poo problems...

[Ady]

My baby boy, Bowser, has been having greyish, sticky, VERY smelly stools. I feed him a diet of high protein hedgie food and treats of canned cat food....can anyone throw out possible problems? I am over one hour from any sort of hedgie vet care....

[HedgeMom]

You need a vet. A young hedgehog with sticky, smelly feces needs a vet and nothing we tell you will make a bit of difference. He needs a fecal float and meds.

What hedgehog food?

[Ady]

:O
It's Brown's Zoo-vital hedgehog food...found it at Petsmart.

[HedgeMom]

In addition to a vet, you need to find him a better food. A blend of two or three high quality, holistic kibbles is the best dry diet around. Supplement with fruits, veggies, meat and insects and you're covering all the nutrients.

Chicken Soup for the Cat Lover's Soul
Katzenflocken by Solid Gold
Blue Buffalo
California Naturals
Artemis

Those are a few good foods. Avoid: Brown's Hedgehog Food, Vitakraft hedgehog food, Pretty Pets hedgehog food. Zupreem, L'avian and Spikes Delight can be used as part of a blend but I'm not fond of them at all.

[Ady]

His stools have hardened up...he only seems to poo all yucky when i take him out in public. Stress maybe? Also....please tell me where I might get him those foods. I live in rural West Texas, and people here don't really even know what a hedgie is, let alone stock good food for him.

Internet places I can buy the food?

[aboutmrbrown]

blue buffalo is at petsmart, i have the adult lite in my mix and she loves it

[Nancy]

Some hedgehogs are very sensitive to stressful events and will get green slimey poop. My Merlin will have green tinged poop the nights I clean his cage. :)

[Ady]

I'm hoping it's just a bit of stress. I love my Bowser so very much. He is my spiny son...and I want him to be healthy. I took him out last night around 4 a.m. to play and he seemed just fine. his skin doesn't look dry or flaky, and his poo seems to be firming up. I changed him to a premium brand of cat food while I try to get him some of the stuff Hedgemom recommended.

Thank you all so much...I'm so glad I signed up for the forum!!

[HedgePigLove]

You can purchase many of the foods that HedgeMom mentioned from Pet Food Direct, at: http://www.petfooddirect.com - and since you have access to Petsmart, that store usually carries Blue Buffalo.

I agree that getting your little guy to a vet for an examination is essential, so you have some idea of what you're dealing with; if he has some intestinal problems, those need to be diagnosed and treated - just changing him to a better food mix won't correct other issues.

Remember when you're switching your hedgie to better foods, to do so gradually so his system can adjust to the new nutrients.

[mmartinez1987]

I changed him to a premium brand of cat food while I try to get him some of the stuff Hedgemom recommended.

Thank you all so much...I'm so glad I signed up for the forum!!


You cant keep changing his food like that. Find the food recommended and go from what you have to the proper food. Changing foods on a hedgehog can be very stressful and hurt their sensative little tummies.