White Stool

[nrobic01]

I have not changed the diet of my hedgehog at all, but last night he had white feces. This has never happened before. I read white stool (in people) signifies a lack of bile.. Has anyone ever experienced this with their hedgehog before?

Some background: Spike has had the same food his whole life (Spike's ultra hedgehog food = high in protein and low in fat), and the same bottled water for 2 months without issue. He gets two live mealworms every other night, but he hasn't had any for two weeks!

He has no unusual behavior or symptoms - normal activity level, normal appetite, no quill loss or scratching...... but white stool is a first!

 

[smhufflepuff]

I have not seen that in a hedgehog yet either. I imagine it was quite the shock! If it were me, I'd scoop up the poop (ie, possibly to bring to the vet) and give the vet a call.

I'm not certain how directly related it is to the current poop issue, but I'd be reconsidering his diet. Low in fat is good; high in protein isn't generally seen as good... Some people are concerned that diets that are very high in protein may cause/contribute to kidney problems for hedgies. Recommendations vary a bit, but most of what I'm seeing from reputable sources suggests that max fat around 15% and max protein around 35% in dry food. I'm not sure what the %'s are for Spike's -- take a look. If it really is out of whack, I'd consider adding another high quality cat kibble to his diet. Actually, in general, I'd recommend having at least one other kibble to balance things out, even if Spike's is spot-on in terms of the percentages.

Either way... I'll go back to: scoop up the poop sample and give your vet a call. And let us know how your little fella is doing!!

 

[nrobic01]

Thanks for your response! Yes, it was quite a shock!! He has since had normal colored stool but that really doesn't make me feel any better. I will keep a watchful eye and definitely take a stool sample to the vet. (I promise to update as soon as I learn anything!)

Thanks also for the tip on Spike's diet! His current food contains 35% Crude Protein, 12% Crude Fat, 8% Crude Fiber and 12% Moisture, but adding some healthy variety surely wouldn't hurt. Thanks again!