Are you a lucky person to have an Earth Hedgehog as a pet? We congratulate you very much, but if you are interested in knowing a few more things about their care, or about their origin, we invite you to read this article and find out what you need to know.
The Earth Hedgehog
Some years ago the hedgehog, also called the African hedgehog, entered the group of exotic animals that live together with humans as pets. However, it is good that you know that since 2012, the sale, breeding and transfer of African and Egyptian hedgehogs has been prohibited in some countries, such as Spain, although it is still a companion animal that is very popular in others. places on the globe, such as Mexico or Argentina.
Basic care that the Hedgehog needs
Broadly speaking, the hedgehog is a very exotic animal, with nocturnal behavior, which spends most of its time sleeping, it is a creature that has a lot of intelligence and is very docile, which makes it easy to care for.
It has a life expectancy that is between 5 and 8 years old and its main characteristic is that it is nocturnal and crepuscular, which means that it spends most of the day sleeping and only comes out of its burrow at night. to find their food and exercise.
Having knowledge of these characteristics, let's see what are the basic care that should be lavished on a hedgehog that we have as a pet:
Accommodations
As with other rodents, and although they are allowed to freely move around the house, the hedgehog normally lives in a cage that may have originally been built for guinea pigs or rabbits, but must be of an adequate size so that the animal can move easily.
In addition, it is possible that the cage may have several internal implements, such as floors, tubes or ramps so that the animal can play and its stay is much more fun and enjoyable. But we particularly recommend that the cage be as far away from drafts as possible, because hedgehogs are very prone to catching cold.
It is also recommended that a kind of house or shelter be installed inside the cage, although it can be considered that a necessary element due to the characteristics of this little animal is a thermal blanket, because this little creature has a tendency to hide under her to avoid sunlight and keep warm. The temperature that is considered ideal is the one that is between 25º and 35º.
Food
Hedgehogs are insectivorous mammals, due to which their diet consists of consuming live or canned insects, but we recommend that you use them as a treat to reward them.
The main food options are the food that is specific to its species or, failing that, light food for baby cats, as well as some fruits and vegetables, among which can be found banana, apple, watermelon, pear, spinach, cucumber or radish, which must be supplied chopped to make it easier for them to consume them. The proper amount is two tablespoons for food and one dessert spoon for fruits and vegetables.
Hygiene
Of course, it is obvious that the cage must be cleaned and disinfected from time to time, and the same must be done with the device from which it drinks water and from which it grabs its food, because it can accumulate many bacteria.
Another very important thing is that you constantly remove the faeces and the moist areas of the substrate from the bottom of the cage, since the cage of the hedgehogs must include this element in the soil so that it absorbs the animal's odors and urine. What is used is that it is made of very soft and comfortable paper.
In addition to the recommended care, experts indicate that the hedgehog should only be bathed about 2 times a year, for which you need a neutral shampoo, a toothbrush to rub between its quills and a towel that do not have threads, because there is a danger that the animal will get hooked and you will hurt it.
Another aspect of cleaning that is recommended is that the nails be cut when they are very long, for which you can benefit from your next visit to the vet, and ask a true professional to do it for you.
Health condition
With the hedgehog it does not happen as with other pets, which require special care, on the contrary, as far as its health is concerned, it is a very easy animal to maintain. But, this does not mean that we should not review them every so often in order to verify that they are in the best conditions.
For this reason, it is important that you know what its habits are correctly, because in every sense it is an animal of customs. If you notice that he does not eat for a few days or defecates at times that are not usual, it may be symptoms that he has some type of illness.
If this situation arises, we recommend that you go to the vet for a check-up and, from that moment on, try to visit this expert repeatedly for a check-up, because as they are nocturnal animals, sometimes they do not we realize that there are some problems with them.
One of those problems that are usually frequent are parasites, both external and internal. If your hedgehog suffers from a parasite infection, it will be more upset and nervous than usual, so it is very important to pay attention to its behavior and control it from time to time.
You must check it well, because there are tiny insects that adhere to their skin and cause itching that they cannot bear, in addition to transmitting other diseases.
In the case of external deworming, there are several selamectin-based products that, when applied to the hedgehog's back, will remove the parasites. It will be necessary to monitor the progress of the procedure until we are sure that our hedgehog is free of this problem.
However, if it's a matter of internal deworming, it's recommended that you take a stool sample to the veterinarian so they can perform the necessary tests to determine if your hedgehog has this problem. It's not advisable to impose these treatments without being certain of the type of parasites involved. Only then can the veterinarian prescribe the most effective treatment.
One of the important measures that you should always keep in mind is to make sure that your hedgehog always has fresh water available so that it does not become dehydrated, keep all its toys and accessories clean and disinfected, always prevent any sudden change in temperature and prevent the animal from going through situations that stress it, such as frequent trips or taking it out of its cage too much.
These that we have given you are prevention tips for the health of your hedgehog to keep it in good condition and not suddenly deteriorate.
contact with humans
The best way to determine if your hedgehog is doing well is to study its behavior. As we have explained to you at the beginning of this reading, it is a very calm and docile animal, so if you see any sign of nervousness or irritability, you have to be very vigilant.
An example of this is that at times when a hedgehog feels that it is under threat, it is usual for it to emit a sound that is very similar to a constant panting or puffing, and that may be accompanied by some small jumps or bounces. .
Another sign that you should be concerned about is if he bites you at some point. This means that he wants you to leave him alone or it could also be that your hands smell like food and the little animal is hungry. If the hedgehog bites you, do not let go of it suddenly, because it will bite you harder and the wound could worsen. What you should do is blow on his face, and in this way he will let you go.
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