberty. I don't know when that ends for hedgies. You said your hedgie is about 6 months old. In humans, obviously puberty means more smelly. I wonder if there has been a hormonal change, which could be why he maybe wasn't so smelly before, even though he had kibble with fish in it. ?? :?: Just a thought, probably a silly one.


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## Judi (Jul 9, 2009)

Could you be more sensitive to smells than usual? I don't know if you're male or female, but one of my first clues that I was pregnant was that the smell of my fish tank suddenly got so bad I couldn't walk past without gagging.


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## LizardGirl (Aug 25, 2008)

Wellness Indoor Health has been reported to make hedgie poo much more loose and stinky. I'd try adding another food to dilute it out, or maybe switching to another recommended food that isn't so rich.


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## blinddeafdumb (Sep 27, 2010)

PJM said:


> I keep wondering about puberty. I don't know when that ends for hedgies. You said your hedgie is about 6 months old. In humans, obviously puberty means more smelly. I wonder if there has been a hormonal change, which could be why he maybe wasn't so smelly before, even though he had kibble with fish in it. ?? :?: Just a thought, probably a silly one.


I was thinking the same thing, but Hedgehogs reach sexual maturity in two months. I think he's way beyond puberty, but there might be some hormonal change that could be causing it.



Judi said:


> Could you be more sensitive to smells than usual? I don't know if you're male or female, but one of my first clues that I was pregnant was that the smell of my fish tank suddenly got so bad I couldn't walk past without gagging.


Nope I'm a male.



LizardGirl said:


> Wellness Indoor Health has been reported to make hedgie poo much more loose and stinky. I'd try adding another food to dilute it out, or maybe switching to another recommended food that isn't so rich.


Thanks for this info, he's eating 75% wellness right now. It doesn't explain why it's a recent thing, but just to be safe I'll go out and get another food from the approved list. Do you have any suggestions for a good one?


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## blinddeafdumb (Sep 27, 2010)

This thread has some interesting info
viewtopic.php?f=5&t=2049
I have noticed grainy poo occasionally, but I didn't think much of it since I don't really know what normal hedgehog poo is like. He's eaten wellness for five months now, but I think that he was always having trouble digesting it and now it's gotten worse. I think this problem will be solved once I go get some new food. Thanks for the help guys.


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