Paddington having fits!!

[tacotac]

This must be the third or fourth time he has ever done that. Sometimes he just has one of those days, and the whole day he is the angriest, most agitated and frustrated hedgie ever. Every other time he is great. This morning was one of his "off" days. I took him out early this morning to hold him before I left for an interview, and he was sooooooo upset!!!

Huffing, popping, thrusting, lunging at me. I just left him underneath his blanket on the couch for awhile as I usually do, and he wouldn't calm down, and I wasn't even touching him!! The whole hour and a half he was restless, popping underneath his blanket like popcorn. Once again I was just minding my own business on my laptop. I put him in his cage before I got ready to leave, and he just ran around and didn't settle down. As I got ready to go I looked in again, and he still didn't calm down.

I came home later today and took him out and once again i touch him and he gets in his fits again. He'd also pull his quills over one side of his head like he was itching. He also started scratching at himself. Maybe he is mad because he has an insect bite, or an allergic reaction, or something is irritating his skin. Maybe that's why he didn't like me touching him.

He seemed irritated like that the other times he had been "worked up" too. What do you think is wrong with him? Why does he have these fits periodically?

 

[charlie]

My Greyson has done the same thing and it will actually go as far as him biting himself to the point where he draws blood. I have found a bath, with no soap or even the aveeno that people recommend does wonders to calm him. JUst warm water and a couple of drops of flax seed oil into a cup of warm water to pour all over him has worked to sooth whatever is driving him into a mad like state. We still believe it is either hormonal or allergy related. We did get him checked and treated as a precaution for mites. NOt sure if this helps. I even provided a cold tile for him to rest his belly on which seems to sooth him as well. I give him his space on days like these and speak softly to him to try to calm him. This is of course after we had gone through numerous vet checks to make sure there were no injuries or illness.

 

[Nancy]

Whenever I've had one that suddenly goes nutty like that, very often they have a quill bent the wrong way and is poking into them. Once the quill is moved they immediately settle down.

It could be a bug bite or something else bugging at him but when they are agitated like this, checking can be difficult.

 

[tacotac]

I will try the bathing technique. He has been scratching at himself too, and I also know he bites at himself. Last time he did this he kept biting at his right chest area, and left a big scab which healed. Believe it or not, I looked last night and it looks like he has been biting there again, so he must be allergic to something. He calmed down a bit today.

 

[Kate n Gwennie]

My Hedgie constantly chews just below her chest... she's done it for a while, I've taken her to the vet but he hasn't been able to help her. I hope you figure out what is wrong!!