Important Information
All of the hedgehogs that we breed here at HGC are of the African Pygmy variety. They are smaller than other varieties of hedgehogs. They are also more domesticated and friendly. These little guys need to be kept above 70 degrees at all times. If they are not, you run the risk of them going into partial hibernation (which is not native to this particular variety) and starving to death.
Bathing and Clipping Nails
I bathe my hedgies once a week as needed. Twila tends to be messier than my others and often needs to be cleaned twice a week. To bathe them I fill the bath with about 5 inches of warm water (make sure it's not too hot or it could burn them but not too cold or it won't be as enjoyable for them) and stick them in. Some hedgehogs do not like baths and will not swim and so you sometimes have to hold them so they don't drown in the water. All of my hedgies love to swim so I usually let them swim around for a few minutes and then use baby soap and put it on their quills and belly. Some breeders use a toothbrush to scrub the quills but I find that it irritates them. I usually just use my fingers to gently massage the soap into their quills and rinse it with running water. Sometimes they potty in the water (which is totally normal) and that's usually when I take them out. DRY YOUR HEDGIE COMPLETELY BEFORE PUTTING HIM/HER BACK! This is extremely important as they could chill and become sick. They are usually pretty hardy and don't get sick but if they are cold after a bath they could get pneumonia.
To clip nails use human nail clippers and while they are in the bath simply grab a leg and clip below the quick. DO NOT cut into the quick (the quick being the blood vessel that runs through the center of the nail)!!! If you do, they could bleed a lot. If, by some chance, you do accidentally cut the quick, keep some Stop Quick on hand and apply it. You can purchase it online. Most hedgehogs do not like to have their nails clipped so you may have to hold them in a towel and have somebody else clip or vice versa.
To clip nails use human nail clippers and while they are in the bath simply grab a leg and clip below the quick. DO NOT cut into the quick (the quick being the blood vessel that runs through the center of the nail)!!! If you do, they could bleed a lot. If, by some chance, you do accidentally cut the quick, keep some Stop Quick on hand and apply it. You can purchase it online. Most hedgehogs do not like to have their nails clipped so you may have to hold them in a towel and have somebody else clip or vice versa.
