Hind leg paralysis?

[Aeriea085]

I am in desperate need of advice and I don't know what to do. I was out of town for three days this past week. I left my hedgie with plenty of food and water to last that time, and had my neighbor check in. When I returned last night I found Cocoa curled up into a ball, and not moving. He was lethargic and barely moved when I went into the cage. I gave him water from a syringe (he had quite a bit), and was able to syringe some of his kibble ground up and moistened into him (he ate a little bit). I have no idea what could have happened to him in that amount of time. I do know that today at the usual time he would wake up at night he was awake and trying to move, but it didn't seem as though his hind legs could move. He also has tried to squirm away from me today when I was "force feeding" him his moist kibble, and he couldn't seem to use those legs. Is there such a thing as hind leg paralysis, and is it treatable? Any input would be greatly appreciated.

[Cookies&Cream_]

if he is still actting like this tomarro seek a vets help immetitly tonight i owuld keep a close watch

Good Luck And Best Wishes,

Jen and Cookies N' Cream

BTY: I'm New so i may not be giving accreate info

[PrettyHate]

Two things come to might right away:

A) Is he warm enough? If he is acting lethargic- then there is a good chance that he isnt warm enough. Try warming him up. Cuddle him close to you with a blankie to allow him to warm up gradually. If you have a heating pad set it on low and sit it on your lap with him ontop to make sure it doesnt get too warm. Dont put him in warm water or anything like that.

B) Next thought- if he is warm enough, is there anyway he could have fallen and hurt himself in his cage? A fall from even a couple inches can cause ****age for a hedgie. If there is a chance that he has fallen- then a vet visit is a must.

Good luck, and keep us updated

[Aeriea085]

In answer to your questions: first of all I don't think that temperature is a problem. I live in an apartment, and the landlord has not turned the heat off yet (we don't have control of the thermostat for some strange reason), so we are averaging 83 degrees right now. As for a fall, I don't think so, but it's possible. He is in a wire cage, but I have never seen him try to climb the sides. I do know that his hind legs are cool to the touch, whereas the rest of him is pretty warm. As for where to go from here I am freaking out. The only vet near me who even handles hedgehogs is extremely expensive. Normally it wouldn't be a problem, but I myself have recently injured my back and have a few thousand dollars worth of bills to pay off from all of the tests and procedures. I am so at a loss as to what to do. :O

[PrettyHate]

If he climbed the sides and fell it is possible that it is related to a spinal cord injury.

How long have you had your little guy for, and how old is he? WHS may also be another consideration- although the sudden onset of the symptoms makes me question that.

In the morning Im sure some other people will have some more thoughts and be able to share their own experiences and advice with you.

Hang in there.

[illinidairychic]

Is his skin yellow in appearance at all or does he have dark patches under his eyes? Fatty Liver Disease is kind of common in these little quilled ones. I lost Rosie it it about two months ago. It was a sudden on set of her just not wanting to move or eat, within the night she was dragging her back legs around and by morning we had lost her. I'm pretty sure her kidneys had failed because my friend and I syringed her fluids since she refused to eat or drink on her own and she didn't urinate at all. I hope your hedgie is okay and I'm sorry there is not more I can do. But if you notice any yellowing or brusing on the skin it could be FLD.

[Megan.]

I have been exactly where you were. Had an older hog though, I'm not sure of her exact age as she was a rescue- but she was somewher earound 5+ years. She was fine for the most part- starting to ''slow down'' but I figured that was from her age, as she was still active, being the brat she normally was. Several months later, I went to feed her and she couldn't move. She was trying to hard to come out and walk, but she was just dragging herself. We opted to have her put down the next morning, as both the vets and I thought it was the best thing to do.

The vet said it could be from a few things. One thing she really thought was perhaps she had a tumor on her spinal cord , or around her spinal cord. She said she couldn't feel it, and would need to do sugery for sure--but thought because of her age, and how bad she was it was best to put her down.


Good luck with your girl,
Megan

[Pringlesmom]

I am sad to read this post. Immediately I thought of Pringle and his debilitating WHS. It started with his back legs too. Let us know what happens. Maybe you could ask your vet to put you on a payment plan for the time being, but I really think your little one needs some medical attention.

[PrettyHate]

How is your hedgie doing this morning?

[Aeriea085]

Thank you so much for all of the replies. I have been giving Cocoa water every few hours or so, and getting him to eat moistened kibble (he is very resistant, and has a lot of strength in his front to keep his face out of range). Since I have gotten food and water in him he seems so much stronger, he just can't use his back legs. I checked his skin and under his eyes and I don't see yellowing or dark circles. I just don't understand how he could have possibly injured himself, as I took his wheel out of his cage while I was gone, and I've never seen him climb the walls of the cage before. I have a sick feeling that it is probably more along the line of the tumor in the spine, but I can't say for sure. As for the vet and possible payments, I had spoken to him about that a few years back when I was having problems with my sugar glider who had hind leg paralysis, and he was not even open to the idea. He is really rather stuck up, and is not hurting for clients so he is not very flexible. I hope I can figure out what to do, it is so frustrating!