Questionhi, my hedehog cant seem to be walking properly, when it does walk it wabbles and drags its back legs. its been sleeping loads and hasnt ate.
AnswerHi, Katie:
I hate answering letters like yours, because I have to be honest and tell you that there's at least a reasonable likelihood that your hedgehog is suffering from Wobbly Hedgehog Syndrome (WHS), a terrible illness most hedgehog fanciers believe occurred as a result of unethical (over)-breeding practices.
WHS is progressive; it gradually paralyzes the hedgehog (usually from back to front) and is eventually fatal. But with a devoted caretaker, a hedgehog can still maintain a pretty good quality of life for some time after the illness manifests. You need to read up on the topic and join hedgehogwelfaresociety or hedgehog_help (Yahoo groups) or some other online group(s) for info and support.
Perhaps the only good thing about WHS is that, if you are the caretaker, a very close bond often develops between you and your hedgie. I nursed two WHS hedgies and both were visibly grateful for the care they received. I became so close to them that I could almost read their minds; and they learned to "talk" (by different types of squeaky noises or by mouth movements) when they needed changing or wanted water or food, etc.
If your hedgehog stops eating for more than a few days, you will probably want to syringe feed him. Boost is one thing that provides pretty good nutrition and still makes it through a syringe tube. Give water by syringe if your hedgie goes more than a day without drinking on his own.
If you cannot imagine yourself as a caretaker, there are some very dedicated folks out there who voluntarily care for WHS hedgehogs.
There are certain other illnesses that can minic WHS -- one (brain-cancer) is at least as bad as WHS, and another (inflammation of the inside of the ear) can make the hedgehog unable to walk, but can be cured with medication.
Best wishes to you and your little guy.
Hedgie Blessings,
Laurel
