The unseasonably cold spring has finally got to our prickly girl and she got a bit of a chill. After a couple days of sneezing we decided to take her to see a vet. I wasn’t quite sure what to expect, all I could hope for is that she will be in a good mood and will allow the vet to have a good ‘poke’ at her.
With Lilly bundled up in the cat carrier, we arrived for our visit and to my surprise the visit went exceptionally well. Contrary to the information available on the Internet, the vet did not recommend starting antibiotics immediately. As her weight was healthy (180g), her heart strong and lungs clean, he advised to observe her and watch for mucus coming from her nose. Provided with warmth and good quality food she should be able to fight off the cold on her own. Which she did in about 3 days!
A few very good tips before you decide that antibiotics are the way to go:
– watch your hedgehog’s weight, any change is always a sign something is up.
– pay close attention to their food intake (its a good idea to actually count the kibbles)
– watch out for ‘wet’ coughing or sneezing
– and most importantly if your hedgie has a runny nose and the mucus is not clear, that means a vet visit is needed ASAP
– it is possible for them to get over a cold on their own, but it will greatly depend on their age; it may take a bit longer for a mature hedgehog.
– make sure the temperature in their cage is above 23C and that they have plenty of food and water.
Don’t forget to keep the cage away from drafts, a warm cage is useless if there is a cold breeze going through it.