Why won't my hedgehog eat?

Chinchilla & Hedgehog Pet Forum

Help Support Chinchilla & Hedgehog Pet Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.

andreaf

New member
Joined
Mar 10, 2011
Messages
1
I've had him for about a month and he used to eat either half of his food dish or the whole thing every night (it's kind of small). I've been feeding him the same cat food that the lady I got it from fed him and there was no problem before. But I filled his dish saturday night and haven't had to fill it again yet, and it's thursday. I tried emptying it out and filling it with new food in case something was wrong with it but he still won't. I tried putting it in front of him when I hold him but he either smells or licks it but won't eat it. I also tried feeding him cabbage and apple. He's albino, but his face is looking a little grayer and darker this week. About 2 weeks ago, I switched his bedding from wood shavings to newspaper, could that be a reason? I haven't fed him any meat (I am vegan and not very comfortable doing so), could this be the reason?
What's wrong with him? :(

Sorry this is long, any help would be really appreciated!
 
Have you noticed any other changes in him? Is he still running on his wheel? Pooping and peeing normally?
Are you 100% sure he is not eating anything? Try counting his kibble just to make sure.
 
Changing to newspaper could be the cause of both changes.

Newsprint rubbing off on his face will cause it to turn grey - I'd suggest changing to fleece. If he ate the newspaper, it could be causing a blockage and he wouldn't want to eat - is he pooping and peeing?

Regarding the cat food - there could be an issue there too... Itmight be that it's expired or stale and no longer tastes the same. A new bag of the same stuff might be in order. Or a change to a different brand, depending on what the original kibble was. What has he been eating up until now?
 
If he hasnt been eating at all for that long, he needs his mouth checked and maybe a vet visit. In the meantime, if his grey coloration is because he hasn't been eating (and not because of newspaper), you will need to syringe some food into him. Grey coloration can be a sign of liver disease which can take over after an animal has not been able to eat for a period of time. It can in most cases be reversed by constant feeding until the natural appetite returns. Sat to thurs is a very long time.
 

Latest posts

Back
Top