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Changed personality after hibernation attempt?

1K views 5 replies 3 participants last post by  nikki 
#1 ·
The other night after a very unexpected temperature dip, I had to bring Tema back from a near hibernation attempt. Luckily, her breeder who is very experienced, talked me through it. I've been monitoring her throughout the week to check if she's okay. She's had a check-up twice since and according to the vet and her breeder she's completely fine. No lethargy, no loss of appetite, tummy is nice and warm and no URI symptoms.

The weird thing is that her behavior seems to have changed a little, or rather her personality.

Before, I could never pick her up without getting a prick or ten. Now, whenever I open her cage door she gets up and practically walks into my hands so I can pick her up. She suddenly loves being close to me. She hisses and puffs much less and lies calmly in my hands or arms. She's still and avid and active explorer though.

She likes to lie down and nap on her wheel often which she never did. She still wheels very actively. I switched her food which she seems to enjoy instead of usually detesting new food.

She's so timid and agreeable. I don't trust it. But everyone tells me she's fine. I can't explain it, she's just a little... different. And after the hibernation attempt, I'm constantly neurotic that something is wrong.

Is there anything I should worry about? Signs to look out for? Has anyone else's hedgie... Changed their behavior after a hibernation attempt?
 
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#2 ·
How long has your hedgie been with you?
Maybe she was more shy and frightneted because she's been on a lethargic behaviour? I don't mean to say she was already trying to hibernate, just to say there was cold weather and she was less active and prone to be held...
I'm no expert, but maybe that's the case.
Will keep an eye in this post

Take care of her and try to take benefit of her new behaviour :)
 
#3 ·
I didn't even notice this had gotten a reply!

She was 2 and a half months old at the time and she's become a very good girl since. It's winter now and she's keeping warm with no further incident.

A weird thing I've noticed is that she seems to be traumatized a little bit in regards to bathing now.

Whenever she so much as smells the bath soap I use for my hedgies she balls up tightly and it takes an hour for me to calm her down.

The other day I bathed my albino girl, and when I handled Tema afterwards she curled up and clicked at me out of anger. She was her usual self again after I'd taken a bath and no longer smelled like hedgie soap. Today I tried to scrub some oil on her feet to clean them using the toothbrush and the same thing happened.

Besides those particular tantrums, she's so friendly she crawls into my pockets and sleeps in there and would choose me over her cage.

I wonder if anyone else has a hedgie that detests certain smells... It's really strange!
 
#5 ·
I use a tiny bit of Johnsons and Johnsons baby shampoo with some of flax seed oil in the water for the skin. It was recommended by local breeders as Aveeno isn't sold here, and hadn't shown to irritate their skins as they also get flax oil in their food. But Tema seems to hate the smell of the shampoo now (she was completely fine with it before). I can't bring it near her and she balls up tight
 
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