Does eating more mean anything?

[spikeymom]

Spikey is eating a lot more than he used to. It could just be that I've gotten him some better food and he really likes it, but I'm curious if increased appetite is a symptom for some illness I don't know about. He just got over a UTI. He seems to be drinking quite a bit too.

Thanks,
Cheryl

[paris26]

Hi Cheryl~
How old is Spikey? My guess is that he's probably just feeling better and if the food tastes good they'll eat more of it. At least you know he's not pregnant ;)

[spikeymom]

Thank goodness he's not pregnant! He is somewhere between 2.5-3 years. I've temporarily adopted him so I'm not sure exactly.

Cheryl

[paris26]

I would just keep tabs on him and maybe record the amounts of food he is being given so you can see if eats less or more. I'm betting with a "better" environment, he is just feeling better all the way around. Make sure you keep him warm enough. A URI can bring on hibernation attempts, and vice versa. Just went through that with my Annabelle

[spikeymom]

What will he do if he tries to hibernate? What should I look for?

Cheryl

[WhiteGrainneog]

My hedgehogs eat more to keep warm over the winter months. So don't worry too much. If your hedgie is trying to hibernate it will not move, will feel cold to the touch, and not eat or drink. If you find your hedgehog like this slowly warm it up on a heating pad or under your shirt next to your body. White

[paris26]

Bellies will be cool to touch, they might not wheel, food and water will be untouched. Annabelle was also slow to respond to my hand. Thankfully I caught her right away. I then would wrap her in a fleece blanket and hold her close to my body for about 30 minutes to warm her up completely. She has a heating pad under her cage and a ceramic heater very near her cage. She likes it pretty darn toasty, which is fine with me. I think her hibernation attempts brought on the URI. I tried so many things to make sure she was warm enough, and after 2 vet visits, her URI was more pronounced. 10 days of antibiotics cleared it up and no more attempts. (knock on wood!)

[spikeymom]

Well, he is definitely eating and drinking. I see evidence (and lots of it from all the eating and drinking) that he is up and wheeling at night. He should be warm enough. He's got a fleece sleeping bag and two blankets in there. Plus, here in the south it isn't that cold. I'll try and touch his belly tonight. :)

Thanks!

[paris26]

He should be fine then. I would find Annabelle with a cool belly early in the morning or early evening.