Morning Star Hedgehogs

Medical issues in Female African Pygmy Hedgehogs Pt 3

Treatment
Emergency Veterinarians will focus on Stabilizing your Hedgehog If you seek medical attention at an exotic emergency office they will not perform surgery (if indicated) but will stabilize your girl until you can get her to your veterinarian.
If your hedgehog is very weak or anemic, you can expect:
• Warming support if body temperature is low
• Fluid therapy (under the skin or IV)
• Nutritional support
• Pain management
• Blood transfusion (in severe cases)

Tumors, Masses, Pyometra
• If diagnostics find evidence of a tumor/mass/or pyometra (uterine infection) your veterinarian will usually recommend spay surgery (ovariohysterectomy) which will remove the uterus and ovaries.
• Cancer is a common occurrence in hedgehogs especially those over the age of three. Anesthesia itself can be life threatening to an elder hog. If cancer, even with surgery there is the possibility of the cancer to spread.

Prognosis (What to Expect)
• Fair: If your hedgehog is stable and undergoes surgery promptly
• Guarded: If your hedgehog is weak, severely anemic, or actively bleeding

References: Merck Veterinary Manual
NIH Retrospective analysis of reproductive tract disease incidence in intact female
African pygmy hedgehogs (Atelerix albiventris)
Tree of Life Exotic Pet Medical Center
VCA Animal Hospitals

Medical issues in Female African Pygmy Hedgehogs Pt 2

What to look for:
Most common is bloody urine or vaginal bleeding. It can be difficult to differentiate where the blood is coming from.
Other symptoms to watch for:
• Blood around the v***a
• Hunched posture or signs of discomfort
• Weight loss or decreased appetite
• Lethargy (not running a wheel or exploring
• Pale gums (a sign of anemia from blood loss)

What tests will be done
Your veterinarian will start with a physical exam as well as a Urinalysis. The first approach is to rule out a UTI. An antibiotic may be prescribed for 7-10 days to eliminate the bacteria/blood found in the Urinalysis.

What if the bleeding persists or returns?
Your veterinarian will next look at the following tests
• Radiographs (X-rays) or ultrasound to visualize the uterus
• Bloodwork: complete blood count (CBC) and chemistry panel

The last segment will offer treatment options.

Medical issues in Female African Pygmy Hedgehogs Part 1

Blood in the Urine
You check your hedgehog and find blood in the litter pan (pink to bright red)

What to do? First thing to do is get her seen by an exotic veterinarian.

Many Conditions with Similar Symptoms
Upon examination your veterinarian will be looking at all of the symptoms and need to perform diagnostic testing to determine what is the cause of the bleeding :
• Urinary tract infection
• Tumors of the bladder or kidneys
• Bladder stones or trauma
• Uterine infection (pyometra)

Unfortunately it is not always as easy as a UTI. Now what?
Your little one will need further diagnostics to determine the cause of her illness

In the next segment we will look at the most common female issues.

Look at these lovelies! Such friendly and curious little ones. ❤
Mei-Misaki x Dave

Did someone say Hedgehog cake pops?

Minnows! If you remember a few years back we sold Minnows and Wigglers ❤
The craftsperson that handmade them is selling out and I bought most of her inventory. Available while supplies last, Minnows, only in leopard pattern. $10 each (Its a steal)
Pick up only

I was asked recently about feeding quail eggs. You can feed them raw, cooked (scrambled/hard boiled/hoard cooked). Besides the benefits of these mighty little eggs: stimulate growth, Vitamin B1 and B2, improve brain capacity, fight stress and obesity, high blood pressure, liver and kidney diseases, If you feed in the shell your little one can grab some additional natural calcium from the shell itself (not all hedgehogs will eat the shell) I would not feed more than once every 7-10 days. Feeding them raw provides a different texture which can provide additional mental stimulation.

Thanks to Madelein Coetzee Nina De Lange for compiling this information ❤️