Hedgehogs Archives - Page 4 of 4

It is possible that it will not show any indications of a disease until it is nearly too late to do anything about it. This is something that frequently occurs with little creatures like the pygmy hedgehog. If your hedgehog does become severely unwell, it is possible that it may be difficult to locate a veterinarian who will know what to do for it unless the individual specialized in either small animals or exotics. In the event that you are aware of such a person, it may be beneficial to take your pet in for a checkup so that the veterinarian may become acquainted with both your pet and you, as well as vice versa. If you notice a sudden change in your pet's behavior, such as lethargy or weakness, the most likely cause is dehydration. In other words, the first thing you should do is check to see if the water bottle has been left unattended at any point. You might have to give the animal a small amount of water by hand at first while it is recovering before it is able to drink water on its own. If the signs point to a condition other than dehydration, the hedgehog should be taken to the veterinarian as soon as possible. A trip to the veterinarian is always recommended whenever there is any suspicion that a hedgehog may be ill. When the temperature of the hedgehog's habitat drops too low, it is possible for the animal to get an episode of hypothermia. The only therapy that is typically required is to either physically hold the animal or to place it in an area where it can gradually warm up. Give Your Hedgehogs The Right Nutrition Carnivorous diets are typical for hedgehogs. They will consume vegetables, but if they are prevented from eating meat, they will not be able to maintain their health for an extended period of time. Treats in the form of vegetables or fruits, such as a bite-sized piece of a carrot, apple, or banana, can be given on occasion, but it is important to remember to keep the serving size modest. Cottage cheese is a delicacy that appeals to the taste buds of some hedgehogs. When they are in the wild, hedgehogs consume the majority of their food in the form of insects. They are quite content with a diet consisting of crickets or even mealworms. They will, however, get along very fine on a diet consisting of cat food. This is to say that they are not particularly picky eaters, but they will occasionally turn their noses up at vegetables. They will get along quite nicely on a diet consisting of cat food. If for no other reason, choosing dried cat food is the finest option because it helps prevent tartar from growing on the teeth of your pet. It would be beneficial to get a powdered supplement from a breeder or a pet store that can be sprinkled over the pet's food approximately once every other day in order to guarantee that the animal is receiving all of the vitamins and other nutrients that it may be missing from its usual diet. When your hedgehog's eating habits have become relatively stable, it is in your best interest to maintain them. Your hedgehog's eating habits are frequently an excellent sign of its overall health. The evening is the optimum time of day to provide your pet hedgehog with its daily meal, particularly if your pet is a typical hedgehog that performs the most of its exploring after dark. A meal in the evening will assist it in remaining alert until sunrise, at which point it will be time to retire for the night. Two Hedgehogs Are (Sometimes) Better Than One Although a playmate is not required for a pet hedgehog, there are those that appear to prefer the company of another hedgehog. Hedgehogs are mostly solitary animals, yet they can form relationships with people just as easily, and possibly even more so, as they can form relationships with other hedgehogs. If you do decide to keep more than one hedgehog, you will need to provide each one with its own separate enclosure. If you put two male hedgehogs in the same cage, there is a high likelihood that they will fight with each other. In point of fact, if you put two male hedgehogs in the same room together, as soon as they discover one another they will likely begin fighting with one another. When you put two girls in the same room together, there is a chance that they will fight. It is not always possible to predict what they will do. When you put a male and a female hedgehog in the same room together, they could fight, but they will definitely reward you with baby hedgehogs that are roughly the size of half of your little finger. Before the babies are born, the parents have to be separated, and on occasion, a female will prefer to consume her own offspring rather than having them taken away from her. It is impossible to predict whether or not she will do that, and there is not much you can do about it because it often occurs within a day of their birth, and only another hedgehog knows how to properly care for a hedgehog that is only a day old. Hedgehogs Need Grooming Too If you want to maintain a hedgehog as a pet, you need to be aware of the fact that these small animals require regular grooming just as much as a dog does, and possibly even more. If you want to keep a hedgehog as a pet, you need to be aware of this fact. The question "How do you go about grooming a critter that has sharp spines?" might be the first thing that comes to mind for some people. You need, for one thing, socialize your pet so that it is used to being handled so that you are not trying to groom something that has chosen to take on the physical qualities of a sea urchin. This will prevent you from having any problems. First things first, let's look at the toenails. The amount of digging that hedgehogs perform in the wild is sufficient to keep the sharp edges of their toenails worn down. When they are kept in captivity, they frequently have to have their claws cut. It is best to have one person hold the animal while the other slowly removes one leg at a time and uses regular fingernail clippers to reduce the nails. This is the easiest method to go about doing what has to be done. The majority of hedgehogs would much rather have a bath than have their nails cut. However, instead of giving your hedgehog a bath with a sponge, try giving it a bath with a toothbrush. If the animal is extremely filthy, you can put some water in a sink or a bathtub and then either spray it with warm water or pour water over it from a cup. You can do this if the animal is particularly difficult to clean. After the animal has been given a bath and has been thoroughly rinsed off, place it in a beautiful, plush terrycloth towel and carefully pat it dry with additional gentle strokes. In addition, it is important to examine one's eyes, hearing, and teeth on occasion. In the event that a problem is noticed in any of these places, it is customarily preferable to defer to the judgment of a licensed veterinarian regarding the best way to proceed. Train The Hedgehogs To Be Sociable How to Avoid Getting a Pet That's Covered with Sharp Needles People who own pets socialize their dogs and make attempts to socialize their cats as well. There are some potential hedgehog owners who are unaware of the fact that these unusual little animals require interaction with other people as well. That will not only make them better pets, but it will also make them happier pets, which is an additional benefit. Holding and seeing a hedgehog that is comfortable being around people can be quite enjoyable experiences. If a hedgehog is terrified of people or even its own shadow, it will spend the most of its time curled up, hissing, and with its spines standing straight. In the case of hedgehogs, socialization is typically performed by handling the animals while they are still at a stage in their development where they are too young to be concerned with being terrified. You will always have a friend in a hedgehog once it gets used to being held in your hand, despite the fact that some of them occasionally experience bad moods and may nip you with their very small but very sharp teeth. However, once a hedgehog gets used to this, you will always have a friend in a hedgehog. If the new hedgehog is an adult, one of the best ways to become acquainted with it is to extend your hand and let it investigate what's on it. As soon as you are able to grasp the hedgehog in your palm, it will feel more at ease sitting on your lap. In addition to this, it is important that you provide your pet with plenty of opportunities for exercise so that it can get socialized. Excellent results can be achieved using a second-hand playpen that has mesh siding and shredded newspaper on the floor. As long as there aren't any obstacles in the animal's path, you shouldn't have any problems letting it freely roam the room. You should just make sure that you are aware of its location at all times. Hedgehogs like to spend time on the grass or in flower gardens, but they need to be closely monitored at all times, particularly when they are in the garden. There is nothing that a hedgehog enjoys more than burrowing around in a pile of dead leaves and then taking a nap; hedgehogs have a habit of first finding a cozy hiding space and then becoming very still or taking a nap once they've found it, and there's nothing that hedgehogs have a habit of doing once they've found it. You can never be sure that one will be moving at all times so that you can follow its progress. If you take your hedgehog outside, you need to keep a vigilant eye on it like you would a bird of prey. After that, you will be able to appreciate its winding path. You should also keep in mind that despite their size, these animals are capable of running at a startling speed.