Internet Info 1997 December/Internet_Info_CD-ROM_Walnut_Creek_December_1997.iso/faqs/rec/answers/hedgehog-faq/part4

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From: [e-mail] (Brian MacNamara)
Newsgroups: rec.pets,rec.answers,news.answers
Subject: Hedgehog FAQ [4/5] - Hedgehogs as pets
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Date: 22 Oct 1997 17:53:45 GMT
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Summary: Answers to Frequently Asked Questions and general information
         about pet (African Pigmy) hedgehogs.  Should be helpful to both
         prospective and current hedgehog owners.
   Part IV - hedgehogs as pets, things you'll need, basic hedgehog care
Xref: senator-bedfellow.mit.edu rec.pets:75834 rec.answers:34937 news.answers:115155

Archive-name: hedgehog-faq/part4
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Keywords: faq pet hedgehogs

Last-modified: 22 Oct 1997
Version: 2.31

HEDGEHOG FAQ (part 4 of 5) -- HEDGEHOGS AS PETS
Compiled and edited by Brian MacNamara ([e-mail])
Additions, corrections, and suggestions for this file are welcomed.

This document is copyright 1996 by Brian MacNamara.  See section [0.5]
for authorship information and redistribution rights.  In short, you
can give it away, but you can't charge for it.

The basic Hedgehog FAQ has five parts, all of which should be available
from wherever you obtained this one.  A complete table of contents for
all five parts is given in part I.

Please note:  I am not a hedgehog expert, and I did not write, or verify,
all the information in this FAQ.  I have done my best to include only
accurate and useful information, but I cannot guarantee the correctness of
what is contained in this FAQ, regardless of the source, or even that it
will not be harmful to you or your hedgehog in some way.  For advice from
an expert, I recommend you consult the books listed in part 2 [2.1], or,
especially in the case of a suspected medical problem, a veterinarian who
is familiar with hedgehogs.

------------------------------

Subject: CONTENTS OF THIS FILE

5. *** Things you'll need ***

   <5.1> What will I need to take care of my new hedgehog?
   <5.2> Do I need a cage?  How should I set it up?
   <5.3> The pet store uses wood shavings as bedding.  Should I?
   <5.4> What kind of litter should I use?
   <5.5> Hedgehog handling
   <5.6> Hedgehogs and wheels
   <5.7> Any suggestions on toys?

6. *** Basic hedgehog care and training ***

   <6.1> How can I best hedgehogproof my home?
   <6.2> What should I feed my hedgehog?
   <6.3> Feeding baby hedgehogs
   <6.4> What are good treats?
   <6.5> I'm having problems litter-training my hedgehog.  What should
         I be doing?
   <6.6> Any suggestions on bathing, cleaning ears, and clipping nails?
   <6.7> Biting and nipping

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

5. *** Things you'll need ***

------------------------------

Subject: <5.1> What will I need to take care of my new hedgehog?

There are only a few things that are essential to keep a pet hedgehog.
Basically a warm place to live (either a large cage/pen/aquarium, or a
room -- if you want to let your hedgehog run free), a food dish (preferably
one that is not easy to tip over), a water bottle, such as for Guinea pigs,
(water dishes can tend to become soiled and baby hedgehogs can easily
drown in them, but adults often like them), and last but not least,
something big enough for your hedgehog to hide in as a den.

It is also a good idea to have a shallow litter box or pan (although not
all hedgehogs seem inclined to use them), and some type of bedding (pine
or aspen shavings, clean straw, etc., but NOT cedar [5.3]).

An exercise wheel [5.6] (big enough for a hedgehog) is also strongly
recommended -- especially for hedgehogs that don't have the run of the house.
Hedgehogs tend to be surprisingly energetic, and need the chance to use up
some of this energy.  In addition, it appears more and more that hedgehogs
who have and use wheels live much longer and generally seem not to come down
with some of the more common serious ailments, such as Fatty Liver Disease.
Because of this, I am quickly reaching the opinion that a proper wheel is
more of a necessity than a luxury.

------------------------------

Subject: <5.2> Do I need a cage?  How should I set it up?

This is largely a matter of choice, yours and theirs.  Some hedgehog owners
wouldn't dream of caging their prickly little friends, while many breeders
use large cat carriers to keep their hoards in (one hedgehog, one carrier).

I personally use large wire cages that were intended for medium to large
dogs as homes for my hedgehogs.  These cages measure about 2' wide x 3' deep
x 2.5' high (frankly I wouldn't put a dog bigger than a Chihuahua in
something this size, but the labels claim they were designed for collies and
similar sized dogs!).

I should point out that organizations, such as VEZ [2.8], recommend ``one
square meter (approximately 1 sq yard) of floorspace for [each] hedgehog.''
This is a good rule of thumb, since hedgies are not as small as hamsters or
gerbils, and do need space to roam in.  The alternative is to give them
a good play time, each night, to roam about a larger area under supervision.

You should be careful to make sure the grating in the cage you use leaves
narrow enough holes that your hedgehog can't get out, or even get his head
wedged in between the wires.  Chicken wire is probably not a very safe
choice.  Hedgehogs will often attempt to escape with an astounding amount
of vigour and can be quite single minded about doing so.  Younger hedgehogs
can easily get out of cages with openings between the wires as small as
1/2'' (1.5 cm) -- trust me on this, Sprocket earned the middle name Houdini
for just this achievement, while Pocus will gleefully climb to the top of
the cage looking for even the smallest niche to squeeze through.

Bedding, such as pine or aspen shavings [5.3], is recommended in any cage,
and most importantly, some sort of place to hide is needed.  Alternately,
you can use something like non-clumping cat litter, corncob litter [5.4], or
even epoxy coated aquarium stones.  Do watch out for the pieces of litter
or bedding getting caught in sensitive places as mentioned in section [5.4].

The most frequently recommended den is a section of 4'' (or 6'' for larger
hedgehogs) diameter PVC (plastic) plumbing pipe.  You can get this at almost
any hardware or plumbing store for a couple of dollars.

For a home, or den, what I use are two wicker bread baskets (about 4'' x 6''
and 2-3'' deep) tied securely together with a door cut towards one end (about
3'' x 3'').  Velcro prefers this over either the PVC pipe home, or a hollow log.
Pocus, however prefers the PVC pipe or especially her hollow log, and won'
t have anything to do with the basket (except as a toy -- Pocus tosses it like
a seal with a ball).  Hedgehogs *can* be fickle!

A word of caution about using old socks or cloth with a loose weave to it:

    Don't use anything fabric for them to hide in.  I did have an old sock...
    Koosh liked to climb inside it, but the vet told me of an instance where
    a hedgehog got his leg caught in a thread, tried to get out, only made it
    worse, and the thread ended up slicing through her flesh to the bone.  He
    said he was able to save the leg, though.
    --  Kathleen Close

In addition to threads, long hairs can be as bad or worse (being even harder
to see, and every bit as dangerous.  My thanks to Melanie A. Abell for
reminding me of this danger.

Here are a few suggestions that Nathan Tenny had for housing:

    An adult can live in a ten-gallon aquarium, though things get kind of
    cramped (and with that little space, they really need a wheel [5.6],
    which in turn eats up a lot of space).  A long 20-gallon tank should
    be OK, and bigger is better (in the wild, they have home ranges of a
    few square miles, so more space than that is wasted).

Cages at the large end of being suitable for Guinea pigs or rabbits
are likely fine.  Keep in mind that hedgehogs like to explore, and they
are great escape artists.  They can climb anything they can get their
claws hooked into, and by rolling into a ball and leaning forward, they
can manage to get down quite safely from virtually any height that didn't
need a long ladder to get them up to.

If you are not certain the place you are trying to keep your hedgehog in
is warm enough to keep him from going into hibernation [7.3], you might
want to consider placing a heating pad (on its LOWEST setting) under the
part of the pen where your hedgehog sleeps.  Make sure your hedgehog is
not going to come directly into contact with the heating pad, and that he
has the ability to get to an area away from it, should it be too warm for
him.

If your hedgehog gets too cool, you risk a number of problems, including
pneumonia.  Pneumonia can be especially bad, since you may not know he
has it and even if it clears up, the effects of scarring on the lungs can
result in death sometime later, when things otherwise appear perfectly fine.

Other suggestions from Katherine Long are to use heating elements intended
for lizards, or those for keeping germinating seeds warm.  These may be
much safer than a standard drugstore type heating pad.

    Ambergris much prefers to sleep under a thick towel rather than in
    her pipe.  Actually the towel is draped over a half hollow log and
    the pipe on top of the pad that is on top of the lizard warmer pad.
    She crawls between the towel and the pad cover, in preference to
    anywhere else.
    -- Katherine Long

Another idea, passed along courtesy of Christine Porter is:

    There are ceramic reptile heaters that are similar to light bulbs
    (but give off no light).  They screw into a regular light socket
    and can be positioned to radiate heat into the cage.  They run
    about $25 mail order, $40 retail, and come in various wattages.  If
    you want to add a thermostat, it gets pricier.

NOTE: When using these ``heat bulbs'' you must only use them in a ceramic
light socket.  My thanks to Ron Adrezin for this caution, and the following:

    The company that makes the heat bulbs also sells ceramic sockets with a
    clip at the bottom so that it may be attached to the cage.  I also use
    baggie ties on the clip to make absolutely sure that it cannot fall over
    and start a fire.

If your room temperature doesn't get too cool, you may be able to make do
with an idea like this:

    My daughter has come up with a neat idea to keep our heggies pretty warm.
    She has made them sleeping bags out of fleece and lined it with thin
    thermal material.
    -- Mary Novak

Just beware that there aren't any loose threads (or hairs) that can get
caught around busy hedgie legs.

I have also received suggestions of caution from Kirby J. Kerr, about using
heat rocks as designed for lizards as they are quite prone to overheating,
and generally erratic behavior.  In other words, do be careful when using
these products.

Feel free to be inventive when it comes to keeping your hedgehog warm during
the cooler months of the year.  As long as there is a warm area where your
hedgehog's den is, and you haven't created a fire hazard or some other
impending disaster, you can pretty much use your imagination when it comes
to impromptu heaters.

It's imperative that your pet hedgehogs stay warm during the winter.
Hedgehogs will go into hibernation [7.3] if not kept warm.

------------------------------

Subject: <5.3> The pet store uses wood shavings as bedding.  Should I?

In most cases the answer is yes you can.  In addition to wood shavings
generally making for a more comfortable place to root and burrow around in,
many hedgehogs are not overly particular as to where they defecate.  Using
shavings makes cleaning up after them quite a bit easier.

I have heard of a few cases where hedgehogs were allergic to wood shaving
bedding, but these have been relatively uncommon cases.  In all the cases
I've heard of, the hedgehog has experienced what appears to be a bloody nose
most nights while roaming about its enclosure.  The solution was to use
a more natural bedding (for example real dirt and grass).  Another
possibility might be to increase the humidity, but the best solution is
to switch from using wood shavings.

I have also seen numerous warnings against using cedar shavings, especially
for baby or young hedgehogs where the strong aroma can actually overpower
and even kill them.  Here are some words of experience from Nathan Tenny:

    We're using pine shavings as a substrate, and all seems well.  DO NOT
    USE CEDAR; we have known people to lose hedgehogs because of keeping
    them on cedar shavings.  DO NOT USE CEDAR.  (To the best of our
    knowledge, pine shavings are safe [now proven not to be true, we
    continue to learn as time goes on -- ed.]; if you're concerned about
    wood shavings, per se, the safest route would be to keep them on blank
    newsprint.  Aspen shavings, which are thoroughly non-aromatic, should
    also be perfectly safe.)

The ``Safe Beddings FAQ'' now exists and is posted to the rec.pets Usenet
Newsgroup on a monthly basis.  It is also available via the WWW at:
    http://www.aracnet.com/~seagull/faq/beddingfaq.shtml

My thanks to Rick Russell for the original pointer to it, and to Christine
Porter for the pointer to the new address.

I have to admit that when I acquired Velcro at 8 months of age, he came in
a pet carrier complete with a bedding of cedar shavings and has been none
the worse for wear from it, although I have used pine shavings, and now
aspen shavings, ever since.

It now appears that Pine, also being an aromatic softwood, can cause many
of the same effects as cedar, and while generally not as strong as cedar,
it too is not a good choice for a bedding material.  The rule of thumb is
that if it has a noticeable scent, it probably isn't terribly safe.  I have
recently been in touch with Gerald McKiness, who had lost five of his
hedgehogs to the use of pine shavings -- the cause being borne out by the
necropsies that were performed.  After switching away from using pine, he
has had no further losses.  Here are some of the details about the symptoms:

    Our first casualty was a hamster. A pet of about 3 yrs of age.  He died
    after about 3 weeks to a month of respiratory distress and digestive
    failure.  My hedgehogs began dying about a year later. The symptoms
    always started with a loss of appetite, then loss of mobility in the
    hindquarters.  They would have a wheeze to the breathing.  The
    excretions would be a bright green.  In about three weeks, despite
    everything, bottle feeding, antibiotic injections, veterinary care, they
    died.

    The necropsies would all show respiratory distress, fluid in the lungs,
    liver distress, and NO PATHOGENS.
    -- Gerald McKiness

While aspen shavings do not have, what some people consider the pleasant
cedar or pine scent, nor some of the insect (mite) repelling qualities of
cedar, everything I have seen strongly urges against the use of cedar and
also pine bedding for hedgehogs (and other small animals).

Aspen is, unfortunately, more expensive than either cedar, or especially
pine, but the safety factor is paramont.  If you are unable to find aspen,
and are using pine, make sure you do so in a well ventilated cage or pen,
not one that is enclosed with limited airflow, as this will help limit the
dangers.  For cedar, the answer is simply to avoid using it.

Mike McGary has the following words of wisdom on a further advantage of
using Aspen shavings:

    One of the benefits of Aspen shavings is that they are digestible.
    This can prevent problems resulting from eating the bedding (our
    babies have all eaten some bedding).

Indeed wood shavings of most kinds involve quite a bit of dust which can
have unpleasant side effects on small lungs.  Aspen, which appears to be
shredded rather than chipped, seems to be much better that pine or
especially cedar.


For those of you who want an alternative to wood shavings of any kind,
Kathleen Close passed along the following idea, courtesy of her veterinarian:

    Use terrarium lining or astroturf.  It's much cheaper in the long run.
    He suggested buying two lengths, washing them about every 3 days, and
    while one is drying, put the second one in.

After trying out the astroturf idea (make sure it's the newer soft, almost
carpet like astroturf, not the older tinsel like plastic grass), I wound
up wondering about the edges where it seemed to unravel a bit.  Terri
Lewis provided the following great solution:

    Use a soldering gun or iron [to melt the edges].  That should stop it
    from unraveling unless your [hedgehog] is really chewing on it and not
    just pulling at it.
    -- Terri Lewis

I can now attest to astroturf working quite well, and I've found that my
hedgehogs appear to be more active on it than with wood shavings, though
that may have just been their anticipation of spring being in the air.


Janet Jones sent along some information on a new product that also shows
some promise:

           COMPANY:
           Adsorbent Corporation
           1051 Hilton Avenue
           Bellingham, WA 98225
           U.S.A.

    This information was taken directly from their packaging:

      CareFRESH Pet Bedding - The safest, healthiest bedding for your pet.

      For hamsters, gerbils, mice, rabbits, birds, reptiles, guinea pigs,
      cats, dogs, ferrets, skunks and other pets.

      CareFRESH is a patented pet bedding made from reclaimed wood pulp waste.
      This short fiber virgin pulp can't be made into paper so would normally
      be sent to a landfill or burned. CareFRESH helps save scarce resources.
      CareFRESH contains no added inks, dyes or chemical contaminants. It's
      better bedding, naturally.

    I use this bedding for all my small animals, ie: hamster, rat and
    hedgehogs. They have been on this bedding for about a month and seem to
    like it quite well.  The female hedgehog I just recently got loves to
    burrow underneath it, as do the rat and hamster.  I previously used corn
    cobs as I have allergies and wood chips of any kind make me ill. The dust
    in pine is terrible.  The corn cobs are pretty good, but they still are a
    little dusty and kind of rough. The only downside I found about CareFRESH
    bedding is that it is kind of expensive and hard to find.  But it does
    seem to last quite a while, so maybe in the long run it really is not as
    expensive as it seems.

Note: Some problems have been reported with some young hedgehogs eating and
subsequently choking on CareFRESH bedding.  I suspect this same problem can
occur with virtually any ``manmade'' bedding material, and the best
suggestion is to keep it away from the dinner area and to be careful with
baby and adolescent hedgehogs.

Other suggestions are to use non-clumping cat litter, or corncob based litter.
The former has two potential dangers: dust and for male hedgehogs, getting
caught in the penal sheath -- the same as if you used it in a litter box
[5.4].  For corncob litter, the danger of it getting caught in delicate
places still exists, though not as likely, but the risk of dust is much
lower.  Also, shredded office paper (though make sure it doesn't contain
any metal or odd chemical impregnated or carbon paper).

Although most bedding for pets is treated to prevent mites, bedding is still
one of the major sources of these little pests [8.4].  I have heard from a
couple of people who have reported that their vets told them that corn cob
bedding can be especially prone to mite infestations.  I do have to temper
that thought with the idea that if a particular brand or batch in the are
that these people lived was bad, it could have been the source for numerous
problems over quite a period of time.  Still, if you have mite problems,
it is probably worthwhile to switch to at least a different brand of bedding,
if not a different type -- at least for a while.

Looking still further afield, you can use the brightly coloured aquarium
gravel (the type that is epoxy coated).  This is not as absorbent as the
other bedding options, nor as warm, but it does provide a pretty safe, and
non-allergic alternative.


------------------------------

Subject: <5.4> What kind of litter should I use?

When it comes to the litter box, the primary concern is that you do NOT use
a clumping type litter.  Clumping litter can stick to your hedgehog when
s/he uses the litter box, forming almost a layer of cement, which can
quickly prevent urination.

Almost any brand of non-clumping cat litter is relatively safe. A clay based
litter may be preferable, as most hedgehogs like to dig in it, as they would
in soft soil or sand. Here again, you should ask the expert (your hedgehog)
for his/her preference.

It is apparently possible for even non-clumping litter to become caked on,
so you should check your hedgehog frequently.

    I have seen clay litter clump on one of our hedgehogs.  I let her
    walk around in the tub full of shallow water until it is softened
    enough to remove gently.
    -- Mike McGary

Male hedgehogs can also get pieces of both clay, and especially corncob
litter caught in their penal sheath.  You should check hedgehogs of both
sexes daily (or nightly, as the case may be) to ensure that there aren't
any such problems.

Another concern is that the litter you use shouldn't be too dusty:

    First, if you use cat litter for your hedgehog, it should be relatively
    dust-free as well as non-clumping.  I use Johnny Cat, which says it's
    99% dust-free.  I guess the dust can irritate their urinary tract, since
    they're so low to the ground.
    -- Alexis Sneller

Hedgehogs also like to dig and root in sand, and will often end up using
their litter boxes for this, instead of the intended purpose.  If yours
does this, you might want to try offering a sandbox [5.6] as a play area
as well.

------------------------------

Subject: <5.5> Hedgehog handling

There's an old joke that goes:

           Question: How do you pick up a hedgehog?
           Answer:   Carefully!

Actually the original tends to deal more with the mating habits of our
little friends, but I'm sure you get the point (or would that be points?).

One of the points I had missed in early versions of the FAQ was the need for
handling pet hedgehogs to familiarize them with you.  Until recently, this
section has dealt primarily with the technical side of the rather thorny
question of how to handle a hedgehog, rather than why.

Hedgehogs tend to be very nervous by nature and do not enjoy nature's best
eyesight.  As a result, they tend to find their way around using smell as
their primary sense.  When you first get a hedgehog as a pet, it is important
that your new friend come to identify your smell with that of a friend.  The
best way to do this is to spend as much time as you reasonably can (without
over-stressing the hedgehog) and gently hold or play with him.  Hedgehogs
that are thoroughly familiar with their human friends tend to be a lot
friendlier in most cases -- although it depends on the hedgehog, as it does
with any animal with a personality (or should that be critterality?).

It is also important to keep up the contact, to maintain the bond.  Spending
some time with your hedgehog(s) every couple of nights should do the job.
Clearly, doing so almost daily is better, but reality rarely lets you do
this.

One point that I've missed here, until now (my thanks to Lisa Ladouceur for
pointing this out), is how to handle your hedgehog.  Most hedgehogs, at
least, at first, do not like to be patted on their quills.  Just try gently
holding your hedgie, and letting it uncurl in your hands.  Let it explore
around your hands and arms, and it will eventually start to become
comfortable around you as it realizes that you are safe.  Eventually, you
can get to the point of petting most hedgehogs along the back, and some even
like to be scratched in amongst their spines, but, this level of trust can
take a while to develop.

What do you do when you just won't have the chance to spend as much quality
time with the hedgekids as you want, or if you've just gotten a new hedgehog
and want to do everything possible to help get him used to you?  Here is a
tip from Dave Ehrnstein, who, as a fairly large breeder, doesn't have the
time to spend with each and every new hedgehog:

    Another way to acquaint them with your scent is to wear an old t-shirt
    for two days, then put it in their cage.  They will nest under it, and
    your scent will become ``homey'' to them, not threatening.

You should be careful that there are no loose loops of thread on the shirt
(or hairs) that hedgefeet can get caught in (see caution in section [5.2])
and you should also at least check on the hedgehog daily, but otherwise this
idea will help acquaint your new friend with your smell, and settle him into
his new home.

Now on to the ``how do I pick up a pincushion with the points all facing
out'' section.

Picking up a hedgehog, or otherwise handling him is difficult, at least
until he gets to know your smell.  Because of this, there is one cardinal
rule about hedgehog handling and that is ``never wear gloves.''  If you do,
your hedgehog will never become used to you, and your smell.  That said,
there may, indeed, be times when you have to.  As with any so called rule,
there are exceptions, and using your common sense is the best thing.

The recommended way to pick up a hedgehog is with one hand at each side
of him, then bring your hands gently together to cup him.  Never grasp a
hedgehog in a way that could allow any of your fingers to be caught in the
middle should he decide to roll into a ball.  Being in the middle of a
hedgehog ball is an extremely painful experience -- it's truly astounding
just how strong their muscles are [words of a single, never to be repeated,
unfortunate experience by the editor].

Aside from all the difficulties, it is important to handle your hedgehog
frequently, so that he can become familiar with your smell (or keep familiar
with it), and hence come to know you as a friend, instead of a large quill-
less hedgehog eating critter.

A well-handled hedgehog, who has come to know you as a friend, will easily
come to you with his quills lying flat, and will allow you to play with,
and pet him.

------------------------------

Subject: <5.6> Hedgehogs and wheels

Most hedgehogs dearly love to run, and a hedgehog wheel provide the
opportunity for much good exercise.  Although there are problems associated
with using improper wheels, the positive effects of having and using a wheel
are virtually enough to make one a necessity (unless your hedgie has free
run of an entire room).  One of the most tragic maladies found in hedgehogs
these days is Fatty Liver Disease, though for all the cases I have heard of,
none have occurred in hedgehogs that have and use wheels.  This includes
cases where siblings have each had the same diet, but one has not used a
wheel, and the other has.  Exercise is very critical to our little friends,
and for almost all of them, the only option available to get them enough is
to give them a wheel.

Here are a few thoughts on hedgehogs and wheels from Nathan Tenny, including
some rough pointers on making your own:

    They adore exercise wheels, and will run upwards of five miles a
    night (at a top speed of 12 mph!); their feet get stuck in the
    regular wire wheels, though, and screen is hard to clean (they
    seem to like defecating while on the move, which makes sense, I
    guess).  We've begun making wooden wheels out of popsicle sticks
    and cross-stitch circles (the 12'' size; 10'' is just slightly too
    small).  The axle is a thin dowel, and the spokes are just lengths
    of plywood (1'' x 0.5'', I think).  Depending on where it's being
    set up, such a wheel can be mounted in a bunch of different ways
    --- hung from the top of the tank [or cage], for instance.

Chuck Stoup passed along the following variation on building a wheel
that looks great:

    Over the weekend I made a hedgehog wheel as described in the hedgehog
    FAQ.  I made several improvements that I thought I'd share with everyone.

    On the FAQ the treadmill was made with popsicle sticks.  I picked up some
    of the plastic grid in the sewing store that is used for yarn rugs and
    the like.  I cut several strips the width of the treadmill and used a
    string to tie them together so its length was just longer than the
    circumference of the embroidery hoops.  I used 2 9'' hoops.  Then I
    wrapped the plastic mesh around the inner hoops and secured it with the
    outer hoop and tightened.  Then I cut some sand paper lengthwise just
    wide enough to fit in the treadmill of the wheel.  I used a hot glue gun
    to hold the paper down.  Brillo seems to really like it.

    I used sand paper for two reasons.  The first was the author of the FAQ
    mentioned about this great adhesive quality of hedgehog dung and how
    they seem to defecate on the run.  I figured sand paper would make an
    excellent surface that I can remove and discard when it gets too dirty.
    The plastic wont mind getting wet either.  The other reason I used sand
    paper was I figured if Brillo used it she would wear down her nails and
    I would not have to trim her.

If you are going to use sandpaper, you should make sure you are using a very
fine grade (probably 400 or higher grit), and you should also watch out for
foot problems.  Some hedgehogs can run their feet raw, or even to the point
of bleeding (yes, they are that insistent on running, that even bleeding
feet won't give them pause to stop).  If this happens, remove the sandpaper.

When I asked Chuck about using this information he also sent along the some
more good ideas:

    As you know, I used that plastic mesh for the running surface, but I
    didn't have spokes that I thought were any good.  At one point I decided
    that the same plastic mesh would make a good set of spokes.  I cut two
    pieces shaped like a cross and tied the tips of the cross to the mesh on
    the wheel.  To mount the axle I bought some eye-lets for clothing and
    swaged them in the center of the mesh as a hub and used a coat hanger as
    an axle.  Runs very smoothly with no noise.

I'm not sure about using the 9'' hoops (ours are 14'', and that seems just
right), but that depends entirely on the size of your hedgehog, and the
amount of space you have available.  The whole idea certainly sounds easier
than the popsicle stick method.

From Tirya come more ideas on Do It Yourself hedgehog wheels:

    We bought a Ferret wheel at the local pet shop - they're like hamster
    wheels, only about 10'' in diameter instead of 6'' (some say ferret
    wheel, some call them rat wheels).  We also got some plastic canvas
    from  a craft shop - the kind used to make needlepoint and
    cross-stitching stuff.  It's flexible plastic with a gridwork of holes
    and comes in a variety of colors (we used black so it wouldn't show
    dirt).  We cut wheel-wide strips of the plastic canvas and sewed them
    inside the wheel, so the hhog would run on it instead of on the wire
    cross-spokes.  Our wheel ended up being 33 canvas squares across, and
    it took 2 1/3 strips to go all the way around the inside.

    We also took some plastic aquarium tubing (the clear plastic stuff used
    to get air to ornaments and such), slit it open on one side, slipped it
    over the cross supports of the wheel (where the stand goes in), and
    hot-glued it in place to make a little bit of a buffer in case Brillo
    turned her head and got hit by the metal cross supports while she was
    running.

Kathy and Donald Zepp have also allowed me to add their variation on the
do it yourself hedgehog wheel:

    We have made wheels for our herd of 60 Hhogs by weaving plastic gutter
    screen through the metal bars of commercial wheels.  This stuff (designed
    to keep leaves out of gutters) is cheap, easy to work with, easy to clean,
    readily available, and seems to provide perfectly adequate footing.  We
    simply scissor-cut it to length, weave it in & out, and then fasten the
    ends together with a little hot glue.  Quick, cheap, & easy.

Yet another variation on the D.I.Y. wheel comes from Ken Steigenberger:

    About the running wheels.  What I do, from the advice of a friend, is
    cut a length of old jean material and weave it through every third or
    fourth spoke.  Josie seems to have no problem with this.  I also have
    three or four extra strips. changing them every two days.  Then all I
    have to do is wash them on laundry day.

Finally, Randy Starcher has set up the following web page which shows how to
construct a wheel (and the end result in happy use).

   http://www.glasscity.net/users/warrat/wheel.html


For those of you who do not feel up to tackling the job of constructing
your own, Katherine Long has passed along the following source for
purchasing the ``RoundAbout Playwheel for hedgehogs'':

           Balanced Innovations
        1575 Barton Drive
        Eugene, OR  97404
        U.S.A.

           [phone]

My thanks to Kim Heys for the latest address update for Balanced Innovations,
and to Jon Santarelli, who provided the previous round of updates.

Balanced Innovations wheels are also available from the Ain't No Creek Ranch
[2.9].

Other sources for hedgehog safe wheels are places such as Transoniq Wodent
Wheels (my thanks here to John Masinter for the info).  These wheels are
enclosed with round openings.  The larger wheels are big enough for hedgies,
but you may need to enlarge the openings for many hedgies -- especially if
the reason for the wheel is to trim down a plump hedgehog.  You can contact
them through email at [e-mail] or via:

        Transoniq
        1402 SW Upland Drive
        Portland, OR 97221
        U.S.A.

        503-227-6848
        toll-free hotline: [phone]. This line is automated, so be
        ready with your charge number, name and address, and order items.

   http://www.teleport.com/%7Etrnsoniq/wodent.html


All is not wonderful with hedgehog wheels -- there are a few serious problems
that need to be considered.

(1) It is necessary that the wheel have a solid surface.
    A hedgehog wheel should not just have a set of wires running across it
    as on most wheels for hamsters, gerbils, etc.  Without a solid surface,
    your hedgehog will get his legs caught in the wheel, and/or develop
    sores, or worse problems.  Having a solid wheel leads us to the next
    problem.

(2) Hedgehogs tend to leave their droppings all over their wheels:

        There's still one pending problem with the hedgehog wheels I've seen:
        Hedgehogs tend to defecate on the run (reasonable enough), and the
        wheel eventually gets pretty icky.  If you don't clean it, so does
        the hedgehog.  Unfortunately, hedgehog feces stick to wood fairly
        effectively (that's quite the understatement -- I'm thinking of
        marketing it as a new extra strong glue -- ed.).  A heavy coat of
        enamel paint makes them easier to clean off, but I'd sure like to
        find a surface that they'll just wipe away from.  Teflon wheels?

        Here's my fiancee's suggestion: If you live near a glass supply
        store, you'll find that they sell sheets of a sort of sticky
        vinyl---intended as masking for people who sandblast glass.
        Anyway, we have one wheel that has strips of this stuff along it,
        for traction, and she says that the strips are noticeably easier
        to clean than the plain wheel.  Just a thought.
        -- Nathan Tenny

    I have tried a number of things with limited success.  Velcro's wheel
    is currently lined with some cheap vinyl placemats (the smooth, shiny,
    padded kind) that have been cut into strips and stuck together with
    anti-slip strips (sort of like self adhesive sandpaper to put on stairs
    and things to keep people from sliding away).  The anti-slip strips are
    there as a vain attempt to help Velcro keep his nails worn down a little.
    It isn't too slippery, and definitely passes the Velcro approval test
    (by that, I mean it needs a thorough cleaning most mornings)!

(3) Pad any spokes you have on your wheel.
    Hedgehogs have a tendency to suddenly look around to the sides and
    behind while they are running, to see how far they've gone.  This almost
    always results in getting hit in the face with a spoke from the wheel.
    Unfortunately I know of at least one hedgehog who has lost an eye because
    of this (the hedgehog is fine -- it was properly treated by a vet).  The
    only sensible solution I can see is to pad the spokes so that they don't
    cause injuries when they hit, or if you are really inventive, maybe
    design a spokeless wheel, maybe suspended on a roller from the top
    of the cage?

------------------------------

Subject: <5.7> Any suggestions on toys?

Hedgehogs like to explore, and in spite of appearing to have almost
nothing in the leg department, their legs are actually quite long (as you
may be amazed to see during scratching and/or the contortions that accompany
self-anointing [7.1]).  Whether because of their long legs (or maybe that's
why they are so long...), hedgehogs like to explore and run.  Probably the
best toy for most hedgehogs is a proper hedgehog wheel [5.6], which most
hedgehogs will running on.

Aside from wheels, another toy that I've heard recommended by numerous people
is a toilet paper tube (preferably, without the toilet paper still attached).
Many hedgehogs will pick this up and carry it or push it around for ages.
Beware though, certain hedgehogs, who will go nameless (but whose initials
are Velcro) have managed to get their overly busy nose stuck in these and
after completely destroying their cage, had to be helped free in the morning.

You might want to make a cut through from end to end, and possibly even
bevel the corners of the cut a bit to make sure your clumsy little friend
doesn't get stuck and/or hurt himself.

Another favorite `toy' for hedgehogs is a sandbox or grass plots.  Here are
some more detailed descriptions from Mary Anne, courtesy of a the keeper of
nocturnal animals at a nearby zoo:

    [One idea] was to dig up clumps of sod with tall grass growing and place
    them in the area for the hogs to root in.  She said live mealworms would
    burrow in the clumps and the hedgies would root for them.  These sod
    clumps should be fairly dry like the wild hedgie environment.  I was
    concerned that I might bring in parasites or unhealthy stuff but she said
    they are hardy animals and hers have lived 6-8 years in captivity with
    grass clumps being brought in regularly.  We have not tried this yet but
    we DID try her other suggestion--to provide a sandy area for the hogs to
    roll around in (like bird dust baths).  It is natural mite-control and
    our hogs LOVE it.  We bought 12'' plastic flowerpot saucers and a 50 lb
    bag of playsand (this has the silica washed out--silica can cause lung
    problems).  An inch or two of sand in a saucer provides a good bath.  Our
    hedgehogs twist, turn and boogie in the sand--it's fun to watch.  From
    what I've read, some hedgehogs do this sort of thing in kitty litter
    [you better believe they do - ed.] --the added advantage of sand is that
    it's more like their natural environment and helps keep them clean while
    discouraging mites.  Hope this info helps you and your hedgies enjoy each
    other even more.

Shelley Small passed along the following suggestion for a hedgehog ``pool''
that her hedgehog loves to play in:

    [His pool is] what I call his Rubbermaid box with the styrofoam
    popcorn in it since he sure does love to "swim" in it!!)

If you offer your hedgie a `pool,' just make sure the container is low
enough that he can manage to get back out again, after a grand old burrowing
session.  One other thought -- make sure the foam chips don't give off a
strong odour, or they may have much the same dangerous side effects as
cedar bedding [5.3].  It might also be a good idea to watch out that your
hedgie doesn't eat any of the foam, as it could cause intestinal blockages.

As far as other toys go, hedgehogs do like to climb, even on something
as low as a hollow log turned upside down.  Be careful that your hedgehog
isn't likely to fall and hurt itself.  I would also expect that wire
frame climbing levels, as are in some cages available for small animals
would be better off being covered with something to make a solid surface
(to keep busy little hedgehog legs from slipping through and getting
caught, and to limit just where the little demons decide to do their
climbing).

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

6. *** Basic hedgehog care and training ***

------------------------------

Subject: <6.1> How can I best hedgehogproof my home?

Simple, make sure there's nothing to climb onto, off of, into, or out of,
nothing that can fall, and finally no kryptonite.  A little too much to
ask, you say?  Oh well, let's try for a more realistic approach based on
what hedgehogs will try to do if allowed to run free.

Seriously, ``hedgehogproofing'' is a lot like ``childproofing,'' and the
most that you can ever really hope to achieve is to ``hedgehog-resist''
your home.  Hence, the stress on supervising your prickley kids, below.

A free roaming hedgehog will climb anything it can get its claws hooked
into.  African pigmy hedgehogs in particular (as opposed to Egyptian
hedgehogs) are notorious climbers, and escape artists.  They are also not
afraid of jumping off household cliffs (we call these precipices counters
and tables) by simply rolling into a ball and leaning forward, using the
quills as springs for landing.  That pretty much means your hedgehog needs
run of the floor, and if you have stairs, you will either have to block
them or keep him on the lowest floor.

Next, hedgehogs will get under just about anything they can.  This includes
any piece of furniture that has any more than about a 1'' gap between it and
the floor.  The problem here isn't so much the hedgehog getting under there,
but that there may be dust or other things accumulated there that are not
good for your hedgehog.

The best guide is probably to get down to the hedgehog's level and try
to imagine any place your frisky little friend might even consider trying
to get into, and what it would be like.

Beyond keeping these activities in mind, make sure your hedgehog has a warm
place that's easily accessible for a den, as well as access to water and
food.  Hedgehogs will usually prefer to leave their droppings on wood
shavings or a similar bedding, if, that is, you are as successful (or
rather unsuccessful) as I have been in the litter box training department
(at least with Velcro).

    Although Ambergris has sawdust that she uses 1/2 the time, she also
    has chosen 2 other spots in her room for droppings.  I put paper
    towels there.  So far that is working great and she is not tracking
    saw dust everywhere.
    -- Katherine Long

------------------------------

Subject: <6.2> What should I feed my hedgehog?

   Anything he wants, preferably MEALWORMS and CREAM!!!
    -- Velcro

Sigh, that's what happens when I ask for the advice of a hedgehog.

Properly developed ``hedgehog food'' has started to appear on the market.
It is very likely that this will provide the best diet for a pet hedgehog,
or barring this, possibly ``insectivore food'' is likely to be a very good
alternative.

Among the latest, and most promising addition to the list of hedgehog foods
available is from Brisky Pet Products.  This hedgehog food appears to have
been well thought out and far more appropriately formulated than most of
the others on the market.  Brisky Pets sell both by direct mail order,
and are in the process of setting up distributors, so that it should be
available in pet stores before long.  You can contact them at:

           Brisky Pet Products
           South Main Street
           P.O. Box 186
           Franklinville, NY  14737
           USA

           www:   http://www.brisky.com/
           email: [e-mail]

           phone: [phone] (toll free, US only)
           or:    [phone]
           fax:   [phone]

Along with the food comes plenty of information on feeding, and on how to
help convert your picky pricklier over to a new diet.  Brisky Pets seem to
be very friendly and responsive and many people have reported good initial
results with the food.  My thanks to Jon Simmons for helping arrange things
with Brisky Pets to be shippable to Canada, and for getting me most of this
information.

Brisky's have also recently come out with a flavoured variety of their
hedgehog food to help solve some of the problems with overly spoiled and
very picky hedgehogs.  Because of Dick Brisky's insistance on using only
natural ingredients and flavourings, it took a while to find something that
would work.  The solution appeared to be garlic, and the new garlic
flavoured Accu-Feed is apparently much easier to switch picky hedgehogs to.

Brisky Pets hedgehog food is also being distributed in Canada, now, by
Jenny Jones at Markham Creek Exotic Pets (covering Ontario and presumably
Eastern Canada), and by Brenda Basinger at ABC Pet Products (covering
Western Canada).  Both are working on getting it into the pet stores in
their respective regions, but in the mean time you can order it directly
from either, at:

           Markham Creek Exotic Pets
           10966 Ninth Line
           Markham, Ontario
           L6B 1A8

           Tel: [phone]

Or from:

           ABC Pet Products
           195 McDonald Blvd,
           Acton, Ontario
           L7J 1A9

           Local:  [phone]
           Toll free (Western Canada) : 1-888-853-4464(HHOG)
           FAX:    [phone]

           www: http://www.mgl.ca/~abcinc/
           e-mail: [e-mail]


Another hedgehog food that is just coming onto the market is Select Diet
(not to be confused with Science Diet cat/dog foods).  This, like Brisky's
Accufeed, is a complete hedgehog food, meaning you don't need any suppliments
with it.  It does seem more palatteable to hedgehogs than the basic Brisky's
does, but it is also much harder to find, as yet.  There are starting to be
a couple of distrubutors, but they are still few and far between.  The
sources I do know of are ABC Pet Products (see address above), who are
covering Canada, and Massena's Menagerie, who are covering, at least, the
western part of the US:

           Massena Menagerie
           5502 Jordan Ave SE
           Auburn, WA. 98092
           USA

           email: [e-mail]

I'm personally been using Select Diet (for the hedgies -- before anyone gets
any wise ideas!), and have found that even my overly picky eaters seem to
like it.  While I do like the Brisky's, some of my hedgehogs just wouldn't
eat it, but they do have a reputation for not eating things which are good
for them (sigh!).  So far the results have been great, with happy, healthy,
and very active hedgehogs.


Peyton Creadick kindly sent the following information on the Hedgehog food
produced by Pretty Bird International Inc.:

           Pretty Bird International Inc.
           Stacy Minnesota 55079

           1-800-356-5020

   The following analysis is for the High energy Breeder Diet which is
   what I keep mine on. It says to keep males on the maintenance diet and
   females on the breeder.  It comes in 8 and 20 lb bags and it is red and
   smells fruity like all Pretty Bird stuff (UGH!).

           Crude fat...8%....min
           Crude Protein 32%...min
           Crude fiber 4%...max
           Moisture..10%...max

   Ignore the red stool that starts after they have been on it a week or so
   and the stool colour goes away after a week or so.

There have been some suggestions about problems with the Pretty Bird's
hedgehog food, including from Peyton herself, although I have heard from
breeders who swear by it.  I have no hard and fast details either way at
this time.

As of early 1996, it appears that Pretty Bird have changed their hedgehog
food formula.  This sounds like a promising change.  My thanks to Christi
Cantrell for this information.  In general, the change appears to be mostly
the removal of the red colouring and changing the shape, but with no changes
to the actual ingredients (according to what is listed on the package).

Over the past few months I have heard numorous complaints about the Pretty
Pets food (both old and new forms).  One very common side effect appears to
be very smelly, soft stools from the hedgehogs eating it.  Another aspect of
it is that many (most) hedgehogs, just plain don't like it.  They will eat
it if nothing else is available, but it usually get put at the bottom of the
preference list.

As of mid to late 1997, I have heard some comments that suggest Pretty Pets
have changed their formula yet again, although I have no confirmation of
this.  Given that they appear to be trying to improve things, I do have to
give them credit.  If anyone has further details I would welcome hearing
them.

There is also a hedgehog food available from Vitakraft, thanks go to Tirya
for the following information on it:

           INGREDIENTS
        Wheat, Rolled Oats, Raisins, Peanuts, Cod-Liver Oil, Sunflower Seeds,
        Shrimp, Sugar Beet Syrup, Dried Pork Meal, Ground Prawn, Corn Meal,
        Puffed Corn, Soybean Oil, Rice Flakes, Honey, Dehydrated Carrots,
        Nutmeg Fine, Calcium Propionate.

           GUARANTEED ANALYSIS
           Min. Crude Protein:  17.1%
           Min. Crude Fat:      15.4%
           Max. Moisture:       11.0%
           Max. Ash:             6.1%
           Max. Crude Fiber:     2.6%
           Min. Calcium:         1.0%
           Min. Phosphorous:     0.4%

   Under feeding suggestions, they say to offer ``1-2 tbsps daily as the
   basic meal to which you may add cooked lean beef or veal (chopped or cut
   up into very small pieces).  Beef and/or poultry heart may also be
   added.  The hedgehog loves poultry and hard boiled eggs.  For dessert,
   sweet fruit such as pear and banana may be given.  The hedgehog also
   enjoys eating meal-worms.''  (news flash! ::grinz::)

Tirya did have some questions about it, mostly because of it being 'new',
although the ingredients do suggest a primarily vegetable base which has
left a number of people (including Tirya) who have voiced questions on it
because of this.

Laura Jefferson passed along the address for Vitakraft to me for anyone
who might want it:

           Vitakraft Co, Inc;
           Chimney Rock Rd
           Bound Brook
           NJ 08805.

   The Vitakraft strongly resembles muesli, containing grain, cod-liver oil,
   dried shrimp, and honey, among other things, and they really like it.
   They guarantee protein of 17% and fat  15%.

I've heard both good and bad things about the Vitakraft food.  The good
comments seem to center around many hedgehogs liking it (no mean feat),
though I've also heard many negative comments which seem to focus on the
fact that it is primarily vegitable based, whereas hedgehogs are primarily
carnivorous by nature.  It would appear that Vitakraft may is not a complete
food, but rather one that needs to be supplemented with meat (remember,
cooked only!), or cat/dog food to cover all the bases, rather than being
given as a staple on its own.

One actual warning I heard, is that the peanuts in it can get stuck in
a hedgehog's mouth, so be careful and maybe either remove the peanuts or
break up the peanuts into smaller pieces before feeding it to your hedgies.

That said, it is probable that the fiber content is much higher than the
other hedgehog foods currently available -- a fact that is quite important,
as it is becomming clear that hedgehogs need more fibre in their diet than
we are generally feeding them.

It does seem to be becomming quite widely available, and between the lack
of being a complete food (not clearly noted on the packaging) and the peanut
problems, it does create the potential for some nutritional and other
health problems, though these can easily be offset by crushing the peanuts
and supplimenting the food.  I have heard that Vitakraft are working on
solving the peanut problem (and in the future they will likely either be
crushed or removed entirely), though I don't know if the food basis itself
will be improved to where it can be a staple on its own.  The fact that they
are looking to improve this is definitely a point in their favour.


Janet Jones has also provided the following information on yet another
source for hedgehog food:

   I attended a exotic animal show [recently] and found a company that is
   now carrying ``Zoo Fare'' aka ``Hedgehog Fare'' diet.  I spoke with David
   from Pawprint last night to find out if they would shipped outside of
   Washington State and was told that would be no problem.  They also carry
   the Pretty Pets Hedgehog dry kibble diet.

           Pawprint
           P.O. Box 843
           Mercer Island, WA 98040
           Tel: [phone]
           email: [e-mail]


Unfortunately, true hedgehog food is not available everywhere, and recently
there have been suggestions that it might not be the best thing, at least on
its own, so the next best widely available thing is to feed your hedgehogs
high quality cat, kitten, or ferret food, such as Hill's Science Diet, or Pro
Plan (don't use IAMS with hedgehogs that don't have and use wheels -- see
below, though even then it can lead to problems).  Both dry and canned food
should be provided, as this most closely matches what their natural diet
would be like.


Most breeders I have talked to use cat food with very good results, so while
it may not be the most optimal diet for hedgehogs, now that other options
are coming available, many happy, healthy, long-lived hedgehogs have thrived
on cat and dog food since the dawn of pet hedgehogs.


Dietary needs for hedgehogs are finally starting to be addressed.  One such
study, that recently took place, demonstrated that hedgehogs need more fibre
in their diet than we have been tending to give them.  Unfortunately, while
the study pointed out that more is needed, the question of how best to
provide the extra fibre is still up in the air.

In general, it is likely wise to offer your hedgehogs some fruit and/or
veggies which are high in fibre, as a suppliment to the basic diet you are
currently using.  I can only suggest that you try a variety and see what, if
any, your little friends will decide qualifies as a food item.  As with any
such experimentation, moderation is a good idea -- at least until more is
known.  The good news is that we are learning, and hopefully hedgehog
nutrition will start to move out of the dark ages.


Recently information has come to light about problems with feeding IAMS brand
cat and kitten food to hedgehogs.  Apparently, long term feeding of IAMS cat
or kitten food can result in severe, and often terminal liver problems in
hedgehogs.  The exception to this rule appears to be hedgehogs that have and
use wheels -- almost no reports of problems have appeared in hedgehogs like
this that are getting plenty of exercise (just a nightly run on a bed is not
enough).  I have had one report where the autopsy showed fatty liver disease,
where the hedgehog ate IAMS and also ran on a wheel regularly, but so far,
only one such case has come to my attention.  I do want to stress that this
is still largely speculative, and reflects my own observations of the cases I
am aware of.  I will keep eatching this issue, and keep things updated here.

The problem appears to be limited to IAMS brand as far as research has been
able to tell, at this point, and I want to STRONGLY stress that IAMS is just
GREAT for cats (as all 5 of mine will attest to), but was never intended for
hedgehogs.  If I learn more, I will pass along any additional information.

My source for this information is somewhat nervous about potential legal
repercussions if they came out and officially stated the problem, due to
the position that they hold.  This tenuous position will likely remain, at
least until having done much more extensive research (actual direct research
into the problem would require the cost of numerous hedgehog lives, I might
add, which is one reason why none has been done).  As a result of all of this
I have agreed not to list their name(s).  That said, I will acknowledge that
my source for this information IS a well respected hedgehog expert. I leave
it to you to decide based on some of the comments that were passed to me.

    The first sign of trouble in hedgehogs that have been fed this
    food for extended periods of time is yellowish looking fat deposits
    under the front ``arm-pits''.  Virtually every one of the animals that
    has been necropsied after death has died of impacted fatty liver
    disease. If taken off of IAMS and given a [different] quality cat or
    kitten food, they will recover.  A good food should contain a minimum
    of 30% fat and 17% protein.  Both the fat and the protein should be
    derived mostly from poultry.

    [I] have heard of this serious problem from more than 100 owners and
    it has been documented by vets.

If you have been using IAMS, don't panic -- as was pointed out, changing the
food will lead to any of the effects clearing up.  Also if a wheel is offered
and used, the problem is likely to dissipate quickly.

Note: the information above appears to be contradictory at first with the
recommendation of a 30% fat level, while fat appears to be one of the key
parts of the problem.  From what I've heard, the problem is due to the types
of fat, and possibly in conjunction with certain additives, rather than just
the absolute level of fat in the food.  My thanks to Christine Porter for
pointing out this confusion.

As noted above, the problem only occurs with hedgehogs that don't get enough
exercise.  Increasing the exercise seems to allow hedgehogs to burn this fat
that would otherwise build up in their bodies, culminating in Fatty Liver
Disease.  While all hedgehogs should probably have a proper wheel [5.6], a
wheel is likely critical to those that are eating IAMS, and can't be switched
to a different food.

I should also point out that if, indeed the problem is due in any part to
the additives, or the type of fats, rather than just the quantity of fat,
then use of lite, or canned food would have no effect on avoiding problems.

The following information, from Elizabeth Galante, is somewhat speculative
with respect to hedgehogs, but may have some bearing on the fatty liver
problems.  She described a problem that resulted in the death of one of
her cats a few years ago from fatty liver disease:

   The fat in his body started to accumulate in the liver and the liver could
   not function normally, because it was overloaded with fat deposits.

   I guess for a hedgehog if it gets too much fat to quickly then it gets
   deposited under the arms.  If the owner decides to put the hog on a
   diet then the fat gets processed through the liver.  If it gets
   overloaded it shuts down and eventually the kidneys will also causing
   the animal to die.

It is not unreasonable to consider that a slight diet, or drop in food intake
at the wrong moment could trigger the problem.  It might be wise to ensure
that you don't put your hedgies on a diet at the same time as switching them
off of IAMS, or at least to phase it out, rather than going cold turkey.
Again, this is speculative, but with so little information to go on in this
area, anything can be useful to consider at this point.


Hedgehogs are insectivores, and as a result are essentially carnivorous, as
opposed to Guinea pigs, rabbits, and most small rodents, which are generally
much more vegetarian in nature (although many are somewhat carnivorous, often
in the form of insects or scavenging to some degree).

    An average adult hedgehog will eat ``a couple of teaspoonfuls of dry
    food in the morning, and the same at night, along with a spoonful of
    wet food and a vitamin supplement (Vionate).''
    -- Nathan Tenny

    [Nathan has since suggested that adults get] just wet and dry food
    in the evening.  The two feeding schedule seems to be useful for
    young animals, but our adults started getting plump on it.
    -- Nathan Tenny

Vitamin supplements are very important for hedgehogs to avoid ear, skin, and
other problems.  The vitamins included in commercial cat and dog food, while
good, are not adequate for what hedgehogs really require.  It can take some
imagination to find a suitable supplement in some places (remember, those
intended for rodents are probably not adequate) but the results of a happy,
healthy hedgehog are well worth it.

Another diet that has been suggested is to use high quality dog food
(especially frozen varieties), with cottage cheese as a supplement.

Cottage cheese also makes for a good treat on occasion, even if you don't
use it as part of the standard diet.

Here are a couple of comments on diet from Cathy A. Johnson-Delaney, DVM:

    I was very glad to see you mention ferret food, as commercial ferret
    food is far closer to an insectivore/carnivore diet than feline
    science diet - either growth or maintenance. I like a modification of
    the diet used by the San Jose Zoo (published in the Journal of Small
    Exotic Animal Med) - I substitute Bird of Prey diet with the ferret
    chow (three different brands).

Here are some more thoughts and suggestions from Nathan Tenny on food
and supplements:

    They should eat fruit, but many don't want to; various fruit-based
    baby foods seem a little more palatable.  Cottage cheese is a good
    semi-regular source of calcium, but seems to cause diarrhea if they
    eat too much too often.  We haven't yet gotten ours to eat crickets,
    but we're assured that they will if we keep offering them, and they're
    supposed to be very good for them.  They'll also eat earthworms and
    pinky mice, and possibly mealworms (though the last are reputed to
    cause intestinal blockages).

Other sources and hedgehog owners I've heard from frequently offer
mealworms as treats with no apparent ill effects, but I suspect they
might not be a good recommendation as the sole source of food for a
hedgehog.

    Mealworms are used as a treat.  So far she won't eat crickets and
    earthworms cause anointing.  She will eat the occasional flake of
    oatmeal which is substrate for the mealworms and will chew and then
    spit out Kale.
    -- Katherine Long

While we are discussing mealworms, a number of people have expressed
worry that it might be necessary to cut the heads off or otherwise kill
mealworms before feeding them to hedgehogs.  This is due to the fact that
feeding them to various herps who swallow their food whole, can result in
the still live mealworms causing injury or death by biting into or through
the stomach lining.  This doesn't apply to hedgehogs as hedgies will chew
up mealworms quite throughly -- the chances of a hedgehog swallowing a
still live mealworm are nil, as anyone who has watched an apparently
ravinous hedgehog tear into a mealworm treat.  Did I remember to say
watch out for your fingers...?

The following thoughts on proper diet for hedgehogs were sent along to me
by Willard B. ``Skip'' Nelson, DVM.  While I agree with his suggestions,
including limiting cat food, I would also like to point out that all of the
breeders I've talked with, and heard about have had their herds thrive on
a diet of cat and dog food.  Also, the N.A.H.A. recommended a diet of
cat/dog food.  I think the answer is to aim as close to the ideal as you
can, but know that your hedgehog can do quite well on the basic cat/dog
food diet, just watch out that your hedgehog doesn't become a hedgeball.
That said, let's take a look at what Dr. Nelson has to offer:

    Zoos have worked for years on insectivore diets and have yet to agree
    on the best mix, but they do not bother trying to raise, breed or
    maintain hedgehogs on cat food, as is being touted around currently.
    Indeed, they rarely use more than 20 or 30% cat food, even in small cat
    diets, but that hasn't stopped the ferret and hedgehog people from
    trying.  I see obesity as the main problem in cat food diets, but one
    day we will have more data.  Dr. Anthony Smith recommends a mix of bird
    of prey diet, diced fruit, vegetables, some dog or cat food, crickets
    and mealworms.  He notes diets including mice and other exotic
    ingredients, and cautions feeding proper Calcium Phosphorous ratio of
    1.2-1.5:1.

    Pet trade magazines attempt to promote cat food, claiming that ``although
    insectivorous, the hedgehog could be considered as a carnivore under
    captive conditions.''  What does it do, change its dietary needs when
    brought into a domestic setting? I doubt it!

    Drs. Wallach & Boever describe their diet including a variety of insects,
    worms, small vertebrates, carrion and small roots and plant material.
    They recommend zoo diets with a maximum of 30% commercial cat or dog
    foods.  The rest is meats, insects and mice.

    I recommend an insectivore diet from Reliable Protein, 70-105 Frank
    Sinatra Drive, Rancho Mirage, CA 92270-2202.  But I don't recommend that
    clients write for information and then try to decide whether or not to
    feed it.  The public is being hoodwinked into believing that they are
    Phd's in nutrition and can read a label list of ingredients or a crude
    analysis and make meaningful decisions, it's much more involved than
    that, and I don't know who has written any good material on the ``pop
    nutrition'' craze to put it into proper perspective.

Dr. Nelson's final comment is even easier to apply to other pets, and even
ourselves.  It's probably best to look for recommendation by a veterinarian
association, when trying to determine quality, rather than trying to second
guess what is good based on what ``someone who wants to sell you something''
says.  Also, remember, what's healthy for you, might be really bad for your
pets (and, um, er, vice versa -- just in case it isn't obvious).

One thing you should not feed hedgehogs is raw meat.  Hedgehogs have an
amazing tolerance for naturally occurring toxins, such as those produced
by salmonella.  This means that if you feed your hedgehog food that is
or becomes tainted by salmonella by accident, it probably won't bother your
prickley little friend any.  However, the chance then exists, that your
hedgehog might self annoint and you then hold him, or he might lick your
hands, the result being that you come down with it.  If you do, this is NOT
the hedgehog's fault, it's yours for not taking proper care.  Sorry for
being a bit testy about this, but if anyone remembers the outcry over
salmonella carrying turtles in the early 70's when turtles were banned
everywhere, and many died for their dangers (they, unlike hedgehogs, seemed
to be much more of a natural carrier, and it proved virtually impossible to
avoid it in turtles -- this is NOT the case for hedgehogs), we don't want the
same thing happening to hedgehogs, just because they are naturally protected
where we are not.

One last point, feeding a hedgehog a purely vegetarian diet is nothing short
of deliberate cruelty.  The proteins and nutrients necessary to keep your
hedgehog healthy cannot be gotten from a purely vegetarian diet, so please
don't try it.

------------------------------

Subject: <6.3> Feeding baby hedgehogs

One of the most difficult times for hedgehog owners comes if a new mother
hedgehog rejects some or all of her babies, or otherwise can't manage to
provide for all of them.  Unfortunately, it is fairly common for hedgehogs
to eat their babies, and/or reject them, especially if it is a first litter,
or if the mother was disturbed (mother hedgehogs need considerable peace and
quiet).  Many hedgehog owners are bothered quite badly by these actions on
the part of the hedgehog, as they are extremely foreign to humans, but they
are (sadly) perfectly natural and normal amongst hedgehogs.

All that having been said, what do you do if you decide you need to hand
feed baby hedgehogs?  The first thing is to convince yourself that sleep is
an undesirable luxury, as you will be feeding the babies every 2-3 hours
(yes, that means night and day) for about 3+ weeks.  If you're still up
to trying, what do you feed them, and how?

I'll address the easy part first -- how.  For this, among the best items are
plastic syringes (without needles), eye-droppers, or plastic pipettes
(the type with the suction bulb at the end).  The idea is to be able to
provide a minute but reasonably available stream of 'milk' to the baby in
a controlled manner.

Next is the question of what to feed them.  Generally, the rule about
avoiding or limiting cows' milk for adult hedgehogs also applies to babies,
and maybe even more so.  That having been said, I have heard of one little
tyke who wouldn't drink anything else, and at last word was doing just fine.

Robyn Gorton, who is studying hedgehogs in New Zealand, passed along the
following information on caring for babies.  Although her work is with
European hedgehogs, the information is quite applicable to African Pigmy
hedgehogs as well.

   I find that caring for the young is simple enough as long as you have a
   good milk to feed them.  I have discovered that sheeps' milk is the
   closest in composition to hhog milk and acts as an excellent substitute
   when mixed with raw egg.  It may for the first few days cause swelling of
   the anus, but as soon as they start teething (3 weeks) you can add mashed
   banana for fibre and their problems clear up.  It's a very high protein
   diet but one must watch for a vitamin B deficiency which can be caused
   by too much raw egg.  I had my two hoglets suckling on a syringe for the
   first week and 1/2 until their teeth erupted (this takes three days for a
   full set to emerge!!) then simply start using a saucer and they will
   naturally feed from it themselves.

I've also heard of using goats' milk, similar to what Robyn suggested above.

What do you do if you don't have a friendly goat or sheep, or can't easily
find sheeps' or goats' milk?  Many pet stores and pet supply stores carry KMR
(Kitten Milk Replacement -- I think I got that right?).  It's usually in
powdered form, which makes it handy for the small quantities you will need.
I've seen quite a few articles from breeders who have used this with great
success, some go on to recommend that most hedgehog breeders should keep a
container of KMR around, just in case.

I've also heard of Esbilac (human baby formula) being used successfully, to
offer yet another option.  Anja van der Werf pointed out to me that when you
are trying to use human formula, make sure it is soya-based rather than
based on cows milk.


One thing to watch out for in feeding baby hedgehogs, is that after each
feeding you must stimulate them to defecate and urinate, otherwise their
bladder and bowel will swell up and can even burst.  To do this, simply
stroke along their tummy towards the anus, which simulates a mother licking
and grooming her babies.  You can also do this with a warm damp tissue or
cloth.  The idea isn't to squeeze anything out, just to stimulate the baby
to do it's business.


Remember that hand raising baby hedgehogs is very difficult, and if you try
and meet with tragedy, remember that you gave them much more of a chance
than they would have had without you.  Whatever happens, don't give up and
decide that hedgehogs are bad, or that it's not worth having hoglets -- it's
just hedgehog nature, and next time may well be nothing short of magical.

------------------------------

Subject: <6.4> What are good treats?

There are a number of different things that can be given to hedgehogs as
treats -- but all in moderation.  Among the things that hedgehogs like
as treats are occasional small amounts of fresh fruit, and from personal
experience I can tell you that all of my hedgehogs, will kill for a mealworm
or a small taste of cream, and love raisins (but Velcro generally just chews
on them rather than actually eating much).

Other ideas are crickets, hardboiled egg which is finely chopped, pine nuts,
and cottage cheese.  Mealworms are available from many pet stores and are
also available by mail order (at least in the U.S.) from companies like
Rainbow Mealworms [2.1], and GrubCo.

Here's a suggestion from Anja van der Werf for live food treats:

   You can ``enrich'' mealworms by feeding them fruit or a vitamin supplement
   for a few days before you feed them to the hedgehogs.

You can also ``gut feed'' mealworms by feeding them for a few days on dry cat
or dog food before feeding them to your hedgehogs.

While small amounts of these are great as treats, beware that they should
not be given as the mainstay of the diet, nor too often, as they do not
provide all the necessary proteins and nutrients needed to keep your
hedgehog healthy.

It is also possible for a hedgehog to briefly suffer from diarrhea after
imbibing too much in these treats.  This is generally not harmful, but
indicates that too much of a good thing isn't.  If the condition persists,
consult a veterinarian.

------------------------------

Subject: <6.5> I'm having problems litter-training my hedgehog.  What should
         I be doing?

I wish I knew the answer to this one!  Velcro insists that one's so called
master is there for the express purpose of feeding tasty tidbits then
cleaning up the results wherever he decides to leave them.  As for the
litter box, well that's just a playpen for digging in, isn't it?  On the
other hand, Sprocket and Hocus as well as Pocus seemed to just naturally
seek out and use a litter box, so there was no training involved.  Now if I
could get them to teach Velcro some manners!

That having been said, the recommended approach (which has not received the
Velcro stamp of approval, I might add) is to add some of the droppings to
the litter box while cleaning the cage or pen.  The thought is to give the
hedgehog the idea that the litter box is where this stuff is supposed to go.

In all seriousness, I suspect that hedgehogs which are taught from birth to
use a litter box, will generally do so quite happily, while those that have
not been taught, or didn't receive adequate training while quite young may
not be keen on using the litter box, but persistence may pay off eventually.

For what it is worth, cleaning up hedgehog droppings is not exactly a
difficult or messy task.  In a pen with pine or aspen shavings it is simply
a matter of quickly sifting though the shavings with a cat litter scoop to
clean up the droppings.  Fortunately, there is virtually no odour, and the
droppings are big enough to clean up easily.

------------------------------

Subject: <6.6> Any suggestions on bathing, cleaning ears, and clipping nails?

Some of the literature I've seen suggests that you should not bathe a
hedgehog unless it is absolutely necessary, because there is a chance
of drowning.  This is especially critical for babies and young animals.
However, I have been told by a several of hedgehog owners that not only
is it not a problem to bathe adults, but that they can often enjoy swimming
in a pan or tub of shallow water (preferably on a warm day).

If you do bathe your little friend (say, because your hedgehog got into
something he shouldn't have), you must make very sure he has a warm, dry
place with no draughts to dry off in (after you do your best to dry him
off with a towel first).  The bath water should be shallow enough for the
hedgehog to be able to stand and keep his nose safely above the surface,
and should be at room temperature, not warm or cool.  One good thing about
hedgehogs in water is that rather than quilling up, they generally put their
quills down smooth, and for the majority who dislike baths, concentrate on
trying to get out.  It's probably best to just gently lower the piggy hog
into the water and slip your hand out from underneath.  As far as shampoo
goes, if you really must use one, make sure it is formulated for pets,
preferably something like puppies or kittens, which will ensure it is very
mild and safe.  Make sure you don't get any shampoo into their ears or eyes.
I find using an old toothbrush works well to work the shampoo into the
quills.  Finally, make sure that you rinse him throughly, so that there is
no soap left on him, then as mentioned above, dry him completely and ensure
he stays warm enough.  One quick warning: do NOT use a hairdrier -- this is
almost guaranteed to leave your hedgie severely stressed (besides, if he
was that fashion conscious, he wouldn't have gotten into this mess in the
first place).

It is occasionally necessary to clean their ears.  This is best done by a
Q-tip moistened with mineral oil.  It is also preferable to have a patient
(or is that tolerant) hedgehog.  If you do clean their ears, you must be
very careful.

Speaking of ears, one of the most common problems in hedgehogs is tattered
looking ears.  There are a number of suspected reasons for this, but in
most cases it appears to be a buildup of a waxy deposit.  The good news is
that it doesn't appear to have an adverse effect on the hedgehog in any way.
So far I have heard many suggestions for what causes it, none of which have,
so far, stood out as a single correct answer.  Most likely it is due to some
minor dietary problem (either too little or too much of something), but the
problem often happens to just some animals getting the same diet as others.
Some cases are due to fungus, others to mites, but it has also been found
in animals that have been tested and found to definitely have neither -- in
such cases dietary suppliments seem to solve the problem.  Among the
suggestions I've received on dealing with it are:

    (A) Adding vitamins to the diet
    -- Nathan Tenny

    (B) Similarly, adding Cod Liver oil, Linatone, or Ferritone to the food:

    [Our veterinarian] suggested we try the cod liver oil for two weeks
    just to see what happens.  Bandit seems to like it (which is such a
    surprise since he is the most finicky eater!!)
    -- Melissa Maloney

    (C) Using either mineral oil, isopropyl alcohol (carefully), or possibly
    commercial ear cleaning lotions.  (though this obviously doesn't solve
    the cause of the problem).

Another solution to the ragged ears comes from Dawn Wrobel, who has had
excellent success treating the problem with Panalog (antibiotic/antifungal
cream), or with Panalog mixed with Ivomec, which cleans the ears up quite
quickly, and seems to prevent reoccurances.

Tiffany Mross also passed along the following suggestions on cleaning up
tattered ear buildup, after some discussions on the hedgehog mailing list
about using cocoa butter:

    There is a product called Lansinoh. It is medical grade purified Lanolin
    and mothers can nurse without washing it off.  If it is safe fer newborn
    babies to ingest,I would think that it would be ok for hedgies as well.
    It seems to really aid the healing of dried, and damaged nipples. It also
    works great for chapped, lips and other skin abrasions.
    -- Tiffany Mross

While not something that has been tested, it certainly does have enough
promise to warrant looking into.

Hedgehog nails can get quite long and if your hedgehog doesn't manage to
wear them down naturally, they may need to be clipped.  As with any health
related concern, the best cure of all is prevention.  It is likely a good
idea to provide your hedgehog with a rough surface like a flat rock that
will work like an emery board as he scurries around.  This may not
guarantee you won't have to clip his nails, but it can certainly help.

Okay, let's say your attempt at a natural manicure doesn't do the job -- how
do you go about doing it the hard way?

    Hedgehogs' nails do, indeed, need to be trimmed occasionally.  The
    crescent-shaped nail clippers that are used for dogs [and cats] work
    well.  The hard part, of course, is getting to the nails---you have to
    seize the hog's foot and hold on for dear life, letting it struggle to
    its heart's content.  It will put up a terrific fight, but it won't hurt
    itself.
    -- Nathan Tenny

It's a good idea to keep a septic pencil or stick on hand when clipping
hedgehog nails, just in case you accidently cut too close to the quick and
find your little friend bleeding.  These can be found in most drug stores
amongst the shaving supplies.  This can be somewhat awkward to use on
a squirming hedgehog however and alternatives also exist.

A better idea that we discovered in a pet store recently (which we have
unfortunately had to use -- Velcro throws a total fit when getting his
nails clipped), is an ``antiseptic first aid cream'' made by Hagan, for just
this purpose.  It stops bleeding and coats the injury, working extremely
well.  Given how profusely hedgehogs can bleed, this worked very well indeed.

There is also a powder called ``Quick-Stop'' designed exactly for this
purpose, that apparently works very well.  Many pet stores will carry it at
or near where nail clippers or grooming supplies are kept.

Steve Turpin has passed along the following tip, that you can also use
cornstarch to stop bleeding quickly and painlessly.

By the way, speaking of painless, or not.  I have it on good authority that
Quick-Stop hurts like #$%! if you're foolish enough to try it yourself
(fortunately, I wasn't -- I have much too low a pain threshold for that).

Now, what you do about doctoring your hands (which, no doubt, have been
severely prickled) is beyond me... :-)  This is probably one of the few
times that sometimes justifies wearing gloves while handling your hedgehog,
but keep in mind that you should avoid gloves any other time unless absolutely
necessary [5.5].

Rather than always trimming nails, there are some things you can do to try
and help wear them down naturally.  There are some suggestions about using
fine sandpaper on the surface of wheels in section [5.6].  Another idea comes
from Kelly Hodge, along with tips on how to trim the nails:

    One suggestion:  get him a clay flowerpot.  I bought a clay flowerpot for
    Jimmy for 36 cents and he LOVES it!  It is slightly bigger than he is,
    and he sleeps in it all the time.  If I take him to visit friends, I MUST
    take his flowerpot in the travel cage.  He always scratches in the
    flowerpot and this keeps his front claws quite short.  He doesn't scratch
    nearly as much with the rear feet, so those claws are longer and I trim
    them occasionally.  Hold him in your hand, fingers slightly spread.
    When one of his legs falls through the fingers, clamp the fingers
    together to trap the foot and have someone else clip the claws before he
    can snatch his foot back.  It helps to do this when he's sleepy, but be
    warned, he may treat your hand as a porta-potty.
    -- Kelly A. Hodge


------------------------------

Subject: <6.7> Biting and nipping

Most hedgehogs rarely if ever bite, however, as with any animal, it does
happen, and some just `are' biters.  Many young hedgehogs will nip at almost
everything -- it's their way of testing the world around them, so they can
learn what is and what isn't food.  Others will nip if they want to be left
alone or are feeling a bit stressed (this often occurs just after they arrive
at their new home -- don't be discouraged if it happens).

Regardless of the reason, if your hedgehog nips you, you want to discourage
it.  Here are some tips on how to curb little nippers before they get
carried away.

Wayne Clendenin sends along the following advice on whether hedgehogs bite
and other useful advice on hedgehog as pets:

    [Hedgehogs] seldom bite, it's not a usual trait.  The short teeth and
    dog-like mouth don't cause any damage, unlike a hamster or gerbil bite.
    We have found that a pup will usually lick before tasting a finger or
    hand...but we also have a real mean female.  Maybe she's overly
    protective, but she bites without the warning lick.  (She also spent her
    first 6 months unhandled in a pet shop).  We usually don't recommend hhs
    as pets for kids under school age...those spines can be sharp to tender
    little hands. I've never had a pup ``nip'' or even an adult ``chomp''
    ...break the skin...but, I wouldn't bet on that with a very
    young child.

If your hedgehog isn't the overly nervous type, one suggestion you can try
for hedgehogs that nip or bite is to blow gently into their face either when
they do it or, if you can tell, when they are about to.  This doesn't hurt
the hedgehog any, but they don't like it and it can have the desired effect
of stopping the bite and being gentle punishment.

One of the most effective ways of curbing biting comes from Dawn Wroble,
who has dealt with numerous rescue cases, many of which were quite upset,
nervous and hence prone to biting.  She recommends using a Q-Tip dipped in
isopropyl (rubbing) alcohol applied to the end of the nose.  This won't hurt
the hedgehog, but they dislike it intensely and will let go.  Dawn suggests
that at most 3 or 4 applications will usually dissuade even the most most
insistent biter.

Linda Wheatley, an experienced breeder and hedgehog lover, provided the
following advice on hedgehogs and biting:

   It is not common for a hedgehog to bite, but it does happen.  There seem
   to be 3 reasons for biting.  One is for tasting and this is the one
   usually preceeded by licking.  Another is due to stress.  If the animal
   is new to a situation, and is not left alone to get used to or familiar
   with it they will bite but it is the animal's only way of saying ``leave
   me alone!''  The last type of bite seems to be certain animals' way of
   identifying people (as painful as it may be).  I had a male hedgehog
   returned to me due to its habit of biting.  It did not bite me for a few
   days and then one day it really latched on.  He attached himself to a
   meaty part of my hand which was not too painful so I let him hold on.
   He let go after 30 seconds.  He did this a couple more times with no
   reaction from me and that was the last he ever bit.  I have had some more
   hogs do this with the same scenario.

   If a hedgehog bites, don't pull back, which, of course, would hurt more,
   but instead push whatever it is biting towards it.  This causes them
   discomfort and they will let go.  If the biting has caused the owner
   to be hesitant, I tell them to get an inexpensive pair of work gloves.
   Put one glove on and rub your other hand on it briskly to put your
   scent on it.  Do the same with both gloves.  Then pick up the hog and
   hope that it bites!  If it does, then push back -- not hard but firmly.
   I personally do not like the idea of blowing into a hedgehog's face to
   discourage biting.  This would seem to cause a shy hedgehog to be even
   shyer.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

--
My opinions belong to me and my company can't have them!
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