Hedgie had green stool today - please help!

nrobic01 · Jun 11, 2012

My hedgehog Spike had green stool today that was sticky and somewhat liquidy, almost gelatinous. It appeared forest green but the residue was brighter green. This is not typical -- his stool is usually dark brown and not liquidy at all.

There were 2 changes to his routine recently ... First, I introduced mealworms as a treat. Second, he experienced great stress as I attempted to clip his nails for the first time (this is when the most green sticky poo came out).

He had a vet check-up 3 days ago and the vet said he looked and felt great -- absolutely perfect condition. Wanted to know where I got him because he was so impressed with the quality of my Spike.

So, what could be causing this, and what should I do??? Please help if you have any advice! Thank you!

Kalandra · Jun 11, 2012

You have several items there that can cause green stool. Was the stool itself liquidy, or did it just have a thick mucous surrounding it? I'm hoping it was just mucousy.

Green stools are not an uncommon reaction to stress and change in diet. Stress from environmental changes, dietary changes, illness and travel can all cause green stools. You have 3 sources in the post above.

Even if your hedgehog doesn't act stressed by the veterinary visit, most likely he was. I've had plenty that would get green stools later from it.

If you gave a few too many mealworms and the hedgehog is young and not used to them, it can cause green stools.

Nail clippings can be stressful. Especially if you were a little nervous while doing it.

My advice. If his stools are of normal consistency and frequency, I would watch his stools for the next 24 hours. Typically they will start to turn a better color within this short period of time and the mucous should go away too. If you have it, add a little acidolphilus to his food for the night. It will help his GI settle.

If his stools get watery, become more frequent, blood shows up, or the green color does not go away, then go back to the vet. He may have an infection that was asymptomatic at the previous veterinary visit.

nrobic01 · Jun 11, 2012

Thank you so, so much! Yes, the stool was mucousy rather than liquid. And his stool has always been (prior to this) a similar color to his pelleted food -- I use Spike's Ultra Hedgehog food by Pet-Pro which was used by the breeder (http://www.pet-pro.com/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=1&zenid=k4qunkvq6eu16bqmn61tkod8e7).

I will continue to monitor him. I am under the impression that you are right, and it is related to both stress (the nail clipping was hard on both of us, and was when he released the most green stool) and also as result of feeding a few too many mealworms (he was only recently introduced to them, but LOVES them). Also, I read that freeze dried mealworms may not be sufficiently processed by hedgies. Not sure if that's true -- but I definitely don't want to continue feeding him the freeze-dried version if it is!

Thanks again!!!

Kalandra · Jun 12, 2012

There was at least one hedgehog who had an impaction due to too many freeze dried mealworms or crickets (cannot remember which now).

How is the stool looking today? They can go from perfect brown to bright green and mucousy very quickly... I had one that was perfectly normal at home, 1 hr later in the vet's office he let loose the nastiest green mucousy stool possible, and was fine again by the next eventing.

nrobic01 · Jun 14, 2012

Thanks for that info

I do believe the freeze-dried mealworms had something to do with it now. His stool returned to normal the next day -- I waited another day to feed him a mealworm, and then he experienced a slight bit more of mucous-y green stool, followed by normal stool again.

I am going to switch to live meal worms & will post on how Spike does!