Hedgehogs

Bathing

Hedgehogs generally do a good job of keeping themselves clean and well-groomed, but sometimes they'll need a little help from you to give them a bath. It's a good idea to give your hedgehog a bath a few times a year, and whenever they get into something messy that they can't clean off themselves.

Here's what you'll need to give your hedgehog a bath:

A sink or bathtub
Cat Shampoo
A toothbrush
A Towel

How to give your hedgehog a bath?

Fill your sink or bathtub with an inch of lukewarm water (you can use a bowl or something similar if bathing the hedgehog in your sink or bathtub won't work for you) and add a drop or two of the cat shampoo. Gently set your hedgehog into the bath water and scoop the soapy water with your hands or a cup and pour it over the animal's back - Be careful not to get any into his or her eyes! Next, gently and slowly scrub the quills with the toothbrush, going from front to back in a circular pattern. After you've cleaned the hedgehog's back, reach under the hedgehog with your fingers and clean the belly by rubbing the fur. Don't flip the hedgehog over to do this! Once the hedgehog has been thoroughly scrubbed, take him or her out of the water and drain the soapy water. Then refill the sink/tub with an inch of lukewarm water, put the hedgehog back into the bath and rinse them off thoroughly. After your hedgehog has been rinsed off, take it out of the bath and gently dry it off with the towel. You can use a hairdryer if the temperature in the room is cool, but don't use it at any setting higher than the lowest setting.

Nail Trimming

Your hedgehog will need you to trim his or her nails regularly. Their nails grow fast if neglected will curl under and grow into the hedgehogs foot pads, causing pain and putting them at risk of infection. Obviously you don't want this to happen so you should check their nails regularly and trim them when needed - once every 2 or 3 weeks should be often enough to keep your hedgehog's nails in check. Only trim the nails if they appear to be overgrown - Some hedgehogs may never need to have their nails trimmed. Just make sure that you check them regularly, even if your hedgehog has never needed a trim before.

Trimming an animal's nails can be very intimidating for people that have never done it before. It's not really that complicated however, and once you do it a few times the fear will subside and you should become proficient at it over time. But if you're too afraid to trim your hedgehog's nails yourself, you can always take him or her to the veterinarian or pet groomer to have it done for you. You can watch how they do it so if and when you're ready to try doing it yourself you'll have a better idea of what to do.

How to trim a hedgehog's nails?

Obviously you'll need a pair of nailclippers - you can use the same kind that you use to cut your own nails, but there are also nailclippers made especially for animals that you can buy if you want to (most people find these easier to use when trimming an animal's nails). You can buy a pair of these special clippers at your local pet store or online at a site like Amazon. You should also have something on hand to stop the bleeding if you accidentally cut the "quick" (basically a large blood vessel inside the nail) - I recommend a product called Kwik-Stop which you simply apply to the injured nail. If you don't have any on hand and have cut the quick while trimming, flour or corn starch will do in an emergency, but it's a good idea to have some Kwik-Stop on hand for any future accidents. Here is a link to buy some Kwik-Stop online at Amazon.com. There are other products available that will do the same thing but this is what I use. The bleeding will stop on its own if not treated, but only after the hedgehog has lost a significant amount of blood - Don't risk your hedgehog's life, take care of the injury ASAP.

It's best to trim your hedgehog's nails right after giving them a bath as the warm water will open the nails up. If the hedgehog doesn't need a bath, you can just set them in an inch of warm water for a few minutes. Now, when it comes to actually clipping the nails, it can be a little difficult as your hedgehog might not be very happy with what you're doing and try to wiggle away. If your hedgehog fights you during the trimming process, you're just going to have to be patient with them. Try fimly but gently holding one of the feet until the hedgehog relaxes a little. After he's calmed down, quickly clip the nails on that foot, but be sure that you don't cut too far and damage the quick. Give your hedgehog a few minutes to calm down afterwards if he needs it and then move on to the next foot. Your hedgehog may decide that it's simply had enough after you trim one or two of his feet. If that's the case, give him some time to recooperate and try again tomorrow. It might take a couple of days to trim the nails on all four feet if the hedgehog is finicky about it.

www.thehedgehog.info

Photos of hedgehog by yoppy