signs of old age?

[sjlewis1708]

Hey guys I was just wondering if there are certain signs that my hedgie might be getting up there in her age? I got her from a petstore so obvi I don't knoiw her real age

[LinzardB]

I noticed with my guy, as he got older his weight fluctuated a tad more easily. For instance, he got really chubby for a little while all of a sudden when he didn't have his week (for like a week when family was staying in the room with him) and he lost the weight more quickly when given back his wheel. He also showed signs of tooth problems by not eating as well. We noticed because I would measure his food every night and a few nights in a row with very little gone showed me he wasn't eating. After a vet visit and some antibiotics we started having to put his food in a blender. He ate blended food for 3 years while he was a senior hedge.

The thing is, these are all pretty anecdotal. I would just say to be mindful and pay attention to things like habits and eating. As those change, but change with some consistency you will start to notice him age a little.

[moxieberry]

As far as I know, the most obvious sign that a hedgehog is old-ish is the teeth. Teeth will slowly wear down over time, to the point that older hedgehogs can come to need a diet of softer foods, but I don't know specifically how much wear would indicate approximately how many years, and of course it would vary depending on the hedgehog.

[Kalandra]

You cannot even use teeth as an indicator. If a hedgehog goes through quilling, or if they grow, then at least you know you have a young hedgehog. However, once they are full grown, it is impossible to determine how old they really are. There are some signs that a hedgehog is aging, many will get little wrinkles around their mouths that they didn't have when they were much younger. However, I've seen some get those at a young age.

I have seen 4 year olds who had young looking teeth, and I've seen 2 year olds whose teeth were worn out, or completely missing. I have seen hedgehogs who were older that still had a young appearance. Older hedgehogs who ran and were just as activity as they were when they were babies. I've met 5-6 year olds who appeared frail, and yet others who I thought were much younger initially.

Just like us, some age more quickly than others do. All you can do is to treat them like you would any other hedgehog. Monitor their conditions and watch for problems and react to them quickly.