Wobbly Hedgehog Syndrome (WHS): Symptoms & Treatment

Wobbly hedgehog syndrome is something that a lot of owners fear. A WHS diagnosis is, sadly, not good news. But what exactly is it? And what can you do if your pet hedgie gets diagnosed with it?

These are things that many owners don’t know very well. There’s also a lot of misinformation out there when it comes to wobbly hedgehog syndrome. From symptoms to treatment options, you’ll hear many different things.

This guide will serve as the only resource you need when it comes to wobbly hedgehog syndrome. You’ll learn what it is, the symptoms to look for, and the best course of action if your poor hedgie gets WHS.

What Is Wobbly Hedgehog Syndrome?

Wobbly hedgehog syndrome is a rather unpleasant degenerative neurological disorder that affects hedgehogs specifically. As of right now, there is no cure.

At its core, WHS has a lot in common with multiple sclerosis that presents in humans. However, the exact cause of wobbly hedgehog syndrome is not clear. There are some theories that it might be linked to genetics but nothing definitive has been proven yet.

Another theory about the potential cause of wobbly hedgehog syndrome is that dietary factors could have an influence. This is partly due to the fact that certain vitamin supplements can sometimes relieve symptoms temporarily. Again, no firm evidence for this has been found as of yet.

It’s also typical for wobbly hedgehog syndrome to present in hedgehogs who are two or three years old. It isn’t exclusive to this age range, but the vast majority happen around then.

The unfortunate reality with diseases that affect pets is there simply aren’t many resources going into research and prevention. Then when you add that to the unique challenges neurological conditions present, it delays the possibility of a cure even further.

Symptoms

Even if you don’t suspect your hedgehog of having WHS, knowing the symptoms can make a world of difference. It will allow you to recognize the disease and act faster, improving your hedgie’s level of comfort.

Loss Of Motor Control

One of the things you’ll notice if an African pygmy hedgehog has WHS is they might start to wobble (even when standing still). This is because the disease is attacking the neurological connection between their brain and muscles.

It will start at the hind legs and slowly work its way up to the front of the body over time.

At first, the hedgehog might wobble or even drag its legs when trying to stand or move around. After a while, this loss of control will hit the front of the body and their mobility will be severely impacted, rendering them quadriplegic.

Muscle Atrophy

Due to the loss of motor control, their muscles will begin to atrophy. This will follow the disease as it works its way to the front of the hedgehog.

While muscle atrophy itself is not as concerning as the other things wobbly hedgehog syndrome eventually impacts, it can be a useful tool for confirming a diagnosis. Since the loss of mobility and motor control will happen first, any lack of progress there combined with atrophy is a further sign that something is wrong.

In general, a hedgehog affected by WHS will typically become far less active and not engage with toys or wheels they normally use.

Weight Loss

Another early symptom of wobbly hedgehog syndrome is weight loss. This is normally caused by the fact that the affected hedgehog will simply not have the energy or ability to access their food.

Even after the diagnosis and adjustments in feeding options, there will still normally be an amount of residual weight loss.

Treatment And Care

There’s no known cure for WHS as of now, but there are still things that can be done. The methods below will hopefully help slow down the progression of the disease, and most importantly make the affected hedgehog more comfortable.

Take Them To The Vet

The first and most important thing that should be done if you suspect wobbly hedgehog syndrome is to schedule an appointment with your vet. As much as we can provide general information and advice based on best-practices, a vet is your best source of information.

One of the most helpful things your vet can do is give you a firm diagnosis based on clinical signs. There are many illnesses and diseases that can look like wobbly hedgehog syndrome at first, so you want to make sure it’s actually WHS before proceeding. While they can’t give you a 100% diagnosis until they perform an autopsy and look at the spinal cord and tissue in the central nervous system, they can give you a very confident ruling.

All of the following can look like wobbly hedgehog syndrome initially:

• Inner ear issues

• Tumors

• Nutritional deficiencies

• Other neurological diseases

Once your vet has ruled everything else out, they’ll be able to help you move forward with a course of action for treatment and comfort care.

Add Some Vitamin E

It’s often recommended to experiment with vitamin and nutritional improvements as a way to treat some of the symptoms of WHS.

The most common course of action is to add or increase the amount of vitamin E that your hedgehog is consuming. This has been linked to temporary improvements for symptoms in a number of hedgehogs.

However, it’s important to know that the level of efficacy is not predictable and will inevitably fail. Some hedgehogs respond very well to an increase in vitamin E, while others don’t see much improvement. After a while though, it won’t make a difference.

Despite the fact that it’s a short-term measure, it’s 100% worth trying. Whatever needs to be done to provide some extra comfort to a hedgehog with WHS should be done.

Make Sure They’re Warm

Heat is important for any hedgehog, but if they have wobbly hedgehog syndrome it’s something you need to pay extra attention to. Hedgehogs with WHS can have issues staying warm for a couple of reasons.

The first is that they simply aren’t as mobile as before. As you probably know, the ability to move helps generate heat in the body. A hedgehog that’s forced to sit around more than they want will run a little cooler than one that’s active.

The other reason is related to mobility but in a different way. As wobbly hedgehog syndrome progresses, a hedgehog will lose its ability to move around in the cage. This means they can’t seek out warm spots (if you use a heating pad for example) when they’re a little cold.

Being extra attentive to a hedgie with wobbly hedgehog syndrome is necessary. Tuck them in with blankets if needed or reposition them in their cage to warmer areas. It will keep them comfortable and help them maintain the warm body temperature that they need.

Make Their Environment Extra Comfortable

Since wobbly hedgehog syndrome will result in your hedgie spending more time being immobile in their cage, you should do whatever it takes to make that cage as comfortable as possible.

Get some of the best bedding you can and upgrade any liners you’re using as well. Maximize comfort and softness as much as you can to ensure they have a nice place to lay when they don’t have the energy or ability to move around.

When The Time Comes

Wobbly hedgehog syndrome doesn’t have a cure, and when the time comes you will likely have to euthanize for the sake of the hedgehog. It’s awful to have to think about this, but it’s just the way it is.

You don’t want your hedgehog to suffer needlessly at the end of their life, so you should be prepared to make this decision when the time comes. Your vet will likely bring this up as well.

Do the best you can to keep them comfortable and as happy as possible. When things get to the point where they can’t be helped anymore and are simply miserable, it’s time.

Although a bummer to read about, it’s important to have the right information out there about wobbly hedgehog syndrome, and we hope we accomplished that with this guide.

By now you should have a strong understanding of what WHS is, the symptoms it causes, and what you should do after receiving a diagnosis.

We hope this is never something you have to deal with. However, it’s our feeling that you should be prepared in case that time ever comes.

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Is your bird overweight?

Believe it or not, there is such a thing as a fat bird. Too many seeds, too little flying or climbing and suddenly you could be looking at a serious health problem. Here’s what you need to know to make sure your bird stays in shape.

Why Birds Become Overweight

Obesity is a common health problem in captive birds, typically caused by poor nutrition and an all-seed diet.

In the wild, birds get a lot of exercise flying from tree to tree, escaping predators and searching for food. In captivity, birds usually have their wings clipped. If they go anywhere, they usually walk or climb. Their diet is frequently high in fat and low in important nutrients. This situation is the avian equivalent of the person who sits on the couch all day long eating French fries and cheesecake!

How to Know If Your Bird Is Overweight

Obesity in birds can lead to a variety of illnesses with the potential to be deadly. The most devastating is fatty liver disease, which is extremely common in Amazon parrots that eat an inappropriate diet. There are also fatty tumors called lipomas, which are particularly common in some of the smaller birds like budgerigars. Here’s how to know if your bird is overweight:

• Check the breast muscle. The best way to tell if your bird is carrying an appropriate amount of weight is by looking at their breast muscle, which lies over a bone called the keel. When you look at your bird from the front, there should be a bone running down its midline. This is the keel. To either side of that bone, there should be a rounded muscle. If your bird is too fat, they will have “cleavage.” In other words, the keel bone won’t be the most prominent part of your bird’s chest. If your bird is too thin, they will feel bony to the side of the keel and the area alongside the keel will feel concave (curved in) rather than convex (curved out).

• Look for fat. You can also look for subcutaneous fat (below the skin). Feathers grow in tracts, so there will be areas that are non-feathered. One of these areas is along the side of the neck beginning at the base of the jaw. If you part your bird’s feathers to look at this area, you should easily be able to see their jugular vein. If the vein is difficult to see, and there’s a yellowish tint beneath the skin, your bird likely has subcutaneous fat and is gaining unnecessary weight.

• Telltale signs. Other less specific signs of obesity may also be present. For example, if your bird gets out of breath with a small amount of exercise, it may be from carrying extra weight. Also, if your bird’s beak grows excessively long, it may be a sign of fatty liver disease, which is caused by obesity.

• Weigh your bird. Of course, you can weigh your bird periodically using a gram scale. Your veterinarian should also be keeping track of your bird’s weight during their annual physical examination.

Helping Your Bird Lose Weight

Just as it is with people, it’s all diet and exercise. Get your bird on an appropriate diet of pellets, vegetables, some beans, rice, pasta, and a very small amount of fruit. High-fat seeds and nuts are only for treats (the exception is the hyacinth macaw) and should be given in small amounts (one or two seeds) once or twice per week. Pellets should be left in the cage at all times. Home food should be left in the cage for no longer than 30 to 45 minutes at a time.

Try to increase your bird’s activity. If you have access to an outdoor flight cage, use it. If you’re in a situation where you can bird-proof your house so that they can fly indoors under close supervision, give them the opportunity to fly. Increase the frequency of showers because the preening and movement associated with bath time will burn calories. Increase activity by regularly changing the toys in their cage to increase stimulation. (However, be careful with this – if your bird is afraid of strange things, and is prone to feather picking, too frequent changes can be detrimental.)

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Hamster Care 101

Hamsters are adorable, and if you had one as a kid, you probably remember them being easy pets to care for. As you can imagine, it isn't as easy to care for a hamster as it looked as a kid, but once you get the hang of it, you may find that it isn't all that hard either.

The Basics of Hamster Care

If you are thinking about getting a hamster for your child, it would be best if your child is in elementary school or older. A hamster is not ideal for very young children. They require a lot of care, can get a little nippy, and are not always great when handled in small hands. However, once your child is old enough to handle a hamster with care and help clean the cage, they make for a fun and educational pets for families.

What to Look For When Preparing to Bring Home a Hamster

What kind of hamster is right for me?

The amount and type of hamster you’d like is all up to your preference. Syrian hamsters, however, should never be put in pairs on account of the fact they will fight violently over their territory once they reach maturity. Dwarf, Russian, or Chinese hamsters are popular as pets but can be territorial in pairs, but do well only if they are littermates or a mother/child pairing.

What kind of cage should my hamster have?

When choosing a cage, it should be at the very least 15 inches long by 12 inches high, but always opt for something larger if you can extend such luxury to your hamster for additional room to exercise and explore.

What kind of bedding should my hamster have?

When looking for what bedding you might line your hamster’s cage with, it is best to avoid wood shavings. Look for bedding made from plant-based paper fibers or cellulose (an organic compound). Avoid using cat litter, corn cobs, newspaper, and any bedding that is scented (these contain chemicals that can cause respiratory issues).

What kind of toys should my hamster have?

When buying toys for your hamster, an exercise wheel is a must to prevent boredom, and you can also purchase a ball for your hamster to explore the house in (under supervision).

What type of foods do hamsters eat?

Premade bags of hamster food includes a mix of fruits, vegetables, seeds, and grains. However, it is important to supplement this diet with small pieces of fresh vegetables and fruit. It is important to also provide access to fresh, clean water.

What type of foods aren’t good for hamsters to eat?

Not all greens are good for hamsters, neither are all fruits and vegetables. Stick to broccoli, parsley, apple, pear, carrot and turnips while avoiding onions, garlic, chives, leeks, lettuce, raw potatoes and oranges. As hamsters can be prone to diabetes, you’ll want to give them fruit sparingly due to their high contents of sugar.

How to Clean a Hamster’s Cage

Hamsters need clean cages to keep them from getting sick with a number of conditions, including diseases that are transmittable to humans.

Move your hamster to a safe area

As long as you can keep your hamster from rolling off somewhere while you aren't looking, an exercise ball would be an ideal spot to keep your hamster while cleaning its cage. A second cage or deep container that your hamster can’t get out of will also work.

Get rid of bedding

Don’t worry about cleaning your hamster’s bedding, just throw it away and start fresh. Hamsters can sometimes hoard their food, so tossing all bedding will prevent hidden food from molding.

Wash the cage

Use regular soap and warm water to thoroughly rinse and clean your hamster’s cage or container. If you use vinegar, bleach or any other type of cleaning product on the container, make sure everything is thoroughly cleaned off and dried before adding new bedding and returning your hamster back to its cage.

How to Care for Baby Hamsters

If your hamsters breed or you take home a pregnant hamster, you’ll need to know how to care for the babies, which will be generally easy to do in the beginning. No matter how hard it is you must leave them alone for at least a week — just feed and water them and that’s all.

Get a sheet

Cover the cage with a sheet to give the mother an opportunity to get used to her new family, and to also keep odd smells off the babies (which will lower the risk of the mother harming them).

Take a break from cleaning

Give your hamsters their own space for the first week, and then begin cleaning the cage again.

Add protein to the mother’s diet while she nurses

This can include small pieces of boiled egg and chicken.

Separate the hamsters

Eventually, the hamsters will need to be separated, which can be done in the form of purchasing new cages for them to live in or rehoming the babies to new pet parents. Dwarf hamsters should be sexed and separated at about four to five weeks old; Syrian hamsters at about six weeks. Not separating your hamsters can encourage fighting amongst them, spread diseases, and encourage even more pregnancies.

Setting Up Your Hamster’s Home

Start by purchasing everything you need for your hamster, like its cage, food, water, bedding and exercise wheel, then bring your hamster home. You’ll want to make the transition as easy as possible as it can be stressful for a hamster to go from a pet store or a shelter or a rescue to your home. While a pet store, shelter or rescues have loud people and unusual smells, your home has its own unusual noises and smells that your hamster will not be automatically adjusted to.

Hamsters are prone to a bacterial disease called wet tail, which can be caused by changes like coming to a new home or suddenly living in an overcrowded cage, and it can be fatal if not treated within 48 hours. Signs of wet tail include lethargy, loss of appetite, failure to groom and diarrhea. If you see any of the above signs, call your veterinarian immediately to have your pet examined and bring a stool sample to the visit for parasite testing.

Do things right, however, and you and your family will probably love having a hamster. Hamsters are very smart and can be trained. Although at times skittish, you can begin gaining trust to hold them by giving them a treat when they are in your hands. If they're getting food as a treat, they smell your hands and see your fingers and anticipate being held & pet, and getting a nice treat.

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Pet Poison Prevention: Toxins in the Living Room

While your living room may be one of your pet’s favorite places to hang out, it can also be one of the most dangerous! Be cognizant of these common living room dangers and make sure to follow these helpful poison proofing tips.

Learn about your plants! Some common household plants may be toxic to pets (and not people). For example, lilies (Lilium and Hemerocallis spp.) are especially poisonous to cats, so quickly eliminate them from any bouquets. The ingestion of just 1-2 petals can be fatal to a cat. Always consult our Top 10 Poisonous Plants list before buying new plants for your home.

Keep home fragrance products, such as simmer pots of liquid potpourri, well out of reach. These products may cause chemical burns if ingested.

Never spray aerosols or any heavily fragranced products around caged birds. They are especially sensitive to any airborne products.

Keep ashtrays and smoking cessation products such as nicotine chewing gum or patches out of reach. Even cigarette butts contain enough nicotine to cause poisoning in pets.

Be careful with batteries! Dogs enjoy chewing on batteries and battery-containing devices such as remote controls and cell phones. If ingested, they can cause serious chemical burns.

Hang up your purse! Pets love to dig through purses and backpacks which often contain potential pet poisons such medications, cigarettes or sugar-free gum with xylitol.

Even with the best planning and intentions, our pets will occasionally be exposed to toxic substances in the living room. If you suspect your pet has had a toxic exposure call your veterinarian or Pet Poison Helpline immediately as time is of the essence. It is not always safe to induce vomiting or administer other home remedies. Seek counsel before taking action.

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