Help?

[hemi_mygirl]

Hi, everyone. I just wanted to get the opinions of some of the more experienced hedgehog owners on here before I panicked (see? I'm learning). Hemi isn't quite...herself lately. Perhaps you all can help.

- She has slimy, smelly, green stool. It has only been going on for one or two days...kind of leaning toward the addition of a new food.

- She's warm, but not extremely active. Her belly is nice and toasty, like always.

- She always needs to have her 'lower regions' bathed...a combination of sticky poop and urine all the time.

- Her food and water intake is basically normal. She's eating a bit less, but her water intake is still right up there. About 4-5 ounces nightly, plus the little sips she takes during the day.

- She's pretty good about going around her wheel (she stopped using the litter box a couple weeks ago for some reason), but recently, she started going right beside her hedgiebag. This morning, I found that she'd gone UNDER her bag, which made quite a mess.

Now, I'm not quite sure what this could be, but the reading I've been doing sort of points to a Urinary Tract Infection. I'm phoning the vet tomorrow to book her an appointment regardless, but I just wanted some input.

I plan to step out tonight and pick her up some plain yogurt (I read that helps the green poops).

If anyone has any input, be it other causes of these symptoms, or questions that I should be sure to bring up with the vet, or what else I should keep an eye on, please tell me. I know I'm not overreacting, because this isn't normal for her at all. I don't want my little girl to be sick...she looks miserable.

Thank you.

[PrettyHate]

The green poops may be caused by the addition of a new food to her diet- however the fact that she is going to the bathroom outside of where she normally goes is what would have me slightly concerned. When Murdoc had clostridium he would just go poop wherever he happened to be at the time- which was never in his litter box. He too suffered from having a constant dirty bum because his stools were SO soft. The fact that he would just go to the bathroom where ever (sometimes even in his bed) caused me to believe that he had lost alot of control in terms of "holding it". He also seemed to be uncomfortable sometimes when I would hold him- like his tummy was giving him problems.

I wouldnt freak out too much yet. Sometimes hedgies will get green poops from very simple things like changes in temperature, food etc. Its a good sign that she is still eating, drinking and is active. If it continues much longer I would definently give your vet a call. A fecel sample will probably be required to help figure out what the problem is.

The yogurt is a good idea. You can also try adding some Acidophilus to her food. You can buy it at Walmart in the pharmacy section. It comes in small capsules- all you need to do is break them open and sprinkle some over food. It is meant to help intestinal disorders by increasing the amount of good bacteria to help regulate digestion and stool patterns.

[Nancy]

Yes to everything Laura said. :)

I would quit feeding the new food for now until she is better.

When Kes had her intestinal infection she pooped in her bed also and her butt was a horrid mess.

I would be concerned about the smell. Kes' was rank and I mean gag you rank. Any of mine that have had green poo from a food change it hasn't really changed much in smell and usually they haven't pooped in their bed.

I'd take in a fresh poo sample. I took one with me but Kes was accomodating and did one on the exam table, not something she would normally do.

Good luck and keep us posted. :)

[hemi_mygirl]

Nancy...the smell isn't gag-you bad...but its definately not normal. The things we notice about our pets and their habits...:p

Today she did poop in her bed, and was nice enough not to give me any hints. Stuck my hand in there to take her out, got a *lovely* surprise, and took my hand out. Good thing we have a slight trickle of water...a water main break, we have very little water. ahaha.

I couldn't get her into the vet today. The vet who knows hedgehogs well isn't there today and the other one that the secretary suggested talked to me a while on the phone. The minute she asked if a hedgehog was a porcupine, I said 'thanks' and hung up. Bad thing is, theres no other hedgehog vets around. Hemi's vet should be back in a day or two. Until then, I'm gonna cut out the new food, offer her yogurt (she hates it - does cottage cheese do the same thing as yogurt? Because she loves cottage cheese.), and give her lots of cuddles.

Oh, and what would one do about a red bum? It doesn't look painful, but I'd like to get in under control before it starts to hurt her.

[Nancy]

Vasaline works great on red bums. I'm not sure I'd give her cottage cheese unless she has had it before. Wouldn't want to add to her problems.

[hemi_mygirl]

Yeah. She's had cottage cheese before. She loves it as a treat.

Vaseline eh? I'll have to look around my bathroom for that. Thanks.