Dear Pet Journal or Adventures in Pet Ownership

[shetland]

I truly enjoy all of these stories!!!

[gracefulchaos01]

September 14, 2014
Dear Pet Journal,
Good morning and happy Sunday! It is a glorious autumn morning here in mid Maryland. The sun is shining, the sky is a brilliant blue and presently the temperature is only in the high 50s, maybe low 60s. A bit cool for a hedgehog, but quite perfect for a Grace.
Autumn is my favorite time of year. I love the crisp air, the sense of the turning wheel of the seasons, the colorful leaves. I enjoy the oncoming of winter, but for all of that, I don’t care for snow. So it is a short but amazing time of year. I even enjoy seeing the bare branches of the trees against the heavy cloudy November sky. Part of it is a bit religious for me, being a solid pagan with Wiccan leanings. But mostly, it is really just my favorite time of year.
This year is a bit different from all the ones before though. This is my first autumn with hedgehogs and at the top of my mind is their health and well being. We got Sebastian in February, so we had to be prepared for cold when we got her. And we are, don’t get me wrong. But I keep wondering, is it enough? Should we add more, just to be sure? We heat the hedgie room with a Dyson space heater. It had an internal temperature control that we set at 72F even during the summer, just to make sure everything stays where it should be. 72 degrees on the Dyson means more like 74 to 76 in the cages as the Dyson is near the air vent. Last winter it did the job quite well. We have a back up little propane heater, just in case of electrical emergency. I’m thinking that was great for one hog, but we may want another one or two just in case, to heat the entire area where the kids are.
I’m considering adding CHEs to the cages, but I’m not entirely sure how to attach them given my present set up. Obviously I can put them on top for the top cages, that is easy. But I don’t know how I would heat the bottom cages with a CHE just yet. There is no space between the cage and the shelving to affix a CHE lamp. And I would worry that having the lamp on the side of the cage would be too close to the hedgie. Having it mid between the cages could put too much heat on the plastic bottoms, and wheels and cause damage to them.
It’s a situation I really need to put some deep thought into. And probably money. Which I don’t have. Because of Panama

Who is doing quite well, by the way. He had his splint replaced again yesterday and next Saturday he goes back for follow up xrays to check on his progress. MD has a law where all domestic cats need to have rabies shots on a yearly basis, so he got his rabies shot yesterday as well. Just in case the house is attacked by an army of rabid raccoons, at least Panama will be safe. I couldn’t take it, is really what it was. The vet tech in the office looked at me like I don’t take care of my animals, and rather than explain to her that I have spent close to 1200 on Pan in the past 3 weeks and can’t afford to see my own Dr. to get my own medication for blood pressure, I just paid the 30 bucks for the rabies shot. If she had pushed me again I might have had a heart attack on the spot, so it was a selfish action on my part. The other cats are going to have to wait though. I really do need to get my financial feet back under me. It has been a tough year for pet costs.







I discovered this morning that my pokey children don’t like raw beef. I was surprised. I offered them raw beef Vital brand something or other last night. Only Tiberius ate all of his. The rest of them, all 5 of the rest of them barely even touched it. Even Gabriel, who will eat almost anything.
Guess who gets to finish off the raw beef?
Most of the kids really seem to prefer fish or fowl, so I’m going to hang out in those veins more. Except for Gayle, who will pretty much only eat kibble. I’m afraid she is going to die young from kidney failure. But I keep offering her the other options.
Is there any reason we don’t offer pork to hedgehogs? Is it too much like cannibalism? Or is it actually the trichinosis issue? If the pork is cooked, that would not be a thing. I had just noticed that nowhere in the raw food threads, or the raw food section at the store, or pretty much anywhere, is pork even mentioned as a food option for hedgies, cooked or raw. I understand bacon, and ham, too salty. But a cooked porkchop, unseasoned, should not be an issue if it isn’t against any kind of religious ban. Unless there is something going on I am unaware of, which is always possible

[Lilysmommy]

I think pork just isn't often mentioned because it's not a common baby food, and due to the higher fat and salt content. Trichinosis isn't really an issue for store-bought ham in the US now, so it'd be fine to feed raw. I know with dogs, sometimes pork is something they can't handle, I think due to the high fat. My dog couldn't handle it, unfortunately, it completely messed up her digestive system when I tried introducing it. She loved it, but we had to stop & start back over with just chicken, sigh.

I see no issues with trying pork, raw or cooked, but just make sure you look at the nutrition label carefully for the sodium content. Pork is a really bad one for having sodium added (even the porkchops, etc.), and even without added, it's pretty high-sodium. Make sure the sodium is under 100mg per 4oz serving.

Also, I'm glad Panama is doing well! Sorry the vet tech was so judgmental though. I hope your wallet is able to recover soon. You need to take care of yourself too!

[DesireeM81]

Man my guys love their raw beef! It's the first thing they go for after the bugs or pinkie mice. It's actually the only thing River will eat that isn't her a/d.

I feed Penny ham baby food every now and then and she likes it but it does make her poop a little runnier. Nothing bad, nothing green, just not as firm as it is on nights when I don't feed her it. She is the only one that likes baby food too.

[gracefulchaos01]

just wanted to share a few pics I managed to snap last night of the kids at bath times.

Sebastian and Gayle both desperately seeking escape from the bath tub:





Titan being photogenic:


And Gabriel being... Gabriel.

[CoffeeKat]

You and your kids just make me smile

[ellisrks01]

I love the face in the last picture, lol

by the way my little girl loves the picture of your cat. I was reading the post and she stole my phone, running with it yelling "kitty kitty"

[gracefulchaos01]

Heh. Panama gets all the girls.

[Melanie G.]

All your hedgies are adorable, but Gabriel holds a special place in my heart.

[gracefulchaos01]

I agree Mel. He does with me too. For all he is a crazy biter who makes me hurt and bleed and has left scars, he is also sweet and gentle and oh so very charming. If he were a person he would be dangerous. But for a hedgehog he is really just complicated and in need of a good ... well... you know.