Pooping and Quilling

[ktsmith88]

So, I've been doing a lot of reading about what to expect in the first few days when you bring your hedgehog home, but I'm hoping that maybe someone can alleviate my worries a little more...
I purchased Turtle last Sunday (April 25), and he's been an active, happy little guy ever since. I've been able to take him out and hold him for atleast 10-15 minutes every day, and he is definitely getting accustomed to his new home and owners

I've read that when their diet changes, hedgies can have poops that are very green in colour. Well, I experienced that this morning! I woke him up slowly, as I had some alterations to do on his cage, and after hanging out with my boyfriend and I for a while, he decided it was time to poop. Unfortunately, he seemed to have a little trouble getting it all out... He walked around for a while, sort of half done, not visibly uncomfortable, but dragging his bum a bit. Then after I had run a warm bath for him, I put him in and massaged his belly a bit. Surprise, surprise, he then pooped again. This time though, it was more loose and had very vibrant dark green throughout it. All of the other droppings I've seen in his cage have been dark brown in colour, with no visible greens, so I'm wondering what caused this change...
The breeder I picked Turtle up from said that he had never fed his hedgies mealworms, and since Turtle has arrived here, he's been offered (and wolfed down, might I add) a couple mealworms on 2 occasions. I'm wondering if this small change to his diet would affect his poop so obviously? I'm also wondering if the Hedgehog Food I picked up for him is providing him with everything he needs. It's made by Brown's, simply called Hedgehog Food, Omnivore Diet. If anyone knows anything about it, I would love to hear some opinions.

On another topic, Turtle has been losing a lot of quills! I'm hoping he's going through his "quilling", because otherwise, I am really starting to worry! He's approximately 14 weeks old, and he's been losing atleast 10 quills every time we have him out. He hasn't been particularly huffy, although I suppose he is a new addition, so I don't know what his personality was like prior to this... But what I mean to say is that it doesn't seem that his skin is overly sensitive, or any of the other side effects I've read come along with quilling.

Any advice, or just words of assurance P) would be greatly appreciated! I do tend to worry a little too much, but being my first hedgehog, I just don't want to do anything wrong

Thanks in advance,
Katie

 

[Kalandra]

Diet change isn't the only thing that can cause green stools, so can stress. Stress from diet changes, stress from a new home and cage could contribute to the green stool.

Brown's is not a good food. In fact most foods labeled for hedgehogs are less than desirable. Take a look in the diet section. You'll find lots of foods that people feed their hedgehogs.

You will want to do a diet change slowly. You should be feeding him what his breeder fed him and slowly switching it over to your own mix (if you didn't like what the breeder used).

At his age, he may very well be quilling. They can get quite moody at times when they quill, but continue to interact with him, hold him, etc. He needs this interaction to bond with you.

 

[rverk47]

i'm no expert i just got my hedgie (huey) about 1 month ago..i think he is quilling and is pretty sensitive to touch..huey's poop is lightish brown and like pudding and stinks horribly..i feed mine something called spike's delight from hedgehogsbyvickie..that's what the breeder had been feeding mine..like i said i'm a new hedgehog mom but i'll offer the little that i know..good luck