[Stephanie76]

My 1.75 year old hedgie, Pequop (pay-kwop), has not been running on her wheel ( http://hedgehogsbyvickie.com/whisperwheels.htm ) the last 3 nights. Nothing has changed in her cage. I have checked the wheel to makes sure it is working, and it does. I have been counting her kibble to make sure that she isn't rejecting her food and water, which she isn't.. She is eating juuuuust fine. Her mood is exactly the same and still enjoys running all over me during our play time at night. The temperature in her room is at a steady 77 F degrees and I tried upping the temperature last night as I know some older hedgies require more heat... and nothing changed. I know she got on her wheel and made some poopoo's but she didn't actually wheel. Looks like she just got on it, poo'd and hopped right off. Her stool is very healthy looking, good color and great consistency. She did explore other regions of her C&C cage, i.e. tearing through her carefresh litter box rather than actually using it... I checked her feet to make sure there weren't any cuts or over-grown nails, and her feets were as healthy and kissable as ever...

My concern is her exercise. I do get her out for about 2 hours a night and let her explore through blankets and lay on my lap to rest. She is being fed a mixture of low fat - medium protein foods (found on Reaper's food list) and she is a good size hedgie. She still can roll into a ball with no problem, so she isn't obese but I just want my lovie to wheel again.

Any suggestions on how to get her on her wheel again? She is a picky eater so "normal" treats don't really apply to this hedgehog.

Thanks in advance!

 

[Stephanie76]

Anyone? Any thoughts?



She again, didn't use her wheel last night.

 

[Hedgieonboard]

I'm not sure but just a couple of ideas that came to mind, is there any new noises around the time your hedgie comes out and play? Or maybe is there something new in the room or a new light? Those are the only things I can think of cause you said temp and everything else is the same.

 

[spritecann]

my hedgie has recently done the same i think i used to hear the squeak of the wheel at night and now nothing las night i caught him half on it i believe pooping, i think im just going to try a CWS on him tho since the currently wheel is getting a bit small (i opted for a smaller wheel) and he is still young.

 

[nikki]

sometimes if the front of the wheel is tilted down, or if it tilts down when they get on it, they slip off alot and give up. The problem with the wheel you showed is that they aren't adjustable, but you can try to put something like a plastic lid, or a piece of chloroplast under the front of the stand to see if that helps.

 

[Kmanzo]

My hedgie has not been running in her wheel for the past 5 nights either. I can't figure it out. If you find anything out please let me know. I'm stumped.

 

[krbshappy71]

This may seem a bit far-stretched for any of you to do, but wanted to suggest it in case you are still having issues with your hedgie not using the wheel. Setup a video camera on "night shot" and video tape their activity. That will show you if they are attempting the wheel, scared of the wheel, falling off the wheel, perhaps limping after wheeling but then fine by morning, etc. I did it with my Riley and now that they are in my bedroom I sometimes watch them if I wake up in the middle of the night so I can learn their normal behavior.

Granted, the video gets a little boring after a few hours of "eat, run, drink, run," but it was worth fast-forwarding through different sections to see what is really going on in their world.

 

[Stephanie76]

I think that is a GREAT idea krbshappy!

My lady hog finally resumed running on her wheel about 5 days ago. I was so happy when I walked into the Hog Room and saw that I had TWO wheels to clean instead of just one :shock: !!! So funny how a poop-covered wheel makes me smile. :roll:

As for what I changed, I took Nikki's advice and tried tilting the wheel even further back to see if that would help. It still took her about 3 nights after I did that to when she actually wheeled again. I think something/some situation might have discouraged her from running and it was just her taking a break from wheeling.. But, after almost a month of not running, she is back at it and isn't shy about wheeling in front of me.

Kmanzo-

Have you recently rearranged her cage? How often do you clean the wheel and with what do you use to clean it? Is the temperature warm enough in the room? Is she getting enough light for 12-14 hours a day? Have you looked at the bottom of your hogs feet to see if there are any injuries or sores? Are her toenails too long? Diet change? What kind of wheel do you use??

I know, tons of questions, but it really will help us help you!

 

[Ben & Kat 07]

My hedgehog goes through phases. He'll wheel all night every night for months and will just stop for a spell. Then he "rediscovers" his wheel and is all excited again. I think it is normal to have little episodes like that.