[Animallova]

Hi Im Animal lova and im 12 (will be thirteen in july) I live in oregon. Thats all Im going to say on that. I own 2 hamsters right now and they are around one or two years old. I hope they live a good long life for hammys. After my hammys I'm thinking about getting a hedgehog. but im not 100% into it. I really want one because they do sound like one of the best pets for me right now. What do I need to know about them? (I read the page on the site.) Is there something that the page does not tell you?

 

[dorasdaddy]

You need to be aware of 2 very key points in my opinion....


1.) Hedgehogs require a strong commitment if they are ever to be socialized and have a happy life. You have to interact with them on a daily basis. Their cage also has to be spot cleaned daily.

2.) With you being a minor, your parents need to be aware of the potential expense of owning a hedgehog. A vet visit can be anywhere from 60 dollars all the way to several thousand. Also their diet can be expensive as well...Each of our girls are on a 3 food mix, and niether of them like the same food...that is 6 different food at a cost of at least 10 dollars a bag. I also just built a cage for one of the girls and with accesories is going to be over 100 dollars.

Im not telling you this to scare you away, just dont want you to think that owning a hedgie is all sunshine and roses...takes work and money to have a healthy hog.

 

[Animallova]

Yes I have heard all that before. (My aunt tried to dicurage me same stuff to scary) Thank you for your advise and oppionon. Im only planning one hedgy. I have already taken a vet class. Not the point. I have to purchase the pet with my money and most of the time I have to pay vet bills unless the hedgy will truely need it. (I have to pay the check up bills if any are needed.) How often do hedgys need a vet?

 

[Aleshea]

How often do hedgys need a vet?

I take mine at least twice a year and more if needed.

 

[Animallova]

Do they get sick often? Do the vet trips cost alot alot?

 

[azyrios]

a checkup can run 60$ and for any problems (mites, tumors, cancer, swelling, constipation) those vet bills can easily run in the hundreds. One user has payed over $1100 for their hedgie in the last 3 months, and is trying to raise money to remove a tumor. The surgery will cost $650.

 

[Reaper]

As a general rule any animal who has survived basically unchanged for 50 Fifty count them fifty MILLION years isn't prone to sickness. But with any pet things can come up especially in their later years.

 

[Animallova]

Ok I can make no sence of that. Does that mean the older the hedgehog the more likely he is to get sick? I understand that. I'm hoping to become a small animal vet when I am older. ( I know hedgehogs dont fall into that cattegory but I still want to learn as much as I can about them) Any more advice? Do hedgehogs stink?

 

[Lilysmommy]

They themselves don't stink. They don't emit stinky odors from scent glands like ferrets do. However, their pee and poop sure stink! :lol: I've heard that baby hedgehog pee especially smells nasty. I don't remember noticing Lily's smelling that bad when she was little, though maybe I was so enamored with her that I didn't notice?

 

[Immortalia]

I don't think that they "especially" stink. All through the first 2 months I've had my hedgie, he's been kept in my room. He's in my room on the weekends when I go home to my mom's house. I do "smell" his scent, but I don't find it especially bad, and it goes away fairly quickly. My hedgie smells like flax seed :lol: If that helps any XD But that's just cause I add flax seed oil to his back and his bath rinse.

The generalization is that the older ANY animal is, the more likely they are to get sick. Their immune systems start wearing down, and bones/joints are wearing down, just like they do in humans. If they are taken care of properly(proper food, cage, general maintenance) They should be fine for their youth years. Of course, anything cancerous can always pop up.

Best advice is to read through ALL the stickies on this forum, do a search if you can't find something, then ask again if you still have questions afterwards. There is a lot of great information here, and I spent the first month reading through every single thread on the forum and it really helps.

 

[Aleshea]

I spend about $300 a year to the vet on my hedgies if nothing goes wrong. But I also spend much more than that on good cat food, litter,toys,mealworms ect....I dont even want to add it all up LOL! But they are great pets to have and I love my Hedgies! Just do all the research you can and make sure you have a good savings going.. then get everything the new hedgie will need...Then when you find the perfect one from a breeder you can have the joy of being a hedgehogs pet...Good luck and welcome to the forum!

 

[azyrios]

from what i gather from reaper it was a joke.

The only creatures that have really lived fro 50 million years are fish, bugs, turtles, crocodiles and other such prehistoric creatures.

Dinosaurs went extinct 65 million years ago, and after their extinction a lot of animals that survived changed greatly. Depending on your beliefs evolution took hold and things started to change.

So basically, if a creature from just after the dinosaurs went extinct, is still alive today and basically unchanged, that species has survived 50 million years of disease, and chances are it is not highly susceptible to any natural disease that occur in their climate on earth.

Other than insects and fish i am not certain of many creatures that fall in this category.

 

[Animallova]

I know the older the animal the more chance it has of getting sick. Thanks for all your help! If any body has something else they would like to add please do so! Thanks a ton!