Nancy said:
He is just a baby. I wouldn't give up on him. I totally understand how vet bills pile up. What I would do is bring him home and work on getting him healthy yourself. If he is eating well, that is a step in the right direction and a healthy appetite usually means they aren't in pain.
Do a write up of all his symptoms, when they started, what the vet says and include his age. Post it here and to CnQ and Hedgehog Help and Welfare and I'm sure someone will have some suggestions for you.
Well, I decided I'm going to keep him. I can't accept the idea of him being put down. Life is more precious then money $600 and I will keep my promise to that. He is eating more on his own then them feeding him. But he is still weak, they are going to continue nebulization treatment. He is still weak and lethargic. I asked the vet if when we got him the sneezing could of been the first sign and they said yes. It progressed as the days went on. So basically he has respatory infection and hypoglycemia. They are taking xrays and going to keep him for a day or 2 depending on how bad his lungs are. The sneezing and the nose licking stayed the same throughtout the week and saturday is when things went wrong. I woke up at 6 am and saw him eating, drinking water and taking poos. Everything seemed like the days before, he went back on the wheel did his routine. Well as the days progressed, I notice he was just drinking water and playing on his wheel. I didn't think anything of it, maybe he wasn't hungry. But I watched him closely, he stopped drinking water and just kept on playing on his wheel. Well I noticed green diarrhea so I called the vet I was going to take him to Monday and asked them if he needs to be bought him right away, they suggested that it could be his diet or stressed and to bring in a stool sample on Monday. His poop was just fine til now, I mean nothing has changed, i've been feeding him the same food and I don't pick it up for more then 2-3 times just so he can smell me. Hung up with them and looked online for another vet. I turned away for about 10 minutes and I look back, I see that he's sitting on his back legs and see he try to walk. I pick him up and place him on a blanket and he tried walking, but he couldn't move his right leg, like it had no energy. That lasted about 15 seconds, and that's went I started calling vets and all were closed, but finally I found Animal 911. I told them what's happening and they told me to bring him in right away. I stated before took me 2 hours, but it's a 2 hour drive and I drove there in less or about an hour. They kept him from Saturday to this morning. This morning I went to go pick him up, but they suggested I should wait til the exotic vet comes in at 9. I went to get some BK and I just didn't have the stomach to eat so I just drank the orange juice. I talked to the exotic vet she said they wanted to keep him for a day or 2 and take some xrays of his lungs and keep nebulizing him. And I agreed to do so and they'll give me a update later this afternoon.
I talked to the animal store owner and he said he can replace/exchange it or if I wanted to keep him he can give me $50 dollars for medication. I was pissed as ****, $50 when I just paid $600 in medical bills, when they should of gotten him checked by a vet before they sold a sick animal. There probably isn't much I can do in reguards with the animal store, but I will be filing a complaint with whoever I can.
Thank you for letting me tell my story. Some of my friends don't understand why I am keeping it, but I'm sure most of you guys will understand.
I got to have some time with him before they took in back into care. I held it and it licked my hand with his eyes closed. When I put in back in the cage, it stood up turned around and looked at me
