Little Live Pets 28403 Hedgehog and House

Product Information

Older hedgehogs also commonly develop heart disease, manifested by weakness, difficulty breathing, weight loss, heart murmurs, heart failure, and ultimately death. When diagnosed early, heart disease in hedgehogs, like that in people, can be managed medically to prolong life and improve overall life quality.

Another disease commonly encountered in hedgehogs is “wobbly hedgehog syndrome” – a neurologic disease of unknown cause that causes nerve damage and progressive paralysis that begins in the hind end and eventually affects the front end. Hedgehogs can suffer from a variety of medical problems; some of the more common issues include skin infections with fungus (ringworm), and mites. Both ringworm and mites can cause dry, flaky, crusty skin and quill loss. These infections should not be confused with normal quill loss. Baby hedgehogs will lose their quills as they grow and replace them with adult quills, and adults will periodically lose quills normally. With ringworm and mites, however, quills are lost in patches, exposing areas of dry skin. Hedgehogs are insectivores (insect-eaters), but they are not strict insectivores, as wild hedgehogs will eat different types of food, including mollusks (snails and worms), amphibians, lizards, snakes, birds’ eggs, fish, carrion, mushrooms, roots, berries, and melons.Hedgehogs are adorable little insect eating mammals that live, on average, 4-7 years when kept as pets. They are known for being timid little animals, but as any hedgehog owner will tell you, hedgehogs respond to their owner’s voice and appearance and are very interactive if socialized properly. Hedgehogs are notorious for becoming obese, so daily exercise is essential. They also need to be provided with mental stimulation when they are in their cages, such as ramps, ledges, tunnels, and other “cage furniture” to climb through or on. PVC pipe and toys such as balls, bells, and certain chew toys meant for cats or birds are also great for keeping hedgehogs busy. What Do Hedgehogs Eat? Give your mice mum food, water and lots of love. Then it is time to wait until the babies are born. How many will it be

Some breeders will use pine shavings, but it's best that you stay away from both pine and cedar, as they can cause problems with the hedgehog's respiratory tract due to the excess of oils. If you prefer a cheap substrate, you may want to consider aspen shavings. Enclosure OptionsInitially, affected hedgehogs will usually wobble when they walk and will lose the ability to ball up. These signs progress over months to an inability to stand, falling over, tremors, and seizures. There is no effective test for this condition or treatment; affected hedgehogs usually die within 1-2 years. While they can make terrific pets in the right circumstances, they are not right for everyone. Before you rush out and get a hedgehog, learn as much about them as possible to make sure these interesting creatures are right for you. Where Do Hedgehogs Live? Hedgehogs also commonly develop dental problems, including tartar build-up, gingivitis, and gum infection/abscess formation. Signs of dental problems can include salivation, dental pain, and decreased appetite. Dental cleaning, removal of abscesses, and antibiotic administration is required if dental disease is severe. Obesity is a huge problem in pet hedgehogs. Obese hedgehogs have pudgy legs and large amounts of subcutaneous fat protruding from under their mantel (the quill-covered top of the body) and in their armpits. These hedgehogs may not be able to roll up into balls like other hedgehogs and may develop brittle bones from calcium deficiency, particularly if they eat excessive numbers of insects. Obese hedgehogs should be offered restricted amounts of food and encouraged to run around either outside of their cages or inside on wheels. As hedgehogs are nocturnal, they are best for people who are not light sleepers and who aren’t disturbed by their pet running in a wheel every night. They may sleep for several hours during the day, making them ideal for pet owners who want to interact and play with their pets in the evening. How Do I Care for a Hedgehog?