Front Leg Amputation??

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thistlesmom

thistlesmom

Well-known member
Joined
Nov 3, 2009
Messages
68
Location
Edmonton, Canada
Hello,

I used to post a lot on here a few years ago under the name nicole1719. I have a 3.5 year old hedgehog named Thistle. The last few months have been somewhat of a health nightmare for her. She got a super infected leg and we were never able to figure out how it got like that. I have a great vet and we went through testing and what not, wasn't cancer or anything else that they could find. So the infection did quite a number on her leg and ate quite a bit of it away, most of her foot is gone actually.

For 2 months it has had to be bandaged as as soon as it is open she starts manically biting at it. Because it is always wrapped up healing has been going at a snails pace, we make a bit of progress, then it gets swollen again. And of course she is mutilating it. So today we tried to send her home without the bandage to see if she'd calm down at home, she didn't, did you know hedgehogs can scream? They can and it's horrific. So she's bandaged again and I have her booked for an amputation on Friday.

The vet figured that since it has been over 2 months now we need to try and fix this problem permanently as we are no longer making progress. My concern is that we cut it off and she keeps biting at it anyways.

Have any of you been through an amputation before? It is her front leg. Did your guys let it heal? How are they at adapting? Can they use their wheels eventually?

I'm at such a loss, I know we need to do something to try and solve this for her, it's obviously painful and is not healing, but I'm so worried that we do this and it doesn't solve the problem, then I've cut off her leg for nothing :(
 
OMG I'm so sorry for you and Thistles =(. I hope that whatever powers are looking out for you provide the answers and peace that you guys need. Sorry I couldn't be any help, just figured I'd try and show some support.
 
Thanks :)
I also wanted to add that when she has a bandage on you would never know there was something wrong. She runs around and rearranges her cage at night, she is still tubing and has lots of energy. She gets along really well on her casted leg. She is on a tiny bit of medicam, but that was only recently since we tried to unbandage a few times and she bit it so much, before there was no medicam (she wouldn't have anything to do with it) and she still got around so well. that is really making the decision harder as she is so mobile still :( :(

Please, has anyone had to deal with this before? I guess I know amputation is the right thing to do, I think I just need to hear from people who have been through the process. I really worry about her mobility after.
 
As we've talked about, I've never had one with an amputated limb but from all I've heard, she will be fine with it.

With dogs and cats, there is a drug they can use to prevent them from over scratching or chewing at themselves. I wonder if they have the same that could be given to her. Sometimes chewing at an injury becomes a habit as much as needing to chew.

Otherwise, I really don't know what to suggest other than the amputation should solve the problem. Does your vet do internal dissolving stitches? My vet does and I've never had one chew at an incision and there are no visible stitches to chew.

I'm sorry she and you are still going through this.

Hugs
 
Thanks Nancy for all your help with this!
I don't know if she's been able to develop a habit because she doesn't chew it at all when it's bandaged. The vet thinks that she is chewing it because the tissue is so messed up and that she won't bother the healthy tissue. That's my biggest fear.

She will be doing stitches on the inside that dissolve so that we don't have to bother taking them out or add any further irritation.
 
Oh that is SO sad, I hope little thistle is okay. And good luck in surgery.
I have never had a hedgie that has needed an amputation, but i have had several abused animals who needed such. They were in the same boat, constantly chewing, crying, self mutilating the problem... but as soon as the problem was 'removed' not one of them tried to bother the problem. (While they were still recovering a few tried, but i think that was more irritation to the bandages and cone on their head - rather then the part itself), If hedgies work in anyway the same as my other animals, once she is releaved of this she should stop!
I hope everything goes well - Squee and Me send our love.
 
I have no personal experience with this, but my vet told me once that he's had to amputate limbs off of hedgehogs, and they've all recovered just fine and gone on to run and wheel like always.
 
Thanks for the kind words everyone. I guess I just needed some reassurance that this is the right call. There's not much info on the internet about hedgies going through this specifically, and the majority of the info I found was wild ones who had horrific damage to their limbs or pets who had cancer. We still have no idea what started this, all her lab results came back normal, and it makes it a bit scarier because we don't know if it will get worse or better, but she's been on antibiotics for 2 months and there just hasn't been the improvement we need. The appointment is tomorrow morning and I'm just dreading it for her sake but I have to stop projecting human emotions on to her...thanks again everyone.
Nicole and Thistle
 
I'm sure she will come through her surgery just fine and be back to normal in no time.

Sending lots of hugs and prayers to you both.
 
Hi, just a quick update on Thistle for those that are interested. After all the stress and worry the vet got her into surgery and decided to try one last thing to save her leggy. They drained a new absess and cut off a piece of infected bone (ouch) and are trying a new bandaging technique that lets more air in in hopes that that will help it heal. On Friday night part of the bandage fell off, leaving her foot (stump) exposed, stressing me to the max, I stayed up with her all night and she didn't bite at it once! They put the bandage back on Saturday as they didn't want it open quite yet after the surgery. She is running around like a maniac and seeming more energetic than she has in months so I'm hoping that maybe, just maybe, she is finally on the mend...

Thanks for all your kind words and wishes!
 
Yay, that's wonderful news. Sending her lots of prayers for continued recovery and leaving her leg alone.

Hugs
 
I've been through this situation, its happen on oct, 2008, this male hoglet has been through OP and got amputated because the vet said his right front leg can't be survived anymore.
His life saved but until now, I can't match him into any female, don't know why ;)
http://s160.photobucket.com/albums/t181/jobaja3raja/?action=view&current=kakisakit.jpg

by the way, during the process of recovery, you will find that the hedgie a little bit edgy... it's okay, just make sure the wound stay clean until it dries and covered up again.
 
Hi joba...finally someone who has been through this (although I'm happy most people don't have to go through this!)!! How is his mobility now?? Is he able to walk fairly normally? How about running in his wheel? How long did it take him to learn to walk again?

I'm hoping Thistle may not end up needing the amputation after all but am trying to prepare myself for it.

Thanks so much for your reply!!
 
thistlesmom said:
Hi joba...finally someone who has been through this (although I'm happy most people don't have to go through this!)!! How is his mobility now?? Is he able to walk fairly normally? How about running in his wheel? How long did it take him to learn to walk again?

I'm hoping Thistle may not end up needing the amputation after all but am trying to prepare myself for it.

Thanks so much for your reply!!
Click to expand...

because the amputation just around ankle and not whole leg, his mobility quite okay, since that accident, I didn't give him wheel, for exercising, I just put him on the floor and let him wonder around...

soon after the wound healed and dried up, He started to walk, I forgot how long it took time to healed and walked again..

saddest things is..unyil (his name) can't get any mate until now, I don't know why.. maybe all female found that unyil a little bit unusual? hope it won't happen to Thistle..:thumbsup:
 
I hope that Thistle is doing well! Poor little baby :( It sounds like their last effort really helped!
 
Thanks for everyone's concern! Her leg really seems to be healing, although they think it will be permanently damaged due to all the scar tissue and she lost a good chuck of her foot to the infection it is starting to heal and look like a leg again!
 
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