Another poo question!

[alyssinreality]

Do your hedgies ever get dry poo stuck in/on their bottom? It seems like Diggory often has trouble pooping because I see little dry pieces sticking out of his bottom. It is a healthy color and he is still pooping at least a bit each night(don't worry. his wheel is never clean, I just think the poos are very small...) so I know food is working it's way through his system I just don't know why it is so dry and seems to be giving him issues. I already gave him pumpkin once before and it was an ordeal because we had to syringe feed it, but it helped a tiny bit. He gets another full bath on the 5th and I know that always helps too but I don't want him to always have stubborn dry poo!

[sarahbear]

Have you tried little foot baths? like just enough warm water to cover her feet and may her butt always makes my girl Ellie go

[alyssinreality]

Yeah, he never goes in his foot baths, I give them in a little plastic shoe box thing and I think he's too focused on getting out to poo. When I do bigger baths in the tub or the sink he goes. I may put him in the sink tonight to help him out but he obviously eventually gets it cuz there was poop on the wheel again today. The thing is it's not like one time stopped up and then you fix it with a bath, it's like all the time and I can't tell if he's struggling or not because I don't ever get to see him poop.

His wheel is never clean but sometimes there's much less then others. It is always back to normal the next day.

I kind of feel like I'm overreacting. People on the facebook group are suggesting a vet possibly if other tricks to get rid of constipation don't help but that seems silly since he isn't completely stopped up. I can't just go in and be like my hedgehog is pooping, just not as much as I think he should. They're gonna take one look at him and be like, looks fine to me. And tell me that it is normal for him. Which maybe it is.


I was just concerned from seeing it stuck in his bottom and everyone else I've talked to has said they've never seen that.

[alyssinreality]

So apparently I'm not going to get anymore replies and I have a feeling that is because I sound like I have already made up my mind about not going to the vet, so you feel as if there is nothing else to say. I get that. But I want to know from the more experienced owners, is having a bit of poo stuck in(not on) the bottom from time to time a problem? If it isn't completely stopping him up and hindering his ability to go? He obviously get's it out at night.

Maybe he's just shy and stops in the middle of it the second I get up out of bed in the morning. Because he's running and eating right until the moment I uncover and then he rushes to his house. The little butthead.

[hedgieluv]

Sounds like Persephone and Diggory are a lot alike. Persephone had two days last week that she had no discernible poo in her cage at all. I think it was cuz I was a bad mommy and gave her too many mealies...I just have such a hard time saying no to that cute face! So, I left some pumpkin out and left myself a note not to give her so many mealies at once

Anyway, I dream about her not pooping enough,(and I dream about her dying, getting squished and getting stolen...I guess I'm a bit neurotic). But it turns out she fixes it after a few days. I think we sometimes worry more than we should. Persephone has days where she poops like a champ and other days that there is so little, I think I must be doing something terribly wrong and she is going to die of constipation.

I'm not an expert, by any means. I have had exactly one hedgie who is now six months old. But, I love her and worry myself silly over her. I didn't worry about my son (who is now 20 and did not die of constipation. Yay, me!) this much. I guess what I'm trying to say enjoy him, and don't just worry cuz time goes by so fast.

[Rainy]

Well, nobody, not even a vet, can diagnose Diggory through a forum. I think that if the problem is concerning enough for you to be worried for so long, then I would take him to the vet. If there is nothing wrong with him then the cost is minimal. If there is a problem, then it will be diagnosed and treated. Either way, I see it as a win-win. At least your vet will know about your concerns and it will be in Diggory's health record, if nothing else. You can also get suggestions for treating the dry poo too.

[alyssinreality]

Thank you for the reply. It really did make me feel better. I have seen a couple different people mention they were giving their hedgies too many mealies and that was the problem. I give him four or five every other day, I think I will back it down and see what happens....starting thursday, cuz I saw his cute little face tonight and totally forgot I wasn't going to give him 4 mealies haha!