# blind hedgehog?



## inkyjoe (Mar 31, 2008)

this bloody hedgehog of ours!
Weve had him since july, and hes always been very nervous and huffy, now it seems that he might be blind. he doesnt react to us until we're close enough to smell, unless hes just gotten extremely short sighted. Whereas before he would jump and huff when he saw us moving near him.
obviously we'll try and get him in at the vets tomorrow, but we're wondering if anyone else has had experience with this?
He may have been losing his sight for a while, which may be why hes so distrustful and nervous of us.
Also, often we get him out and hes very cold and lethargic, despite him having a heat mat. why would he not choose to sit on it if he was cold?


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## enola69 (Aug 27, 2008)

your hog needs to be kept warm. The room needs to be at about 20 degrees. Generally my rule with my hogs is that I have to be comfortable wearing a t-shirt - if my arms get cold and i need to put a jumper on than it is not warm enough for my hogs. 

A heat mat is good when they are cold and trying to hibernate to warm them up with. However, the ambient air needs to be warm all around them.

What are the temps like in your set up?


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## angeldog (Mar 12, 2006)

it could be that hes just a nervous hog, and maybe hes getting more used to you going near him, hence not huffing until your closer.
also re the heat mat, maybe its too hot for him, personaly wouldnt use a heat mat for a hog.
you are much better getting an ambient temp from something like an oil filled radiator, you need to heat the whole area not just a small area.
if hes getting cold alot then you really need to get it sorted asap


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## inkyjoe (Mar 31, 2008)

enola69 said:


> your hog needs to be kept warm. The room needs to be at about 20 degrees. Generally my rule with my hogs is that I have to be comfortable wearing a t-shirt - if my arms get cold and i need to put a jumper on than it is not warm enough for my hogs.
> 
> A heat mat is good when they are cold and trying to hibernate to warm them up with. However, the ambient air needs to be warm all around them.
> 
> What are the temps like in your set up?


not too sure about temps, I have my heat gun at the shop, with all the snakes.
Im thinking of retiring the mat now and having a red lamp instead, theyre better for ambient temps than localized heat. Ive got a load of dimmer stats lying about too, shouldnt be a problem, cheers.
any thoughts about the apparent 'blindness'?


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## enola69 (Aug 27, 2008)

I guess their sight could get worse with age - how old is he???

I would just get him to the vets for a check up. 

But to be honest the hibernating and being too cold is more of a concern at the moment.


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## inkyjoe (Mar 31, 2008)

enola69 said:


> I guess their sight could get worse with age - how old is he???
> 
> I would just get him to the vets for a check up.
> 
> But to be honest the hibernating and being too cold is more of a concern at the moment.


yeah, totally.
the woman in the shop said he was about a year old when we bought him, so nearly a year and a half(?)


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## Shell195 (May 31, 2007)

Can you see any catarcts in his eyes??


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## AeonFLux (Apr 6, 2009)

Does you hog manage to navigate around the cage ok? I would check to see if you can see any cateracts and a trip to the vet is a good idea. If your hog is blind though it will probably cope ok tho as they can comensate with their other senses. Just need to make sure that it is getting access to water and food etc. 

About the heating issue you could keep the heat mat under part of the sleeping area to give a snuggly sleeping space. You could use a heat lamp (or a reptile radiator which is working well in my viv) but make sure its the type that doesn't emit any light as any constant source of light will confuse your hogs light cycle.

Pygmy Hogs UK - African Pygmy Hedgehog Forum is good for more advice and there are a couple of threads on about blind hogs


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