Do you deal with hedgehogs? He was fine earlier today. I gave him a bath and he was fine an hour or so later he was

Hello, my name is*****'m an emergency veterinarian. I'm here to help you with Popple. You must be so worried about him. I'm so sorry he is not well suddenly. Has he had a bath before? Was he normal prior to the bath? Can he walk now? Please be aware I am a licensed veterinarian, but I am not your pet’s veterinarian and cannot examine your pet, so I cannot legally provide you with any specific veterinary medical advice such as diagnosis or prescribing medication. However, I can generally speak to help you understand resources that may help you and advise you to seek medical attention.

I'm so sorry. If you look at him, does his head look tilted to one side and is he leaning or circling to that side? Can he walk?

Can you see if his eyes are constantly moving or are they still? Any evidence he has an ear infection?

Is trauma possible? How is his breathing?

If you shine a light in his eyes, I'd check that they are not moving. It can be hard with them being dark without using a light.

If he can't walk much and is not coordinated, something serious is going on. Does he ever vomit?

Do you think he's in pain?

I'm sorry, I am worried about him. You don't think he's been injured? Does he get stressed during baths? I'm glad he's breathing ok.

Is he focusing on you and responding to stimuli?

That's good. Do you think he can see?

But he's not acting any different in that regard than normal. Is he not curled up in a ball, he's acting normal and doing normal things, or is he just laying there?

Is that normal for him? If you pick him up and move him, or put him on the other side, does he object or get stressed?

I'm sorry. Are you comfortable monitoring him? Vomiting with weakness and incoordination can indicate dizziness but can also indicate other serious issues. Do you think his back legs seem weaker than the front ones? They can also get wobbly hedgehog syndrome. If he's suddenly so strange acting, I'd take him to the ER.

That's a problem, not all do. If you are not able to get him seen (or travel elsewhere if I can help find you a clinic), then the best thing to do with an animal who is acting funny is to get them eating and drinking and monitor them closely, keeping them comfortable. If he vomits again, I'd be concerned about dehydration from not eating and losing fluids in the vomit. A diagnosis would be ideal.

Right, and that's really good. I'm glad for that!

Are his gums a normal pink color? Would he let you open his mouth or does he object?

That is a good sign that he's not totally out of it!

Is the pink lighter than his normal?

Right, I'd not expect so!

Are you comfortable monitoring him? Can I help look for an ER in a neighboring city?

That sounds good. I hope he's comfortable and not in any pain. I will be available this evening if something comes up and you have more questions or concerns. Did you have any more questions for me today?

Well that's fabulous. I sure hope that's it! Though I'm not sure what the vomiting was about. I hope Popple is back to normal soon. I sure wish you both all the best. I am available if you have follow-up questions so do not hesitate. Thanks for using our service.

Warmly,

Dr. Nicki