All of my hedgehogs see Dr. Vickie. Here is the contact information:
Linden Heights Animal Hospital
274 Linden Drive
Winchester, Virginia 22601 United States
Phone : (540)667-4290
Fax : (540)667-8067
Email : info@lindenheightsanimal.com
Vickie Kondik, D.V.M (experienced with exotics and pocket pets)
Hours:
Monday-Thursday: 7AM-1PM, 2PM-7PM
Friday: 7AM-1PM, 2PM-6PM
Saturday: 8AM-1PM
Sunday: Closed
This is Kita’s litter on 6/1/10
I have been working on some new cage kits for quite some time and after a testing period they are finally being offered to my hedgehog buyers. Yay! I’m so excited!! I am very happy with these bins, because they are a nice size for the hedgehogs and they are very easy to keep clean. My favorite advantage of using the bins is that there is virtually no possibility of escape! Young hedgehogs seem to be the worst escape artists. You also don’t need to worry about little hedgehog feet getting caught in wire.
Cleaning
I am offering these kits for sale with wood shavings or velcro fleece liners. When I bought my first hedgehogs, I decided to try out some fleece liners, but it wasn’t long before I realized how messy they can become and how quickly the hedgehogs start hiding underneath the liners. These tubs are very simple to keep clean. Everything comes out easily and can be sprayed down with a vinegar/water mixture. The liners are machine washable and should be spot cleaned daily. I recommend hand washing or machine washing the liners at least once per week with a gentle detergent. Continue using the same detergent, so the hedgehogs get accustomed to the scent.
Silent Spinner
I have found this wheel to be a combination of the most sturdy and easiest to clean. If you spray a bit of cooking spray on the wheel, clean up is a breeze.
Top-Fill Water Bottle
This is a very sturdy water bottle and is easily filled by lifting the flap and adding water. I love the size and style for hedgehogs and it seems to drip less than the regular water bottles. I have been very happy with these bottles.
Igloo
I am now using these Lixit Guinea Pig Igloos for all of my hedgehogs. It provides a dark hiding spot with plenty of space to relax and stretch out. You can actually turn them into 2 hiding spots when you are using wood shavings just by unlocking them and turning the bottom upside-down. The fleece liners make them extra cozy and warm.
For more information on these cage kits click here.
Uria and Tiggy both had litters of four born on 3/11/2010. I haven’t looked at them very closely yet. They all look to be darker colors. I’m probably going to keep one from each litter. I am looking forward to taking them out individually to look at them within the next few days. Uria is a wonderful mom, so I’m happy about that. When I was in checking on the new litters yesterday I heard some squeaking and picked up Calla’s hideout to find 3 newly born hoglets. I was so sure that Calla didn’t take and I had pretty much given up any hope of a litter from her. I hope she takes care of them, but I’ve been extra lucky with all of my litters over the winter. I have to give her some space and not disturb her again, although I’m very curious. I didn’t get enough of a glance to guess colors unfortunately.
Kita has 5 little ones and Veda has 4. I was finally able to move the moms from their cages and hold the babies for a short while. I spent a little more time with Kita’s litter since they are older and I know that Kita doesn’t mind as much. Kita has 2 boys and 3 girls. The boys are both algerian grey or dark grey pintos and the girls are algerian cinnamon or cinnicots. I have already decided to keep 2 of the girls. I named them Valentine and Honey since they were born on Feb 14th. :) I will have the other 3 up for sale to my waiting list. Their eyes are not open yet, so I’m waiting to post pictures until they are around 3 weeks old. Veda’s litter was a surprise. I think 3 of them are albino. I can’t be 100% sure until their eyes open, but that is what they look like. The other looks like an algerian grey. I haven’t sexed them yet, but I think I’ll keep the grey one for my breeding program. I might change my mind once they are sexed.
I am very excited that there were no losses with these litters. Veda and Kita are both wonderful moms.
I checked on Kita yesterday and I thought I heard some tiny sounds, but I wasn’t sure. I definitely heard louder squeaks today, so the litter is confirmed. I’m excited to have Valentine babies. :) Kita is a wonderful mommy, but I have to give her some space before I check on the litter. I will be keeping at least one or two females from this litter, so I’m especially excited to see what is in the nest box. The waiting list will be notified once they are a couple of weeks old. Now I’m hoping that Veda has a healthy litter soon.
I thought I should do a post about power outages, since we have 32.5 inches of snow on the ground here and many are without power. Luckily, our power has stayed on and my hedgehog room has remained a steady 78-80 degrees. We have a generator, so I do not get as nervous as I did years ago when our power would go out, but I do keep a supply of hand warmers in case of an emergency. The hand warmers can keep your hedgehog warm for many hours or even days if necessary. I activate the warmer and slip it into a sock and tie the end. The warmer is placed in the hedgehog’s hideout and it keeps the area warm for 7+ hours depending on the type of warmer. Having some of these warmers on hand could possibly be a life saver. :)
The simple answer is – Yes!
Definition
hy·po·al·ler·gen·ic
adj.
Having a decreased tendency to provoke an allergic reaction.
The American Heritage® Medical Dictionary
The definition of hypoallergenic may surprise some people. Hypoallergenic does not mean non-allergenic. Hedgehogs are not very likely to cause an allergic reaction, but it has been known to happen. Hedgehogs produce very little dander, which is the usual culprit for animal allergies. It is extremely rare that hedgehog dander produces any sort of reaction. Allergic reactions to hedgehogs are usually from small pricks of the hedgehog’s quills that have been contaminated with an allergen.
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So, of course you love your hedgehog. Who wouldn’t? But, can you love your hedgehog too much?
Possibly.
Imagine a family with a child who loves hot dogs and chips. What child does not love hot dogs? It is not too hard to imagine. Now imagine that the parents give the child hot dogs and chips every single day.
Obesity
Obesity is one of the leading causes of death in hedgehogs. Treats shouldn’t be fed every day. A basic healthy staple food should be the majority of every pet’s diet. Treats should only be fed sparingly. I’d recommend no more than a few times per week (e.g. a few mealworms at a time).
Over the years I have heard many pet owners tell me how spoiled their pets are and how they are given treats all the time. Just as often I see overweight and unhealthy pets. Our pets depend on us to provide a healthy diet, just the same as children depend on their parents.
We as pet owners sometimes feel that a pet’s diet is boring and monotonous, so we want to spice it up by adding lots of treats. Ultimately, the health of the animal should be more important.
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