Hedgehog Care and Husbandry

Heat

There are two major species of hedgehog, the European Hedgehog, and the African Pygmy Hedgehog. The African Pygmy hedgehog has become very popular as an exotic pet and is what we specialize in here at Premier Hedgehogs. "African" is the key word here. These guys come from a desert environment. The African Pygmy Hedgehog CANNOT and should not hibernate; hibernation attempts are unfortunately often fatal. This is why we require a heat package for each one of our hogs. A hedgehogs environment should be kept ideally between 75 and 80 degrees F. Too cold and they attempt hibernation, too warm and they may develop a heat injury.

Diet

African Pygmy Hedgehogs are opportunistic insectivores. This means that, in the wild, they forage primarily for insects, but also have been observed eating other protein sources and occasionally vegetation. A hedgehog requires a high protein diet with between 30-35% protein, and a lower fat diet, of 8-15% fat, depending on the hedgehogs activity level. Hedgehogs are very prone to obesity and care must be taken to provide them with an appropriate diet, as well as an appropriate environment so they can get enough physical activity. Pet hedgehogs should be fed a diet that consists of high quality hard cat foods, with named proteins such as chicken or turkey meat or meal as the first 2-4 ingredients. Grain content in the food should be limited overall, and wheat, corn, and soy should be limited as much as possible.

Commercial hedgehogs foods are usually very high in grain content, carbs, or inappropriate proteins such as rice or gluten, and are often much higher in fat than necessary, leading to poor health, malnutrition, and obesity. They also frequently do not have high quality protein sources, and are often too low in protein anyway. In a nutshell, commercial hedgehog foods are not appropriate.

Hedgehogs can absolutely have treats. Appropriate treats are pet store purchased live insects such as mealworms, crickets, dubia roaches, etc. Wild caught insects are not safe for your hedgehog to eat because they may have parasites. Dehydrated insects are not recommended because of their low moisture content, they can cause constipation if fed too frequently. Live is best. A small amount of boiled unseasoned chicken, boiled unseasoned egg white, meat baby food, or high quality soft cat food may also be offered each week if desired. Fruits and vegetables aren't recommended, and some may be harmful, so be sure to research if you do decide to offer some occasionally to your prickly friend.

Like any animal, hedgehogs need a clean source of water. A dish or bottle can be provided. Dishes are usually less sanitary and harder to keep clean and fresh. This is why Premier Hedgehogs recommends bottles. Spring tension bottles are not appropriate due to the fact that they can cause injury and are difficult to drink out of. We recommend the hedgehog sipper bottle which comes with our cage packages due to the fact that it is hedgehog friendly, easy to use, and safe for a curious hedgehogs teeth.

Environment

As we read earlier, hedgehogs come from a desert environment. They like it warm, and they like it dry. Excess humidity is not appropriate and can even be dangerous for the hedgehog due to the increased risk of infection and illness. Solid bottom open wire cages, CC cages, or bin cages are great choices for hedgehog homes. Aquariums, terrariums or any other sealed containers should not be used.

A hedgehog should have at least 2 square feet of floor space, more is generally better. Appropriate bedding types include fleece cage liners, aspen shavings, and shredded paper. Pine or other softwood shavings, sawdust, and cedar are not appropriate bedding options because the oils in them can irritate the hedgehogs eyes, nose and lungs. Very dusty bedding is also not appropriate. Bedding should be changed at least once weekly, or more if especially dirty.

The bedding you choose to use is dependent on how you plan to design your cage. We love fleece liners because they are soft and come in many different patterns, but fleece liners get dirty quickly. For this reason we recommend putting a litter box in your hedgehogs cage if you plan to use a fleece liner. Most hedgehogs can be potty trained fairly easily, with time and effort. If you don't plan to potty train your hedgehog, we recommend you use a bedding option like aspen or paper.

Hedgehogs are generally pretty solitary creatures and should live alone. They don't desire to have friends, and really only come together in the wild during mating season. Putting two hedgehogs together can lead to fights and injuries, and is not recommended.

Hedgehogs must have a wheel as well as other environmental enrichment such as toys or dig boxes. Hedgehogs are very curious and like to be active, and running on the wheel can also keep off any extra body weight. Since hedgehogs are nocturnal, they are most active at night. Your hedgehog will likely spend a substantial amount of time running on their wheel at night, but every hedgehog is different, and some are lazier than others.

Hedgehogs should be provided a dark environment during night hours. They do require light periods though, which help to regulate their sleeping behavior, and should have plenty of light during daytime hours.

Hygiene

Hedgehogs are generally pretty clean and don't need to be bathed frequently. Too frequent bathing can cause dry, itchy skin and is not recommended. We bathe at least once per month, sometimes every 2 weeks depending on how dirty the hedgehog is. Unscented baby shampoo is a great choice as it is gentle and doesn't have any perfumes that could harm the hedgehog. Hedgehogs also need to have their nails trimmed regularly, which can sometimes be a challenge, but is easiest to do during bath time.

Sometimes a hedgehog will poop while running on their wheel. This is normal. If your hedgehog does this, special care must be taken to give them regular foot baths to keep their feet clean. Their wheel also must be cleaned daily to remove waste from the night before.

Veterinary Care/ Health

Hedgehogs are usually pretty healthy, and don't require much veterinary care, but there are a few things that should be considered before deciding to get one. Hedgehogs do require a yearly checkup from a licensed veterinarian who specializes in exotic animals and has hedgehog experience.

Care should be taken to monitor your hedgehogs food and water consumption, as even one day without drinking, since they are so small, can make a minor problem much more serious.

A hedgehogs poop is essentially the window to their health. We recommend that you check out your hedgehog's waste daily. Normal poop is formed and firm, but not hard, and brownish in color. Any deviation from normal should be looked into. Harder or soften than normal poops could be an indication of a lack of fiber in the diet, we recommend feeding a few more insects if poop appears brown, but unusual in consistency. One of the more common causes of abnormal poop include stress, which may result in soft dark greenish poop. This is normal, and should resolve on its own within a day or two. On the other hand, liquid or sticky dark to light green poop is a sign of illness/ infection and the hedgehog should be brought to the vet. Any blood in poop or urine should be considered a sign to go to the vet as well.

Hedgehogs also commonly experience mite infestations, which can cause skin, quill and ear problems. It's important to bring your hedgehog to the vet if they seem itchy, or to be losing more than a few quills each day, or if they develop bald patches. Mites are easy to treat with 1-2 drops of Kitten Revolution on their skin. Ivermectin treatments are sometimes used, but we recommend against ivermectin because there is the risk of toxicity and poisoning associated with it, and we don't want to hurt our hedgehogs accidentally. Kitten Revolution is safe and effective, and can be purchased with a prescription from the vet.

Hedgehogs also may develop some forms of cancer as they age. Unusual lumps/bumps on their bodies or legs should always be checked out by at vet. Female hedgehogs can also sometimes develop cancers in the reproductive system. Bleeding or lethargy of unknown cause should always be checked out.

Wobbly Hedgehog Syndrome (WHS) is a devastating neurological condition with a genetic basis that responsible hedgehog breeders are carefully working to eliminate in their breeding programs by documenting pedigrees, and retiring any breeding hedgehogs that are related to a hedgehog who is diagnosed with WHS. WHS presents gradually and causes "wobbliness" as well as difficulty eating and drinking and will eventually cause death. WHS is not diagnosable before death, as it requires a necropsy to accurately diagnose. It's important to go to the vet if your hedgehog ever seems to be having trouble walking. It's also important to be aware that "wobbliness" is very subjective, and if your hedgehog ever seems tired and out of sorts, or very suddenly has trouble walking, it is most likely NOT WHS, and it is more likely that your hedgehog is cold and has started a hibernation attempt. Warm them up and see if they are still having trouble walking. Again, WHS is gradual, not sudden, sudden changes likely have another cause.

Of note, hibernation attempts are also emergencies, but don't usually require the vet. It is important to check on your hedgehog, and the temperature of their cage regularly, to ensure that they don't get too cold. As we read earlier, African Pygmy Hedgehogs cannot hibernate safely, and any extended attempt to hibernate will most likely be lethal. If your hedgehog is cold, gradually warming them up by holding them in your shirt/ near your body is the best thing to do. Do not try to warm your hedgehog too quickly. Do not submerge your hedgehog in water. Gradual warming is essential.