Hedgehog Health

 

Keeping Your Hedgehog Healthy


Here is a list of health issues your hedgehog might experience. 


The information discussed here is not a substitute for vet care.


Toxins


Always avoid:

  1. ๏ Milk/Dairy

  2. ๏ Avocados

  3. ๏ Grapes/ Raisins

  4. ๏ Nuts/Seeds

  5. ๏ Tea tree oil  (Even a drop can be lethal.)

  6. ๏ Chocolate

  7. ๏ Ivermectin

  8. ๏ Polysporin & Neosporin Pain Relief Extra Strength (Regular formulas are okay.)


Checking The Poop


The state of your hedgehog’s poop is often the best indicator of something wrong.  Its poop should be monitored daily for just that reason.


Normal hedgehog poop is brown and pretty much the texture of toothpaste.  When it dries it will be almost black.  If your hedgehog’s poop is green it can mean general upset of the stomach.  Can sometimes result from introducing new food, so it’s always good to mix new food in with your hedgehog’s old food to keep from upsetting its system. 


If your hedgehog has diarrhea for more than a day take it to the vet immediately.  Diarrhea can quickly dehydrate your small hedgehog and result in death.  You can syringe feed your hedgie water to keep it from getting dehydrated and unsweetened, plain canned pumpkin can help tighten the stool.


Blood in the stool or black stool should be accessed immediately by a veterinarian.


Hedgehogs can get constipated, but if this happens, it almost always helps to put your hedgehog into some warm water.  They seem to always poop in the bath! 


Common Issues


Lethargic/Cold to the Touch/Wobbling
These are all symptoms that your hedgehog is attempting hibernation.  Other symptoms of hibernation include drinking less, unable to unball or ball up and heavy breathing.  Wild hedgehogs hibernate, but African pygmy hedgehogs are not equipped to hibernate.  It severely slows their metabolism, lowers their immune system and can result in hypothermia and death.  If you notice these symptoms in you hedgie, immediately hold it close to your body to SLOWLY raise its body temperature.  Do not put your hedgehog in warm water because it can put it into shock by the sudden temperature change.  Make sure that the temperature of your hedgehog’s inclosure remains between 72-78˚F at all times.


Dry Skin

Hedgehogs, just like people, do occasionally get dry skin.  Symptoms of this include flakey skin and scratching.  To combat dry skin you can add a drop of flax seed oil to your hedgehog’s kibble (or feed a kibble that already includes flax seed oil) or you can bathe it with a couple drops of flax seed oil or olive oil dripped onto its back.  If your hedgehog’s skin does not get better, it scratches a great deal or is losing a lot of quills, dry skin may not be the problem.


Mites

Mites have many of the same symptoms as dry skin, so if you suspect, even a little, that your hedgehog might have mites you should take it to the vet for a skin scraping to be sure.  Symptoms of mites include dry, flakey skin, scratching, loss of quills and bald patches.  If you see flakes on your hedgehogs liners/bags that are moving, it’s probably mites.  None of these symptoms are 100% indicators though, so if you suspect mites, go to the vet.  The most common treatment is Revolution.  You should avoid the Ivermectin injection because it has been known to kill hedgehogs.


(Remember that losing a couple of quills is normal and that if your hedgehog is under a year old losing quills generally means its quilling.)


Dental Problems

Dental problems in hedgehogs are not uncommon.  They can develop abscesses, tumors, tooth loss/breaking.  All of these problems need to be accessed by a qualified vet and treated accordingly.  Hedgehogs with dental problems can live happy lives with just a few adaptations made to their food by either moistening their kibble or feeding soft foods in place of kibble.


Obesity

Hedgehogs get fat without proper exercise and a well balanced diet.  Obesity in hedgehogs is unhealthy, so your hedgehog should get plenty of exercise by both running on its wheel and having at least an hour of out of cage time a day.  Consult your vet about how to manage your hedgehog’s weight.


Wobbly Hedgehog Syndrome

Wobbly Hedgehog Syndrome (WHS) is a progressive, degenerative neurological disorder and the cause is still unknown.  It acts much like Multiple Sclerosis in humans.  The onset can be immediate, but generally it is gradual, often starting with paralysis in the hind legs, or one flank, and slowly moving throughout the rest of the hedgehog’s body. 


There is no cure for WHS and while is is a very sad illness, it is possible to give a WHS hedgie a happy life.  For a comprehensive resource for caring for WHS hedgehogs, consult Laura Ledet’s WHS website.


The only way to be 100% sure that what your hedgehog has is WHS is to have a necropsy done, but you should be sure what your hedgehog isn’t wobbly because its cold, has injured feet or some other health problem that has the potential to be treated.


Contact: roxieprince@sayhedgehog.com