Hi all. I'm new here. I just brought my new hedgie home a few days ago. Wish I had found this site a few weeks ago. My Hedgie is a (roughly) 3 year old, grumpy girl. I got her from an owner who had to re home her.
Congrats! Glad you found us
I just returned from the farm co op, where I think I solved my problems. I initially purchased a 20 gallon aquarium, and used Eco bedding, and commercial hedgie food. After 3 days of not eating much and hiding in a ball of bedding, I went out today and got a 2 level cage (much larger) and corn cob bedding. I also got a plastic wheel, and a play tube. I changed her food to Purina cat food. The result? My grumpy girl has been exploring and eating for an hour! I'm hoping she will be less reclusive now. I did give her a cardboard tissue box with a piece of my shirt inside for a sleeping/hiding place. Now we can work on socializing and getting past all that hissing and popping! One question though.
Glad she's out of the aquarium and off of the commercial hedgehog food. So much of that isn't good for our little African hedgies - though okay for the European (outdoor) hedgies. I'd continue to make some changes to improve her diet. Purina is likely better than those commercial hedgie foods, but could also stand to be upgraded. Consider mixing in another cat kibble - check out Fromm, Blue Buffalo, Spot's Stew, Chicken Soup for the Cat Lover's Soul for ideas. You'll want to see kibbles where the first few ingredients are meat - rather than a filler like corn.
In terms of her 2-level cage, make sure that the 2nd level is enclosed and that it's a solid floor ramp with sides. Our little ones can take a tumble and get themselves into trouble falling even short distances. Figure that she's probably only 3" tall... So even half a foot is double her height.
As for bedding, consider making even more changes - to fleece. The particulate bedding (like Carefresh, corn cob, yesterday's news, shavings, etc...) can be a touch on the dusty side which can create and/or exacerbate respiratory issues. Also, since hedgies are prey animals, they hide illness and injury. Fleece lets you more easily identify when she is/isn't pooping and peeing normally. You'll see little blood spots. Particulate bedding tends to hide that.
How are you keeping her cage nice and toasty?
I noticed she is missing her right rear foot. Obviously a very old injury. Anyone have any ideas what may have caused such an injury?
Gosh, could be a number of things. Playing the odds, I'd guess either: a small thread or hair wrapped around a toe that became infected leading to the loss of a foot or an accident/injury due to using a wheel that did not have a solid running surface. Fortunately, it's okay to be a tripod hedgie. Just check her little leg/stump to make sure that it's looking good - no booboos!
