# hedgehog body odor? :P



## hedgehogzilla (Oct 6, 2011)

Ok so i love my little aph, Rufus, however recently he has been smelling, by this i mean physically, on his body, not his cage (although that can smell from time to time too :lol2. I wash him relatively regularly (but not so regularly that it will harm his skin) and i clean out his cage once a week like most people, but i find him smelling like a damp dog and it can be really noticeable. the vet says theres nothing wrong with him, i wash him with johnsons baby shampoo (no more tears, natural, non-toxic) and it doesnt have any scent as i read somewhere you canot use scented shampoo (is this because of the chemicals used to make a shampoo scented?) i was just wondering is there some sort of scented shampoo specificaly designed for hedgehogs and is non toxic etc or perfume? (lol i know that sounds dumb) or anything that will stop him smelling? also because his cage can give off a nasty smell sometimes, i saw this thing made for hamsters in a pet store, they were like pellets which somehow prevented smell? i cant remember what they were called but one of you guys might no what i mean? please help understandably, some of my friends are going off him because of his stink  i dont understand!


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## Andesine (Apr 2, 2009)

Your vet is correct, there is nothing wrong with him. All hedgehogs smell, wild or pets. They sweat through glands on their tummy, not anywhere there are spines. If his cage is too hot he'll sweat more. Bedding will soak the sweat up and if you're only cleaning out once a week then I'm not surprised he smells. Most of us clean daily.

Make sure you are using a pet safe cleaner too. Dettol, Flash, bleaches etc are not acceptable and can be lethal as hogs lick new smells.

Under no circumstances give him anything to stop him smelling. APH are highly allergic to wood oils and you could kill him.

Constant bathing will only make things worse and shampoos strip all the natural oils from their skin. The only thing recommended for bathing when they are really dirty is Aveeno oil. This should not be a regular thing.

You should also check what you are feeding him as that won't help if it's the wrong stuff.

I suggest you join the UK APH forums and talk to the expert breeders on there.


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## Rach1 (May 18, 2010)

woah..slightly bossy reply there...

we all learn through asking questions...and at least the OP has bothered to a) ask a vet and b) come on here to ask...

I'm sure the OP is spot cleaning... thats what i do with a big clean out once a week...

Ok, i would hold off on the washing as they dont need to be bathed often at all... only if like really dirty or the like.
give his cage a right good clean out using as stated a good safe cleaner designed for pets and following the instructions.
then maybe line the base of the cage with paper...i use unprinted newpaper then a layer of shavings with a little carefresh mixed in just to help keep odours under tabs..
make sure you are cleaning his wheel everyday as this can get whiffy!
bedding wise i use shredded paper as its cheap and easy to replace if it does get a bit pongy!

next make sure his bowls are clean as it could be a tiny bit of food stuck somewhere thats gon a bit whiffy!

Good luck and i do hope rufus is smelling nice again soon!


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## hedgehogzilla (Oct 6, 2011)

Thanks for your replies, yes i do spot check  i should probz clean out his wheel more often, i dont have time inbetween school :lol2: His smell has actually stopped since i have taken him out to play more often and for longer periods, also the baby shampoo seems to have worked! it was suggested on another site and it only has a very slight natural scent that wasnt added purposely. 
Merci amigos : victory:


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