Why Do Hedgehog Quills Fall Out
Veterinary Care
The first step in caring for your hedgehog is to annals with a vet who specialises in exotic animals. Don't wait until yous need a vet before you sign up with i! You lot should likewise find an 24 hr emergency vet just incase your pet hedgehog gets injured or very sick in the middle of the night.
Quilling
A hedgehogs spikes are known as his quills. Between the ages of 8 – 12 weeks old your hedgehog will go through a phase chosen quilling. This is when his quills autumn out and his new ones abound. You lot will know this is happening equally you lot will notice quills in his bedding. During this menses (which tin last a week to a month) your hedgehog may exist a little itchy, moody and sensitive to being touched. A manner to help sooth it's skin is to requite it a bath.
Bathing
Hedgehogs don't need baths often merely they will if they have faeces on their feet and information technology can help them when they're quilling. To sooth their skin you tin use Aveeno Oil in their warm bath. Don't ever allow the water become upwardly their olfactory organ and never leave them unattended in the bathroom. Information technology is a good idea to accept the water pretty shallow (the peak of their legs) for their get-go bathroom so they are not overwhelmed with the new sensation. Another way to soothe their pare is to put some oats in an old pair of tights and drib it into warm water. It acts similar a tea bag and the milky substance that comes out can ease their discomfort. Some pet hedgehogs like a bath, they swim or even bladder on their back! Simply some detest it and volition never like it. When you've finished bathing your little friend you must make sure it is totally dry out and warm. A good way to do this is wrap information technology in a towel and give it a very long caress. A damp hedgehog can get ill very rapidly so it's very important to dry it properly.
Senses
Hedgehogs have pretty poor vision and cannot judge heights, meaning if they're on a tabular array or countertop, they might just walk of the edge without realising they'll autumn. This can seriously hurt them. They do however have a stiff sense of odour, sense of taste, hearing and affect.
Torso language
When a Pygmy Hedgehog is scared, worried or feeling threatened it will allow you know by snorting, huffing, hissing, lunging/rolling into a ball. Very rarely they will seize with teeth. With patience and gentle treatment information technology can be encouraged to relax, uncurl lay its quills relatively flat and meet the person holding information technology. When they are interested or curious nearly something they my snuffle and sniff loudly, waddle when they walk and take their nose to the basis or air sniffing out scents.
Anting (Self anointing): Anting is a funny looking activeness that hedgehogs do when they come up across a new olfactory property or object. The animate being might lick and chew the object until it produces a lot of frothy, foamy saliva and so it spread this saliva over its own quills with its tongue. Sometimes they can fall over while doing this. No one knows exactly why hedgehogs human action like this only theories range from cooling down to parasite control to hiding their own scent.
Nail Clipping
A Pygmy Hedgehog volition need you to cut it'due south niggling toenails from time to fourth dimension. This can be very tricky, particularly if your hedgehog can be grumpy or isn't used to you lot withal. It's better to practice it with a 2nd person, one to hold the hedgehogs feet steady and the other to clip (normal blast clippers will do). It tin exist very upsetting for you and your hedgehog if you nip his pes with your clippers but information technology's something that can happen. If you dab some corn flour on the bleeding nail information technology can help to stop the bleeding
Biting
Hedgehogs don't seize with teeth very often, if they do information technology is usually considering they think your fingers are nutrient! If this is the case, they will ordinarily start by licking you. If this happens, put them downwardly to avoid being bitten!
Emptying
Your African Pygmy hedgehog will probably defecate and urinate in one area of their enclosure, usually the corner. They also tend to exercise this when they're running on their wheel.
Hibernation
When hedgehogs get cold, they hide to conserve free energy. When they hibernate they breathing and centre rate boring down significantly. It is very dangerous to let an pet hedgehog hibernate every bit it causes stress and can potentially kill your petty friend. To prevent your hedgehog from hibernating make sure it is well nourished and living in comfortable temperatures. (75-85F or 24-29C).
Rut
If this footling critter gets too hot it tin can suffer from stress. Don't permit it be in temperatures over 85F or 29C. They can die from heatstroke. When they're also hot they pant and stretch out flat on their bellies, trying to absurd down. Be especially conscientious if y'all're transporting your hedgehog, cars can get extremely hot, extremely quickly! Never leave it in a car on its own.
Constipation
Pygmy Hedgehogs can suffer from constipation from time to time. To aid your pet yous tin give them wet cat food (chunks of chicken in jelly) and mashed up canned pumkin/butternut squash.
Twittering
When your pet is content you may hear it making very faint twittering noises. How cute!
Source: https://www.hellohedgehog.com/hedgehog-care
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