FAQ - Common Illnesses - Part 2

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alpayton

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Written by jandshyne:

Ulcers: Ulcers may be present in hedgehogs who’ve abruptly gone off their feed or in hedgehogs who’ve suffered a gastric upset or flu or have been treated for certain Cancers. Symptoms include: sudden weight loss, anorexia, loss of appetite, lethargy, unsteady gait, bloody stool, and hibernation attempts. A hedgehog who suddenly goes off his feed can develop an ulcer very quickly and die. If your hedgehog suddenly stops eating an emergency vet visit is in order. So far in our experience Ulcers have proven difficult to treat and even more difficult to diagnose so knowing your hedgehog well enough to know they’re not eating may be the key to saving their life. A fecal should show blood in the stool if an Ulcer is present and treatment can vary from Antibiotics to Carafate. If your hedgehog suffers a flu bug or must undergo a Cancer or other treatment making sure he eats at least something each day can prevent Ulcers. Also, making sure you always have enough of your hedgehog’s normal food on hand is very important. Running out of food and switching them abruptly can cause your hedgehog to either choose not to eat or can cause gastric upsets leading to Ulcers.

GI Upset or the stomach flu: Hedgehogs can get the flu, they can get car sick, and they can succumb to various bacterial, parasitic, and viral infections of the GI tract. Symptoms include: vomiting, diarrhea, loss of appetite, lethargy, green poop, very foul smelling poop, blood in the stool, and hibernation attempts. If it’s a virus it will have to run its course while you offer supportive therapy and treat the symptoms. If it’s a bacterial infection an antibiotic should clear it up. A vet visit is necessary to be able to tell if it’s bacterial, parasitic, or viral. A bland diet (Science Diet A/D is a great choice and ALL hedgehogs love it), antibiotics, probiotics, or supportive therapy may be prescribed. An untreated gastric upset can lead to Ulcers or FLD so a vet is necessary immediately.

Upper Respiratory Infection: Upper respiratory infections are fairly common in hedgehogs. A simple cold is not overly concerning and will probably run its course. If however you notice, watery eyes, green or yellow nasal discharge, coughing, sneezing, rattles in the chest, lethargy, loss of appetite, and/or a hibernation attempt a vet is necessary immediately. A vet will decide whether the infection is viral or bacterial and will treat with antibiotics, probiotics, fluids, and/or supportive care. URI’s left untreated can quickly mutate to Pneumonia and be life threatening or they can cause your hedgehog to go off his food causing him to become susceptible to FLD or Ulcers.

WHS or Wobbly Hedgehog Syndrome: WHS is a degenerative myelopathy in hedgehogs. It is believed to be genetic and new evidence suggests it is also present in wild populations in some form or another. It is always fatal and can not be positively diagnosed without a necropsy. Symptoms usually include: Wobbliness or the inability to stand up or walk straight, generally it’s progressive starting in a hind leg causing them to drag one leg or tip to one side and moving slowly forward until your hedgehog can not stand or walk. It is progressive and will eventually lead to complete paralysis, organ failure, and death. Somewhat like MS in humans there are some steroids that slow the progression of the disease and prolong and add to the quality of life but it is always fatal. Allowing your vet to necropsy your hedgehog and accurately diagnose WHS, notifying the breeder, and sharing the information learned from your hedgehog’s death are some of the ways you can help us combat this terrible disease. We believe inbreeding plays a critical role in the spread of this disease and a respectable breeder will stop breeding a line with known WHS in it. We hope through promotion of responsible breeding we can eradicate this disease from our captive breeding lines and spare many more hedgehogs and families.

Allergies: Hedgehogs can have a variety of skin and food allergies. Most allergies present with a sudden loss of large amounts of quills, itching, flaking skin, and sometimes swelling. Should your hedgehog present with trouble breathing, or facial swelling an emergency vet visit is in order. Severe allergic reactions can lead to anaphylactic shock and death. Skin and food allergies can only be diagnosed with extensive allergy testing and treatment usually consists of avoiding the allergen. If your hedgehog has been exposed to a new food, soap, laundry detergent, etc… stop offering that particular thing for a week, if this doesn’t clear the problem up further testing to rule out mites, fungal infections, and dry skin will be necessary and once those are ruled out specific allergy testing will most likely be performed. NEVER try to treat an allergic reaction at home, over the counter medications should never be used on a hedgehog without specific instruction from a veterinarian.
 
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