Grace Kelly
Member
- Joined
- Aug 14, 2010
- Messages
- 12
Hello, everyone! Perhaps some of you recall me from the old CnQ? If so, hello. If not... hello!
To start this post off, I will say my hedgie, who is aprox 4 years and 3-4 months old now has been a WONDERFUL pet. Aside from a minor ear infection in 2008, I believe, his health has been nothing but astounding. *knock on wood*
However, he is getting older. I have noticed a few minor things as he ages, which are probably normal, and some other behavioual changes.
So overall, he's pretty awesome. I check his body regularily to see if anything is changing. Nothing has, except for...
the little dot on his nose in this photo of him recently. Click here! I just took that pic. You see that little speck of brown in the middle of his nose (is that the proper term for that area?)
It has been there for about maybe 1-1.5 years now. It has not changed at all since the first day I saw it, and if it has, it isn't drastic enough for me to really have noticed at all. I do NOT recall it not being there previously, though, when I first got him 4 years ago. I do not think it is a wound of sorts, since it would have healed over a billion times by now, yes?
My real question is one that no one can answer. I'm just terrified of losing him. Yes, I understand loss of pets is common, just like losing your parents, or a spouse, or God forbid, a child. That is life. But I am really hoping his streak of good luck continues with health. What can I expect at his age? What are some tell-tale signs that something is terribly wrong (besides the obvious like not eating, different stools, WHS, visible tumours)?
How did your hedgies age? What happened as they approached the 4-5 year mark?
Any advice is awesome.
Glad to be back here, if only for a short while -- a trip to Europe on Monday! But not to worry -- my dad will take care of the little bugger here in Canada.
To start this post off, I will say my hedgie, who is aprox 4 years and 3-4 months old now has been a WONDERFUL pet. Aside from a minor ear infection in 2008, I believe, his health has been nothing but astounding. *knock on wood*
However, he is getting older. I have noticed a few minor things as he ages, which are probably normal, and some other behavioual changes.
- He eats lots! His appetite is unusually large in the past 6 months. He also drinks plenty of water, but he has always been an avid water drinker
- He has put on some weight, which is AWESOME! I always said he is the runt of the litter. I think when I got him he weighed in at a mere 150-200 grams. I would guess him to be anywhere from 300-350 now. Overall, his health seems pretty fine to me! He has always been pretty thin, but since he started to eat loads, he has been pretty plump. I mean this in a good way.
- He still enjoys running on his wheel plenty. My boyfriend took care of him while I was away and commented he runs a lot. Howeverrrrr, maybe not as much as he used to. He would literally run a marathon in one night for about 5 hrs non stop. Now it's more like 2-3.
- He comes out in the daytime more often, and is not shy of letting me watch him eat.
So overall, he's pretty awesome. I check his body regularily to see if anything is changing. Nothing has, except for...
the little dot on his nose in this photo of him recently. Click here! I just took that pic. You see that little speck of brown in the middle of his nose (is that the proper term for that area?)
It has been there for about maybe 1-1.5 years now. It has not changed at all since the first day I saw it, and if it has, it isn't drastic enough for me to really have noticed at all. I do NOT recall it not being there previously, though, when I first got him 4 years ago. I do not think it is a wound of sorts, since it would have healed over a billion times by now, yes?
My real question is one that no one can answer. I'm just terrified of losing him. Yes, I understand loss of pets is common, just like losing your parents, or a spouse, or God forbid, a child. That is life. But I am really hoping his streak of good luck continues with health. What can I expect at his age? What are some tell-tale signs that something is terribly wrong (besides the obvious like not eating, different stools, WHS, visible tumours)?
How did your hedgies age? What happened as they approached the 4-5 year mark?
Any advice is awesome.
Glad to be back here, if only for a short while -- a trip to Europe on Monday! But not to worry -- my dad will take care of the little bugger here in Canada.