[batman2101]

Hi, I've had Alfred now for nearly 2 years, it's his second birthday in two days. He's relatively healthy, but he does have WHS, but its not that bad and and he is on meds for it.
Recently, like this has only happened three times now, when hes sleeping and hes on his back, he'll go a very very limp, as in when i pick him up he just curves in my hand, the opposite of what hedgies usually do. The first time i got very worried very fast and moved him, and he kind of woke up startled and just went back up and to normal. But the most recent time his heart rate seemed to slow down, and his eyes were open a little while he was flopped and i kind of had to shake him a little to get him back. I have no idea what this is, and I can't go to the vets get as we have no way to get there at the moment.
His heat mat is fine, he eats and drinks fine and he uses his wheel like normal. Nothing about him is unusual, but this is scaring me cause he goes so so limp it's like he is dead.
Any help would be really appreciated, thanks

 

[Artemis-Ichiro]

How did you come up with the diagnosis? Do you have a heating lamp or a heater, thermostat and thermometer? Heating mats are not recommended.

 

[Draenog]

You can't say your hedgehog has WHS. WHS is a degenerative disease which can only be diagnosed after death, through autopsy. It also has no cure so there are no meds for it. I strongly suggest a second opinion at another vet. Many inexperienced (or sometimes even experienced) vets think something is WHS while in reality it is actually something else most of the time.

That being said, to me it sounds as if he's really deep asleep when he's that limb and relaxed.

 

[batman2101]

oh, well i live in an area which is not very popular for hedgehogs, so the vets i have is limited in what they would know. the one that told me he had whs prescribed alfred with 1ml of epilepsy meds for humans, which did make him better than he was originally. (he was the only vet who reallly had any african pgymy knowledge but he claimed to know a lt and had treated previous hedgies beforehand)
and yes he has a thermometer and i check the heats mats fine every time i come in my room or i get him out etc so that's not the problem.
he may be in a deep sleep as he does only do it whne he is asleep im just worried about the fact he seems extremely limp and the most recent time he seemed quite dazed when he came out of it. do you think i should see a vet?
thanks

 

[Hogsmeade]

What temperature are you keeping him at? That sounds to me like he's coming out of hibernation attempts, caused by the temperature being too low.

Let us know what temp his cage is at when you get a chance.

 

[Draenog]

What temperature are you keeping him at? That sounds to me like he's coming out of hibernation attempts, caused by the temperature being too low.

Let us know what temp his cage is at when you get a chance.

Coming out of an hibernation attempt looks very different.

Does he still have trouble with what he's getting his meds for?

 

[batman2101]

not while on the meds no. his problems were that his personality changed massively, he was constantly hissing while being held and popping and jumping, as well as biting very defensively even if i was completely still. this was nothing like he had been for the past year and a half of me having him. again nothing bad was happening and everything else was fine (food, wheel usage ect). but when he had the meds hes fine, he has one ml a day in a little syringe, its called Levetiracetam (the vet said it was a human medication for epilepsy).
and the temperature in his cage is at 25 up to 28 degrees celsius constantly
btw this behavior was said to be WHS by the vet, i don't know if that is or isn't true as he has no issues walking or navigating at all and doesn't seem to have the common symptoms of the condition

 

[Draenog]

I would definitely recommend going to a different vet in the future because it sounds like this one has zero idea what he/she's doing to be honest... those things are not even close to symptoms of WHS.
Personally, I'd go to someone else for a second opinion.

 

[batman2101]

okay then thank you, do you think that this sudden limpness is due to him just having a really deep sleep? because it is only when he does go to sleep but i want to be sure as the last time he did it was quite worrying

 

[Draenog]

To me it sounds like it, but we can't tell you for sure through our screens. You might still want to get him a check-up at a different vet considering his sudden behaviour change, there could be something else going on.

 

[Yukidama's mama]

I'm a fairly new hedgie owner and don't have experience with hedgie medication but you say the medication the vet prescribed is for human use so I'm therefore wondering could the medicine be making your hedgie drowsy? I believe medicine to treat epilepsy generally causes drowiness in humans, maybe this is what is causing him to go into a deep sleep/be limp? How long has he been on the medication and does the time he started this medication tie in with these limp episodes?

I also think you should seek another vet opinion. Perhaps his previous behaviour changes were warning signs of something else was wrong with him?