Woah... Flying Saucers?

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Q

Quill'd

Guest
So, I'm seeing these Flying Saucer wheels popping up everywhere, and these are totally new to me, I don't know where I've been. But now I'm wondering how good they are? Are your hedgehogs able to use them with ease? do they know to just get on them and run, if they're accustomed to a wheel? How are these compared to a traditional wheel? I currently have a Super Pet Comfort Wheel, and it's quite loud (not that I mind), but how is this compared to a Comfort Wheel, is it quieter? And last but not least, the safety, your hedgehogs don't fall off of this thing do they? Oh and also, what size do you have for your hogs?
 
I've only ever had one, and Winston runs all night on his. Occasionally, a foot may slip off, but as it's only a couple cm's off the floor, he just keeps going. It's silent other than a whirring, and they're super easy to clean. Winston is about 350g, but I think others with larger hogs might have had issues in the past

Kendra
 
My hedgie had a bucket wheel; it broke, and I bought a flying saucer for him. He loves the saucer. He had to get into the habit of controlling his running instead of just running head on like he was used to doing with the bucket wheel, but once he got the hang of it there was no stopping him. They are an excellent wheel. He's about 400g and has no problem on it. The best part is they're totally silent. All I can hear are his feet. And they're so easy clean! I usually spray it with a vinegar/water solution and let it sit in the bathtub for a little bit, then just rinse it off with the tap. They practically clean themselves.
The only drawback is they take up floor space, but as long as you've got the room that shouldn't be a problem.
You need the 12 inch size.
 
If I could only buy one wheel, I wouldn't get a flying saucer. Not all hedgehogs will run on them. I also feel that for some, their running position is very awkward and I'm not sure long term would be good for them. For some hedgehogs though, like our Pebbles RIP, the flying saucer is fine.
 
Nancy said:
If I could only buy one wheel, I wouldn't get a flying saucer. Not all hedgehogs will run on them. I also feel that for some, their running position is very awkward and I'm not sure long term would be good for them. For some hedgehogs though, like our Pebbles RIP, the flying saucer is fine.
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Alright...good to know =)
 
I too am not entirely sold on the flying saucer. Miss Annabelle Oswald loves hers but I have left her comfort wheel in as well so she has a choice (it is bigger than the bucket wheels so it works better for her unfortunately). Of course she always chooses the flying saucer (she is on it in my avatar).
 
Pebbles chose the flying saucer over the bucket wheel also.

I have a few hedgehogs that prefer the Comfort wheel to roller blade bucket wheels. Lexie in particular loves the Comfort wheel for some reason. :lol:
 
I'm not sure I'm liking my Comfort Wheel :( for one thing it's pretty hard to clean when the poo gets wedged between those raised lines. People who use Comfort Wheel know what I mean right?
 
I have I think 6 comfort wheels and yes they can be difficult to clean. I use either a toilet brush or long handled scrub brush (dollar store). Find a dish pan that fits the wheel and let it soak in warm soapy water for about 5-10 minutes. It will clean easily then. It is also much easier to clean if you do it first thing in the morning before the poop hardens.

Comfort wheels are noisey but a bit of vasaline around the end of the shaft quiets it down immensely.
 
Quill'd said:
I'm not sure I'm liking my Comfort Wheel :( for one thing it's pretty hard to clean when the poo gets wedged between those raised lines. People who use Comfort Wheel know what I mean right?
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I let mine soak in warm soapy water first, then scrub it with a brush....
 
Well, I ended up getting the Saucer, and it's great, very quiet, and easy to clean, Aiko just climbed on it and ran immediatly.
 
My thoughts on Saucers: Based on what I've seen of them, I'm staying far away.

Will a hedgehog run on a flying saucer? If there's no other option, then they most likely will, simply because hedgehogs need to run.

But should they? This is an incredibly awkward surface to run on, if you think about it. It's not a level surface, not even close really. How well can you run on a surface where your left foot is up higher than your right? Plus it's a disc design, and on any rotating circle, the outside of the circle is moving faster than the inside. And as a result, the legs on the outside will have to be moving a lot faster than the legs on the inside. So to run on them, they have to cross their legs a bit when they run, like an ice skater making a turn.

A hedgehog should never, ever have to "get into the habit of controlling his running instead of just running head on" or worry about a foot slipping off. This thing is just a really poor design all around. I certainly wouldn't suggest that anyone should buy one for their hedgehog.
 
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Toe said:
This is an incredibly awkward surface to run on, if you think about it. It's not a level surface, not even close really. How well can you run on a surface where your left foot is up higher than your right? Plus it's a disc design, and on any rotating circle, the outside of the circle is moving faster than the inside. And as a result, the legs on the outside will have to be moving a lot faster than the legs on the inside. So to run on them, they have to cross their legs a bit when they run, like an ice skater making a turn.
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I've been thinking about that too... I really like the design in terms of how easy it must be to clean and not having to worry about cross bars and such. But it just seems like it would place a hedgie in an awkward running position.

Perhaps only a hedgie could make that determination though... Like if hedgie had access to a flying saucer and bucket wheel at all times and was able to choose?
 
I too am a sceptic of Flying Saucers simply because they haven't been around long enough for us hedgie parents to observe any negative impacts (e.g. foot injuries) and I haven't seen any solid scientific proof to support it's safe for hedgehogs.

I've done a quick online search and found a number of medical and academic studies on the risks of running on a sloped or cambered surface in humans - many of the studies either reported or warned about injuries in knees, lower legs, and Achilles' tendons.

One can argue hedgehogs are not like humans, therefore, those studies are meaningless. I can't deny it and I'm not concluding the FS is neither safe or unsafe for hedgehogs precisely because of it.

What worries me is about a FS is this: (1) the studies I found describe the injuries caused by running on a cambered surface "slow and gradual"; the human subjects didn't even notice the pain until after having run on the cambered surface for several weeks. If the same thing is to happen in hedgehogs, would we be able to correctly diagnose and treat the injuries properly? In other words, injuries caused by the FS is not going to be obvious like a hedgie' toe caught in a mesh and ripping his toenail off, so how can we tell our hedgies are getting injured in their feet or legs?; (2) a FS is now readily available either in a pet store or online at a reasonable price. I understand they're quieter and easier to clean than a Comfort Wheel too. Because of these advantages, new hedgie owners may opt to buy a FS over a bucket wheel or CW. Without enough study done on the FS, it could hurt many hedgies before we discover it's not suited for hedgehogs after all.

Most of us know a bucket wheel is safe. So why not stick to it, rather than risking our hedgie's health with something we don't know very much about and seems to have good potential to cause injuries based upon the studies in humans?

I know chinchillas have been using the FS for years without any issues, but if you see video clips of them running on it, they run quite differently on it than a hedgehog does. For one thing, they hop/leap on it and their spine is not crooked or their feet are not crossing each other.

Those who have been using the FS for their hedgehogs say their hedgies just love the FS and it's completely safe. Personally, I think they're jumping the gun. I believe it takes more than a dozen hedgehogs and over a certain period of time to determine whether it's safe or not. I want a FS to be a good option for hedgehogs and their guardians alike, but I still feel the subject is in the "remains to be seen" category.

My apologies for the long post... :p
 
We've had our flying saucer for about 5 months (wow- has it really been that long?!)

We ended up getting it because I didn't feel a need to re-order a bucket wheel through Vickie- it started vibrating against Kiah's Cage. And we also already went through a comfort wheel- it started squeaking... BADLY. So a Flying Saucer was the only option at our local petstore that was large enough for a hedgehog.

And we all love it. It is very easy to clean, it practically silent (all I hear is the pitter-patter of Kiah little feet), and Kiah seems to do very well with it. He runs in it every night for hours. He even took to it quickly after we changed out the wheels.

However, I think this maybe because Kiah... is rather small, I can't image a larger hedgie running on it.

And from the previous post, HedigeMate- I know my testimonial doesn't mean everyone should convert... but I still felt I should give a testimonial none the less. Kiah as had this thing for almost 1/2 of his life.... he seems to run fine, he's still able to wear down his nails through running, and his legs seem perfectly functional.
 
As I have mentioned before, I would not have a flying saucer as a one and only wheel. The flying saucer is not for every hedgehog and their running style is such that down the road, I can foresee the potential for joint damage and premature wearing of the joints.

I will soon be getting a couple of Reapers Cake Walk Supreme wheels and I'll be doing an experiment giving hedgehogs the choice of flying saucer, CWS, comfort wheel and standard bucket wheel. I'll be setting the security camera up so I can see exactly what they are doing.

Right now Marley and Miki have a FS and a bucket wheel in their cage. Both wheels are always covered in poo but I don't know who uses which. Prior to pregnancy, Marley did have the FS and she seemed to love it and had been given the choice between it and a bucket wheel.

Regardless though. Just because the hedgehog chooses the FS does not mean it is a safe long term option for them.
 
Kiah-Muz said:
HedigeMate- I know my testimonial doesn't mean everyone should convert... but I still felt I should give a testimonial none the less.
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No, quite the contrary, I believe every comment based on firsthand experience counts. Since we can't expect scientists to conduce in-depth research on hedgehogs and FS to determine its safety, collecting as much data as possible from hedgie parents is the only way for us to find out the answer. :))

I'm glad that your hedgehogs love their FS and they're not showing any signs of injuries. However, if I think of how many hedgehogs use Silent Spinners or mesh wheels without any incidents, along with their guardians swearing how completely safe they are, I'm not so surprised there haven't been any reports of leg or foot injuries among hedgehogs running on a FS yet.

I'm just expressing my concerns toward the FS so that new hedgehog owners will consider the possible risks and make a well-informed decision. I remain open-minded about this, but I do object to the fact some people are being very quick to endorse the FS without conducting adequate research involving a solid sampling of hedgehogs, of all size and shapes, as well as wheeling forms and habits, over a reasonable timeframe.

I'm curious, but how far do your hedgehogs run on their FS each night? The degree of risk may vary if one hedgehog only wheels a mile or less versus 4 to 6 miles every night with an amazing velocity such as the maximum speed of over 11 mph, like our little guy used to do.

Again, what I'm saying is that there are still many unknown factors associated with a FS. I'd like everyone to be more cautious, rather than unconditionally endorsing it, or worse yet flat out stating that a FS is "completely safe". :))
 
Nancy-
That is a very good arguement and I agree. I was just stating that we've had our flying saucer technically longer than any other wheel and have had no problems- as of yet.

HedgieMate-
I believe that there can technically be a danger to anything. Even "safe" wheels- there can always be an accident. So by no means am I calling Kiah's FS "100% safe".
Though... I don't know how long he runs... I just know every night, he's either running on his wheel or running up and down his new ramp for literally hours. For certain work days, I'll go to bed aound 10 or 11pm and I'll either catch him already running, or he starts to when I turn the lights out. Then when I get up around 3:30am- he's still going at it! Is there any certain I can document his distance or speed?

Though, on a humorous note, Kiah doe not like it whenever we take the wheel out of the cage. Even if we're just cleaning it. He'll ram at my hands, huffing. So I always try to clean while he's sleeping.... And God forbid if I don't put it back before he wakes up... >.>
 
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