worried hedgie mom

[keshahedgie]

Hey everyone I am a new hedgie mom. My hedgie is 13 weeks old and she is having a lot of trouble with her wheel, she has the large silent spinner it looks like this

She loves it and uses it every night but she is constantly pooping in it and ends up running all over her poops, getting her little feet covered in poop. Tonight I even found some blood on her front right hand! I don't want her to hurt herself and I also don't want to clean her wheel every morning.
Is there a way I can train her to not poop in her wheel? Do you think she is wearing herself out because her hand was bleeding?
Thanks!
-Ellen and Kesha

 

[Laurie]

I am not a hedgie owner however I don't believe there is anything you can do to get her to not poop on her wheel. This is something hedgies owners have to deal with. Hopefully someone from the hedgie side can answer about the bloody hand--the poops you aren't going to have much luck with--many hedgie owners have to clean wheels daily.

 

[Melissa]

I moved this as it is not an emergency.

I will address the bloody foot first. The wheel you have is not safe. It has a slit all the way down the middle that can catch little nails and toes. It also has ridges which can run her little feet raw. Oe of these circumstances is probably what happened. Without checking, you wont know which one. Another issue with the wheel, the nut in the middle has been known to come off with heavy running and the wheel comes apart while hedge is on it and hurts/kill the hedgehog.

Now to address the poop, have you done much research on hedgehogs before getting one? This is one thing you are going to have to do daily. Clean her poopy wheel. Its unsanitary and will eventually stink if you leave it. Its one of the things us hedge-parents have to deal with..Poopy feet and poopy wheel.

On that note.. Welcome to the Forum and to hedgehog momhood.

 

[LexieHeg]

I agree with Melissa on everything, that wheel can be really dangerous and pooping on it is what hedgehogs do!

We add an extra 15 minutes to our morning routine to clean our girls wheel and tunnel because thats just part of life for hedgies. Even litter trained hedgies still poop on their wheel - it is probably the most normal thing hedgies do! Everyday other day we have to wash her feet too because they are always poop covered, its just what we do for these little quilled cuties!

Just a note...if she has a sore on her foot you will absolutely have to make sure you clean the wheel daily if not more, you don't want that sore getting infected from feces/urine. You may want to give a foot bath and remove the wheel until its healed.

And... Welcome to the forum! :welcomewagon:

 

[keshahedgie]

Thanks

Thanks everyone for your reply, also I AM NOT COMPLAINING about the poop. Of course I clean it everyday.

Can someone suggest a better wheel for hedgie use?

 

[shawnwk1]

your best bet is a bucket wheel these are sold online (called carolina storm wheels or some by other names as well now) and even sold by a few on this forum or you can do as i have done and make one yourself (little bit of a pain, but not too bad and time consuming) if you are good with tools and a little crafty.

 

[smhufflepuff]

I'd get a Carolina Storm Wheel from Larry. If for some reason that wasn't possible, I'd make my own bucket wheel. And if that wasn't possible, my third choice would be to get a giant Comfort Wheel from a place like PetCo.

The first two - made from either a cake carrier or bucket are the best way to go - solid, smooth running surface for hedgie. The CW has ridges but isn't as bad as other commercially made wheels.