Vomiting Hedgehog

Question
Hello Laurel,
I have an almost-four-year-old hedgie named Attila the Huff.  I've just returned from a visit to the vet but am a bit distressed.  Attila has been off her food lately, her stool has been quite runny with a bit of mucus and a tiny amount of blood.  I have been giving her 0.1ml Baytril twice daily that was prescribed by the first vet I was able to see.  She has been having difficulty eating, foaming at the mouth sometimes and yesterday didn't take any food at all.  I did syringe about 8cc of cat food gravy into her last night, and about 5cc this morning, thinned out with a bit of water.  I took her to the clinic where we saw a different vet.

The vet thought that she most likely had some problems with her mouth (she has lost a lot of teeth over the past year or so) and is in pain, thus not eating.  She advised to continue with the Baytril until it was gone, and also added an oral painkiller called Buprenorphine to help with the mouth pain.  This every 8 hours.  When I got home, I gave her the pain meds (0.3mg) and then the Baytril.  She immediately vomited bright green.  I had found a small patch of the same bright green on her quilt from sometime through the day while I was at work, but only noticed it when I returned from the vet.

I think the vomit on her quilt was the result of her trying to eat a large mealworm.  Wondering if the current vomit was caused by my activating her gag reflex whilst giving her meds, although have never had that reaction from her before.  What are your thoughts on this?  Should I get back into the clinic first thing in the morning, or keep an eye on her?

Thank you for your time.
Kind regards,
Ille

Answer
Hi, Ille:

I am not a vet, but I've had some experience with green vomit and poo.  If it is kind of a bright green and the poo has an unusually foul smell, I would have your clinic check for bacterial infections, esp. clostridium.

The Baytril could actually be worsening Attila's stomach problem.  Perhaps they could try her on some other antibiltic, such as Amoxicillin.

If she doesn't seem to be getting better, and you're worried, I would head back to the clinic.  It does not sound as if they are very familiar with hedgehogs.  If that is the case, maybe they know another vet that they could consult.

Good Luck & Hedgie Blessings,

Laurel

PS- My maiden name was "Huff," LOL!