Pygmy hedgehog with neuro symptoms

Re: Pygmy hedgehog with neuro symptoms

Marie Kubiak — Mon, 30 Dec 2013 19:34:24 GMT

[quote user="Michael Woodhouse"]Martin - get the poor lass's name right! [/quote]

I've been called far worse Have long given up on Brits grasping my name but seems even the anglicised version causes a disproportionate amount of confusion!

Re: Pygmy hedgehog with neuro symptoms

Michael Woodhouse — Mon, 30 Dec 2013 17:51:15 GMT

[quote user="Martin Atkinson"]Thank you for your reply Maria.[/quote]

Martin - get the poor lass's name right!

Re: Pygmy hedgehog with neuro symptoms

Martin Atkinson — Mon, 30 Dec 2013 15:53:45 GMT

Thank you for your reply Maria. The diet as I understand it is as many live critters as they can find like worms, slugs etc and dry kitten food. It is unlikely they will want to pay for investigations but of course I will emphasise the importance of this if they return. I feel all they wanted was for me to tell them that it wasn't suffering because of the seizure so they've discharged their moral debt. Wobbly Hedgehog Syndrome is one to remember for the future though.

Re: Pygmy hedgehog with neuro symptoms

Marie Kubiak — Sat, 28 Dec 2013 11:45:28 GMT

What is the diet exactly? Are conditions (including temperature) appropriate? Any idea what conditions were with previous owner? See http://hedgehogclub.com/care.html#care for a brief summary of basic care.

Worth considering 'wobbly hedgehog syndrome' - a degenerative myelopathy seen in APH around 1-2yrs of age. It is only confirmed on histopath of white matter of spine/cerebrum/cerebellum so usually a diagnosis of exclusion in a live animal. Difficult to assess risk i this individual as pedigree and family history doesn't sound like it is going to be available.

For neuro hedgehogs without clear cause I start off with broad investigation - haem, biochem, urinalysis and radiographs. I wouldn't start anti-seizure meds after a single seizure but if recurrent and no identifiable/treatable cause then I tend to use phenobarb elixir as a first line in small mammals. Never seen a shunt in a hedgehog but wouldn't rule it out, though would expect other symptoms alongside neuro at some stage in its history.

The cataracts may be an incidental finding from poor diet previously or an indication of an ongoing metabolic abnormality, again work up will help. be firm with them - you wouldn't ignore cataracts and blindly treat neuro signs with anti-seizure medication in a cat, no reason why they shouldn't provide the same care to a hedgehog - they have the same obligations under the AWA.

Marie