TEN THINGS TOXIC TO HEDGEHOGS

When I brought home Dexter, my spiky little hedgehog, I was eager to feed him all that he was curious to try. I thought that ‘if he was willing to munch on, then why stop him?

I started off with cat feed, the chicken flavoured ones. He liked them and would nibble the balls in a jiffy. But worm meal was his most favorite. He particularly relished the pale yellow worms.

Whenever I had my meal, Dexter would cuddle up on my lap and sometimes I would lift him over to show him what I ate. I speak a lot to him and describe him the recipes I try. Thats the reason I suppose, we bonded quite fast and love each other’s company a lot.

Once I had apple raisin muffins on my plate and Dexter was particularly very curious about the brown black stuff lying next to him. Very casually I fed him a raisin from the cake. He didnt like the taste much, so I didnt force him. But within few hours, he was’nt normal at all. I took him to my vet and thats when I knew that those harmless little raisins were actually toxic for my Dexie darling.

I quickly searched for more such foods and chemicals that could turn out to be toxic for hedgehogs and now writing this up, so that you also could be wary of them.

Raisins – This tops my list because I experientially know they are not for hedgehogs. Not only are they toxic, but could stick to their mouth roofs also. Ooh, thats scary even as I think of

Avacados – I discussed with few of my friends and we have differed opinions about how safe it is. Being smooth fruits, they may not stick to their mouth roof, but I suppose its their creaminess, that our pint sized pets wouldnt be comfortable with.

Tea tree products – Anything from tea tree oil, shampoos, spray etc., that have major ingredients as tea tree is a big no no for hedgehogs. Even small doses could cause them organ failure or even become fatal. So watch out!

Milk and dairy products – Hedgehogs are lactose intolerent and cant digest them. Even Iam lactose intolerent and this is one ongoing joke at home most times.

My mom teases me and Dexie about it.And it goes without saying that even chocolates are not for hedgehogs. Duh!!Junk foods of all types are not to be fed. This made sense to me, because even for us humans, junk food is unhealthy!!

Nuts and seeds, some of my friends say, make their hedgehogs sick. So I didnt even risk it with Dexter baby. But I personally feel he might enjoy clawing out nuts. Nevertheless, I stuck to giving him  colorful  balls which he very cutely pushes around his cage. Been thinking of new games for him!!  www.youtube.com/watch?v=S854R7Snhok This is the video that inspired me to let him play with balls. Check out for yourself.Now for some chemicals and their compounds, which we usually use to keep them away from parasites.

Ivermectin-Both oral and  injectable  ivermectin is not for hedgehogs. Proabably you can consult your vet for other  anti parasitic  options but dont try these without further confirmation.

BHA (butylated hydroxyanisole) and BHT (butylated hydroxytoluene)These are artificial preservatives in the feed and could be allergic to hedgehogs.

Polysporin and neosporin pain relief.Particular compounds and formulae could be toxic. My vet suggested that regular original polysporin is safe to use. And thats the one I keep in my first aid kid as well. 

10. The wood that you use in their cage could actually turn out toxic. Their sensitivity to sap/odour to particular types of saw dust could cause them respiratory distress. Both pine and cedar woods may be uncomfortable for them.

For Dexter, I bought a big plastic tub with handles on sides. I thought they are easy to handle and clean. Then I spread aspen shavings for him. I bought it in chip form so that it can be evenly spread out in the bottom.

One of my friends suggested a paper bedding product that she bought recently. I liked them too and might try it.

Allergy to your pets are subjective and you may have peculiar issues that your friends may never face. So list of toxic stuff for hedgehogs really cannot be exhaustive.

I would really love to know what else to add to this list. So shoot me your feedbacks.

Dexie just crawled out of his hide and is ready to play with me. Catch you guys later.

Would my hedgehog be sensitive to strong smells and odours?

 

Yes, your hedgehog is extremely sensitive to strong smells and odors. These cute, little creatures’s eyesight is pretty poor and therefore, their primary sense lies in smell. Your hedgie will use its sense of smell to bond with you. It can smell and identify you yards away.

It is therefore very important to avoid changing scents as this will confuse your new pet and might actually create animosity or aloofness. This probably means that you should stick to one scent of perfumes, shampoos, bathing gels, soap and so on.

It is also this very same sense of smell that a hedgehog will use to find other hedgehogs and to recognize any danger. You might have noticed that your hedgehog sniffs the ground often as it walks, this way; it can smell food that is buried as deep as an inch into the soil. A hedgehog’s brain is mainly composed of smell centers which only indicate the importance of scents and odors in their lives.

Hearing will also play a big role in your hedgehog’s senses. It will use hearing to detect danger, find its food and even to familiarize itself with the new environment of your home. Hedgehogs can even hear at ultrasonic range.

Hedgehogs also have a sense of taste but they rarely use it to choose their food. The reality is that your hedgehog doesn’t care what its food taste like and will probably eat anything edible. To prevent obesity and other illnesses, keep a close check on your spiky friend’s diet. Most vets recommend hedgehog food but cat food is also okay. Ensure that food and water is easily accessible to your hedgie.

There are other interesting facts about hedgehogs, for example, you probably have no idea that your hedgie was born totally naked without its quills. Also, while its quills might prick and cause you to bleed, they are not poisonous.

Your hedgehog is capable of running at a speed of six feet per second or 4.5mph. It can swim and climb walls. It was born blind but its sight improved with age. It is also prone to cancer so you should be in a position to identify abnormal bumps and lumps. A female is friendlier than a male and a nervous hedgehog will make a clicking sound before attacking. This should act as a warning sign for you to stay away.

Are Hedgehog mites Contagious?

One of the most commonly occurring problems that Hedgehog owners face are the dreaded mites and the occasional ticks. How common the problems of mites could be for a Hedgehog mostly depends upon where you live?Although it is not very difficult to counter the mites problem, but they can become really serious if left untreated.

Some of the signs or symptoms of your pet Hedgehogs having mites are

Solid deposits mostly close to their eyes, excessive scratching of back, and loss of fur in a larger magnitude also indicates the problem of mites among the pet Hedgehogs.

The problem of mites can be solved with proper treatment  and right care. These mites found in the Hedgehogs can also prove to be  contagious to fellow pets to a certain extent . It should be noted that some of the species of mites that infest and infect the Hedgehogs  can also be transmitted and transferred over to other animals such as dogs and cats.

Along with that , one should also be careful about the eggs laid by the mites that infect the Hedgehogs, as these eggs can almost stay anywhere inside or even outside the cages of the Hedgehogs. It would be a good idea to clean the cage of your pet to get rid of suspected mites and their eggs. Completely washing the cage and cleaning of all the dishes and sleeping bags can be of great help.  Along with that, there are many mite repelling shampoos for Hedgehogs that are pretty safe and very effective to use.

It should be noted that not all the mites that infect Hedgehogs are potentially harmful to other pets like cats or dogs. This is due to the fact that most of the mites are not very host specific and can be carried by even humans or any other sources. To put it in plain words, it is highly difficult to pinpoint a particular source of mites.

Another specific indicator of mite infection in your pet would include marks or dots, mostly on the face and you could also notice a thinner skin texture than usual. Other symptoms would include oily skin. Other than that, skin discoloration is also a major indication where in you should rush your pet to a vet immediately.

Getting rid of mites problem at an earlier stage, mitigates the risk  of going through elaborate treatments in a longer run and also reduces the risk of other  dangerous infections like ringworms.