WELCOME HEDGIE FRIENDS
This page contains information links on how to locate a veterinarian in your area and also help in caring for a sick opossum, hedgehog or other animals. Please stop by often since I will be adding more information to this page as time goes by.
Please read DISCLAIMER.
It is good to start looking around now for a good vet that is willing to see your hedgie NOW before it gets sick. A good place to start is
Hedgehog Welfare Society. Scroll to the bottom of the page and put in your state. Another place to look for a hedgehog vet is at Hogisle Vet Locator. Remember not all hedgies are legal in all states so you need to find a vet that will not report you. If you are having trouble finding a vet e-mail me and I will try to locate one for you in your area. Some vets are willing to see your hedgie but don’t know how to treat them. In this case contact me and I can put your vet into contact w/other vets that will consult w/them over the phone.
If you would like to go the holistic approach and need to find a vet that will treat holistically check out this link here at the
.
American Holistic Veterinary Medical Association.
For more resources also try Veterinary Medicine Internet Resources.
HERE IS SOME HELPFUL HINTS
What Should I Do If My Hedgie Won't Eat?
If you have to force feed your hedgehog because it is not eating please keep in mind that you have the power to make sure it gets the most out of its food. Force feeding your hedgehog is not the funnest thing to do. In fact it may seem that your hedgie will probably be wearing more food than what it actually eats. *L* Whatever you do don't give up! Here are the best things to feed your sick hedgie:
Take a coffee bean grinder, which can be found at Wal-mart for $10 and grind up hedgehog food that is designed especially for hedgehogs like 8 in 1 Hedgehog Food, which can be found at Petco and most pet stores or Brisky's Then add "Cat" Missing Link Plus and also just a pinch of calcium (phos-free). Stir this up so that it is mixed well. Now add Ensure, or Boost and stir well. After stirring for a few minutes the mixture will thicken so give it time to do this. Try and get this "cereal" kind of thick, but not too thick. You want it to be the consistency of cream of wheat.
If your hedgehog has lost a great deal of weight then try feeding it A/D wet cat food. This food is for anorexic cats. This cat food is extremely high in fat. I would only use A/D for extreme cases. A/D can only be bought at your local veterinary clinic.
The best syringe to use for force-feeding is the monoject syringe. It has a curve on the end. Make sure you cut the curved tip off at an angle for best results and then file it down to take off the rough edges -BEFORE- using.
If you are force feeding, you will probably need to force water as well. It is very important that your hedgie gets plenty of water. Some will take water if you just hold the water bottle to their lips. It does not take long for a hedgehog to become dehydrated. I have found that even the hardest hedgies to force feed will take the water fairly simple. To do this, you will need a pipette. Make sure your hedgehog gets at least 15 full pipettes during a day, if not more. If your hedgehog is drinking enough water on it's own then don't worry about forcing water on them too.
You should be able to get the monoject syringe and the pipettes from your veterinarian. (see photo below).
The top picture is a "monoject syringe". The bottom picture is a pipette.
Why Does My Hedgehog Have A Yellow Or Orange Tint To It's Skin?
This usually means that your hedgehog is developing fatty liver disease (FLD). FLD can be fatal if not treated in time. If caught in time it can be reversed. It is best to have your vet run a liver check on your hedgie to determine how bad the liver is. No liver is too bad to treat w/milk thistle. Then I would start with milk thistle in a non-alcohol form. Milk thistle is made for bad livers and helping them. (please see my page on Tatter, she had liver issues as well as being diabetic) I would start by giving ONE drop of milk thistle a day for 30 days then STOP. Then have your vet check your hedgies liver values to see where they are at. Make sure along w/the milk thistle that your hedgie gets plenty of exercise. Cut out any fatty food in your hedgies diet and that includes mealworms until the condition is gone. (Milk thistle works on dogs, cats, peoples, etc.)
The thing about milk thistle that you MUST remember is, milk thistle should NEVER be given as a preventative. Meaning, never give it to a HEALTHY liver. Also NEVER give it so any pregnant animals, nursing animals, or lactating animals. It can kill them. As great as it is good for sick livers, it can harm a healthy one.
I have just gotten started on this page so don't forget to stop by again soon.
If you have a question about a sick animal, I “might” be able to help you, or find you the help you need. Just 
E-Mail Me!
To learn more about opossums or hedgehogs I highly suggest that you sign up to a group list. Below are some ideas on how to get started. You will meet great friends, laugh, and learn alot. Not to mention, be able to network with other in trying to find help or just trying to get an "opossum party" or "hedgehog show" together.
If you would love to join a hedgehog list or an opossum list please go to: Yahoo and do a search for "hedgehog" or "opossum", or any animal or subject for that matter, and join.
A great hedgehog list with a lot of fun and humor is at: Pig Pog Lives
Another great place to check out is,
These are great lists that are entertaining, educational and a great help to all.
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