He's doing it again...

When Lexie was sick like that, I was told 5-6 CCs of the powdered supplement every 12 hours, she was 280 grams (so pretty small). Depending on his weight you can kind of gauge how much he would probably need but like Kalandra said...15 ccs is A LOT to eat in one time and it may end up making him vomit or giving him a tummy ache which would probably only make the situation worse. If he's around 300-400 g maybe 7 or 8 ccs would be better?

Okay, from now on he'll be getting 8 cc's. He is 399 grams as we speak.

Should I take his wheel out for the night?

I've had hedgehogs eat as much as 22cc at one syringing. Lexie used to frequently and she loved being syringed. Maggie May used to love the syringe too and she would go on random hunger strikes just because she knew I would syringe feed her. She wouldn't eat for a night, so I'd syringe her and she'd suck it right out of the syringe and would down 15 cc's and I wouldn't even have to touch the plunger. :hilarious: Neither of these girls were sick at the time and were experienced at eating from a syringe. Sick ones never eat that much at a sitting.

When I'm syringing a sick one, I usually let them eat as much as they will accept without needing too much force. Depending on how much they take at one syringing, governs how soon I will feed him/her again. If they only take a few cc's then I do it again in 2 hours. I was told years ago that 12-16 cc per day is what they need to stave off FLD. When sick, they usually won't eat much at a time so that amount needs to be given over numerous feedings.

Nancy, I really don't think Sonic is sick. He ate last night, he ate about 3/4 of a bowl, minus the amount on the floor.

He ran on his wheel last night, but luckily he ate too, so I think he's just running and not eating. Because he will only eat when I put it in his house. Any thoughts?

I just so glad he ate on his own!

Maybe he likes to eat in private or perhaps just likes to eat in bed. You could try moving his dish to a different place in the cage and see if that works. I'd also continue putting some food in bed with him too. Whatever it takes to get him to eat and hope whatever his little issue is will either resolve itself our you will figure it out.

Lexie was like that, the only kibble she ate after starting the liquid diet was the food I put in a dish in her hut.

Now she has one dish in her hut which she routinely empties, and another outside by her water dish that she usually eats half of. It works having her dish in her hut with her so I am going to leave it there. I think you could probably do the same for Sonic, unless anyone knows any reason why not to? Lexie's has been like that for a month or so now and she's been good ever since.

Oh interesting sidenote - I told my vet about this and she said that she's not surprised since hedgehogs in the wild eat under rocks and in holes and stuff - not out in the open. So for some hedgies its better to go back to their natural instincts and tuck their food away so they will eat.

Mind you, my vet is completely into mimicking their natural environment to make them happy and healthy and she has some interesting ideas - but this one has worked for us so far!

I would consider doing what Rachel does and put it in two places. I'm assuming that hedgehogs are similar to humans and other mammals in the sense that they can put themselves into starvation mode and conserve calories. If he eats in his hut, it may persuade him to eat out in the open because it will stimulate his metabolism.

LexieHeg said:

Oh interesting sidenote - I told my vet about this and she said that she's not surprised since hedgehogs in the wild eat under rocks and in holes and stuff - not out in the open. So for some hedgies its better to go back to their natural instincts and tuck their food away so they will eat.

Mind you, my vet is completely into mimicking their natural environment to make them happy and healthy and she has some interesting ideas - but this one has worked for us so far!

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I'm also very into mimicking the natural environment. What does your vet say to do? I drive my boyfriend nuts telling him to improve his enclosures for his reptiles.