[strawberryfields]

Hi everyone, sorry I haven't been very active on the boards lately. Being in college and having a hedgehog are both very time consuming. :lol:

Anyway, Rocko and I are having a bit of a problem. He's about six months old now and was always the sweetest baby, but the past three weeks or so he has been grumpier than I've ever seen him. He doesn't want to be handled at all and will curl up into a tight ball if I try to pick him up. On the rare occasion that I do get to hold him, he has his quills up the whole time. His nails desperately need to be trimmed, but I can't do it! As soon as I touch his feet he goes into a ball and huffs at me until I put him back in his cage. I even tried putting him in the bath to trim his nails so he couldn't curl up, and he bit me instead.

I don't know if hedgehogs go through puberty, but I'm really hoping this is temporary. I miss my sweet little guy.
He is eating normally, but I did notice that he didn't run on his wheel last night. I think that might possibly be because his nails are too long.

I don't know what to do.

 

[Nancy]

It could be puberty. Just keep handling him gently even if he grumps.

 

[Stephanie76]

Sorry to hear that Rocko has been a stinky-pants lately.

It is hopefully a phase, but just for the sake of being redundant, keep handling him even if he is moody and huffs away. Putting them back in their cage could possibly teach them that if they throw an attitude with you, they will get put back...

Also, I would try to find some way to get your little Rocko's nails trimmed. I am lucky that I have the advantage of having my husband to help me in the grooming department, but it is important to do. I noticed a few months back that I was fixating on clipping the back nails and failed to noticed how long the front ones were getting.. hence they were starting to curl under... (doesn't take much for those front claws to swoop under heading straight for their paws) and it contributed to a few nights of one of mine not wheeling and being slightly moody.

Do you have a family member.. friend.. or a neighbor that could come over and just hold your hog for you while you trim? If you do, you can have the person hold your hedgie in their hand with their fingers spread just enough for one hedge-foot to fall through and then you can do the funky back bends I have to do to get at the nail from underneath.. Even if the hog is moody, this still seems to work for me.

Good luck!!!!

 

[strawberryfields]

Thanks for the replies.

Hedgedaddy has tried to help me a few times too, but it just ends with both of us in pain! :lol: The method we've always used is that he holds him still while I grab his little feet and trim the nails. It's always worked until now.

Fortunately, I found a way to at least trim the longest nails a little while ago. My roommate brought home some little crickets for his sugar glider and there was one who was injured and couldn't hop very much, so we let Rocko chase it around and while he was busy following the cricket I was able to get a few nails. They still need trimming, but I got all the worrisome ones that were starting to curl under. Then he ate the cricket, so everybody was happy.

 

[Hedgieonboard]

I think I remember a while back that Lizardgirl posted an awesome picture of how she was able to hold the paw and trim. If I can't find the link hopefully she will come along because she usually has very helpful pictures of those things

 

[ehanton]

You could try trimming them while you are giving him a bath because they can't curl up when they are in a few inches of water. Thats what I do with Maisy and it works great!

 

[LizardGirl]

Eghhhhh... I just went through a TON of posts trying to find the one where I had posted a pic of holding feet for nail trimming, and I can't find it! Though in the Hygiene section of my book both those pictures are shown, if you want to go look there.

Sorry!

 

[Madalyn Gerken]

So recently my little Hedgie Hagrid went to the vet and first time and for the last 4 days after hes been so jumpy and hissing at me this behavior is nothing like him and I'm getting concerned hes about a year old now and I've had him since he was 7weeks what should I do

 

[Spiky_Floof<3]

So recently my little Hedgie Hagrid went to the vet and first time and for the last 4 days after hes been so jumpy and hissing at me this behavior is nothing like him and I'm getting concerned hes about a year old now and I've had him since he was 7weeks what should I do

SO, just a heads up for next time, you can start a new thread, or just look at the dates on the threads. Just because this one is 10 years old

 

[Madalyn Gerken]

SO, just a heads up for next time, you can start a new thread, or just look at the dates on the threads. Just because this one is 10 years old
[/QUOT
I wasnt sure how to do so I'm sorry

 

[Spiky_Floof<3]

No problem, you go to forums, click the one you want to post in, and then you can find a button that says, start new discussion, or new thread, and click that

 

[Madalyn Gerken]

No problem, you go to forums, click the one you want to post in, and then you can find a button that says, start new discussion, or new thread, and click that

Thank you!!