Hedgehog URI

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masiewpao

Member
Joined
Oct 8, 2013
Messages
7
Hi guys, I stay in a country where hedgehogs are not legal. I know there is the issue of ethics and what not, but I do love animals and am taking care of my hedgehog as well as I can. Aside from this, I'm really most worried because I think he has a URI. He is sneezing a lot, isn't active, and had bubbles coming out of a very wet nose. The dilemma here is that if I take him to a vet I might lose him, so what I want to try is to go to the vet tomorrow and ask if I can get antibiotics for an infection in a Guinea pig. Would the antibiotics that work for a guinea pig also work for my hedgehog? I have also seen on some forums that doxycycline is an antibiotic that can be used. Is it possible to dilute a human doxycycline pill in water to help him? If tomorrow I can't get the exact and suitable antibiotics, and if the doxy won't work, I'm going to bring him in to the vet, and hopefully they can help the little guy out, even if I have to lose him. Thanks in advance, pretty desperate here...

PS he's a young guy, 2 months old. Really hoping He gets better
 
URIs can be very bad in hedgehogs. So you are quite right that he will need treatment.

I believe I've used doxycycline in the past... but I can't recall for certain. Baytril is has often been the medication of choice -- though it's hard on their bellies.

What you are describing -- starting with the human medicine and diluting it to hedgie-strength is exactly what the vet has done with some medications that my hedgies have been on. Same with the compounding pharmacy -- they'll take the human meds and measuring it out. Regardless of who is doing it, they'll need to ensure that it's the right dose. Too little and you kill off the weaker bacteria so things look better for a while, but it doesn't kill off the stronger bacteria -- and then the stronger bacteria takes over and things get much, much worse. Too much and you kill off both the bacteria and harm your hedgie's kidneys/liver... which can result in disability/death.
 
Thanks for that. I got really desperate last night so I mixed up some minocycline (approximated best I could from body weight, and also mino and doxy are mostly the same barring slightly different solubilities I believe, so I used it as a last resort.) And water and also dipped his food in a little bit of it. He's managed to take some, so I hope it's going to kick in. Also dropped some straight into his mouth. Will let yous guys know how he turns out, im hoping it's well. Thanks again
 
Thanks for that. I got really desperate last night so I mixed up some minocycline (approximated best I could from body weight, and also mino and doxy are mostly the same barring slightly different solubilities I believe, so I used it as a last resort.) And water and also dipped his food in a little bit of it. He's managed to take some, so I hope it's going to kick in. Also dropped some straight into his mouth. Will let yous guys know how he turns out, im hoping it's well. Thanks again
 
Thank you for that! I ended up in a panic last night and dissolved minocycline in water and put his food in it, which he thankfully ate! And glad to say he seems much better today, probably because I gave him a tiny bit more in the morning and my mum helped me give him another tiny bit during the day. Good news is he's sneezing and coughing(I think that's what it is?!) a lot less now! and his poo isnt so gooey, so i think thats a good sign. He did have green mucous though, but im guessing thats from the infection... only problem now is he doesnt seem to want to eat and drink very much, so we're having to force feed him!
 
In general, antibiotics have a way of really disrupting how hedgies' bellies feel and quickly make them not want to eat.

Antibiotics will kill off both the "good" and "bad" bacteria, so many hedgie owners will give their hedgies the "good" bacteria along with their food. Acidophilus is a "good" bacteria that aids in digestion and tends to work really well in these situations. Usually, you can find it in the vitamin section of pharmacies or grocery stores. If you can find it in capsule form, it works well to separate the two halves of the capsule and sprinkle it over his kibbles. If he's completely off his food/isn't eating kibbles, then you can mix it into a little soft food and syringe it. You'll want to give it about mid-way between when you medicate him -- for example, let's say medication time was 6pm and 6am, then I'd give him the acidophilus at midnight. Though, realistically, I'm in bed by midnight, so it would probably be closer to 10 if I had to syringe it. And, if I just sprinkle it over the kibble, then I feel reasonably assured that he's eaten it over night... Some a bit early and some a bit late, but no big problem there.

Another thing you can do is make sure he has some food in his belly before you give him his meds. Something as simple as turkey baby food given a few minutes before the meds can do wonders.

If he's really not drinking, that will put him at risk for dehydration. You'll want to look into supplementing his fluid intake. Slowly give him water by syringe... you don't want fluid in his lungs! You can also make some of his foods a bit more moist by adding water... for example, if you're syringing him some turkey baby food or moistened ground-up kibble, you could make it a bit more watery than normal.

Bigger picture, though, is it sounds like you're trying your best to figure out the right medicine and right dosage without the help of a vet... And, as you know, there are risks associated with doing that. Let's hope that his lack of interest in food and water is related to the expected problems of antibiotics in general. Sending positive vibes your way!
 
He has been eating his kibble though! I'mjust really happy, bbecause he was incredibly active yesterday, I've never seen him so alert and perky! Great stuff. But about the good bacteria, I'veactually got probiotic mixtures, but human ones though. I'm sure I can't just use any probiotics though right, it would have to be a specific type of bacteria in it?
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Ps thank you so much for the replies, I was really worried! The information has been very helpful:)
 
I've used
- acidophilus from the capsules,
- Bene-Bac gel (Dried lactobacillus casei fermentation product, dried L. fermentum fermatation product, dried L. acidophilus fermentation product, dried L. plantarum fermentation product, dried enterococcus faecium fermentation product, dried bifidobacterium bifidum fermentation product, dried pediococcus acidilactici fermentation product, sunflower oil, sucrose, silicon dioxide, dextrose, artificial color) though I'm not so keen on those last ingredients... I know they're there to make the gel... but still... sugar, artificial colors?
- and a prescription gel from the vet. I can't recall the name at the moment, but I know it had more than acidophilus in it.

How's your little one been doing this weekend?
 
Thank you! I actually gave him neobiotics pro biotic, and he ate so much after! Poop is a good colour and he's eating tons. He keeps balling up now that he's not sick though... I was thinking maybe he still had an infection, but I kept him on antibiotics for a week, and he stopped sneezing and bubbling at the nose. Plus the green phlegm was gone, so I'm guessing it's not that either. Just wondering why he's so shy now:| maybe it's just his personality?
 
About the balling up, make sure he's at a consistently warm temperature to ensure there's nothing going on there... No chilly bellies. Then, it may be that he needs some time to get used to you and trust you're not going to feed him more yucky medicine.

Glad to hear he's no longer sniffily. I hope it has fully resolved.
 
It's very warm here! Almost always above 25 degrees. And yeah, im thinking hes just gettng used to me... Although, he was fine when he was sick! maybe he was just too tired to be scared haha!
 
It's very warm here! Almost always above 25 degrees. And yeah, im thinking hes just gettng used to me... Although, he was fine when he was sick! maybe he was just too tired to be scared haha!
It is true that, when they're sick, they can be more docile.

I've found myself with a touch of mixed emotions as they're getting better:
Overall, I'm happy that they're getting stronger and feeling better... but it's hard because it sure makes getting them to finish their meds near impossible as they strong-arm the oral syringe away and start having plenty of energy to wiggle around. It's like a "good" frustration. And, of course, I'm super happy once they have their spunk back and are done with their meds... especially once they forgive me for making them take that yucky stuff.
 
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