[Lilysmommy]

Vet time. They could be a skin infection of some kind, so it'd be a good idea to go get them checked out.

What kind of cat food is he getting? Good quality cat food is fine, but the protein & fat do need to be appropriate and lower quality cat foods aren't great. How long have you had him?

 

[Lilysmommy]

Can you give the full name of the food? Most of Purina's foods are pretty awful, some are less bad, but I'm not a fan of the brand in general.

If he's getting a good quality cat food (preferably a mix of two or more), he'll be getting what he needs and it won't hurt him if he refuses to eat anything else. It's just a good idea to offer things so they can get some fresh sources of nutrients and since bugs are a large part of their diet in the wild.

Tanks do keep heat in well, but they're not a good choice for hedgehogs. They also can have moisture build up at the bottom because they don't have good ventilation, even with no lid or a screen lid. If you want something that will hold heat well, it'd be a better idea to use a modified plastic tote - you can drill or melt holes in the sides for improved ventilation, but they still hold heat better than wire cages.

What temperature is the cage staying at, do you know? Heat lamp is great, and definitely an improvement on how he was being kept! But it's important to know the actual temperature too, and for the lamp to give off heat only, no light.

I'd still take him to the vet, just to make sure of what's going on with him. Situations can sometimes be different, even if it looks similar. And if you haven't had him at the vet yet, it's a good idea to see a vet before you have to take him in for an emergency situation. Hedgehogs should have wellness visits at least once a year, some people do twice a year because they're so small & problems can come up so quickly.

 

[Lilysmommy]

Unfortunately that's one of the poorer lines. Purina's chow line has pretty bad ingredients, and I would really recommend switching to a higher quality brand. There's more information about food & what to look for in one here - http://www.hedgehogcentral.com/foru...3034-beginner-s-guide-hedgehog-nutrition.html and some commonly found brands that have appropriate foods available from them here - http://www.hedgehogcentral.com/forums/12-diet-nutrition/23042-recommended-foods-list.html

Do you know how many gallons the tank is? It'll be okay for short-term, but I would really suggest moving him into a modified tote or another cage with better ventilation in the future. Other enclosures have the added benefit of being a lot easier to move and clean, especially totes.

For heating, you want the entire enclosure to be the same temperature - hedgehogs don't need a warm side & cool side like reptiles do, and it can cause problems. Temperature drops or too-cool temperatures can trigger hibernation attempts, which they can't come out of without help. If they don't get warmed back up (against your body or on a heating pad on low is best), they will die. Even if they get warmed back up, hibernation attempts can cause URIs, which need medication or they can die from pneumonia. There's more information on heating set ups here - http://www.hedgehogcentral.com/forums/113-heating/4048-heating-your-hedgehog-s-cage-simplified.html though I think the links are outdated. I need to fix that when I have a chance!