a few hedgehog questions ;D

[XstarX]

I have done TONS of reaearch on hedgehogs. and now i finally have one., She's a little albino. I named her Chloe.
Some things i didnt find were:
*How often do you trim their toe nails? and how to do it? she likes to run, and dont wanna sit still to have them done,
*I am using a fleece blanket in her cage (shes's in the top of a ferret nation cage) and her quills have been breaking off. is it possibe that they are getting caught in it when she burry's herself under it?
*she's been a little grumpy lately. she dont wanna come out and play like she used to., she wants to run and hide.. she is 8 months old. i read somewhere that she could be growing new quills and thats why she is grumpy., ,is this possible for her age? I mean or would it have already happened
thank so much.
,any advice or helpful tricks would be wonderful!
-XstarX

 

[Chinniechantel]

Congrats! Hedgies are such amazing pets.

For nails, it is a case by case basis. Trim them when they begin to curl. After a bath is easiest for me, they are calm and also you can see the red of the nail easier so you are less likely to cut too far.

Broken quills could mean mites or possibly fungus, or trauma. I can't picture what you are explaining, but I guess that could be the cause. How many quills are you finding? If she is quilling that could be the reason too.

She definitely could be quilling and that is painful for them. If the skin is really dry you can try an aveeno oatmeal bath, that seems to help a lot. Good luck!

 

[XstarX]

ive only found six. broken ones. how old are they when they quill? she is eight months old

 

[Nancy]

At 8 months she shouldn't be quilling.

Broken can happen. Our Freckles used to break his quills when he first came here because he insisted on using the tiny igloo and then would try and turn around in the doorway.

Usually quills don't break easily as they usually flex before breaking off but if the hedgehog has had a poor diet they can break easier.

 

[Kalandra]

Welcome to CnH.

Quilling usually happens when they are very young (usually starting somewhere around 8 wks). However there is a later quilling that some go through closer to 1 year. Which is why I asked on your Yahoo question about her age. Are you seeing any new quills poking through her skin. They will look just like her other quills, kinda like if you cut one in half and glued it to her skin.

Does she have dry skin? Is she itching a lot? How long have you had her?

There quills are usually strong. But if you are seeing any itching or she has very dry skin, her quills may be damaged from that and breaking. Or could they have been damaged at her prior home?

 

[Chinniechantel]

At 8 months she shouldn't be quilling.

Broken can happen. Our Freckles used to break his quills when he first came here because he insisted on using the tiny igloo and then would try and turn around in the doorway.

Usually quills don't break easily as they usually flex before breaking off but if the hedgehog has had a poor diet they can break easier.

Sorry, I read 8 weeks! She may not be quilling anymore although I have a boy who is 5 months and still quilling periodically. He is a cranky pus too, but ouch I think quilling would be very painful!

 

[XstarX]

well i was told she was 8 months by the petstore i got her from.
I've had her maybe 1.5-2 months if that.
With the itching..sometimes she does and some times she dont. some days she scratchs alot and somedays not at all.
She eats Vitacraft (or whatever) hedgehog food. with her 2-3 mealworms a day. I use freeze-dried meal worms. because im not a worm fan and they kind of freak me out could thoese be helping this problem in a negitive way?
I am just very worried about her. and there are no vets around that look at small animals unless i wanted to travel 3-4 hours. she is worth it forsure. but. i still live at home and mother wouldnt like me to go so far away.
My fiance looked at her and said he can't see where any new ones are coming through. but she's so grouchy right now she wont let you touch her to see.
Here is a pic of her. tell me what you think.
http://i593.photobucket.com/albums/tt17/x_hedgehog_x/picsyoh047.jpg
This is the bedding i USED to use. now i have her on a fleece blanket.

 

[Nancy]

VitaCrap is garbage. A couple of good quality low fat cat foods is best for her.

 

[XstarX]

any cat food brands you would highly advise using?

 

[Nancy]

There are many discussions on food brands as well as FAQ's in the Diet and Nutrition section.