Milwaukee Hedgehog Rendezvous!

It was pretty awesome, I have to tell you. :) I might write about it later, but until then, check out the pictures at my gallery. The picture here is Lola's costume for the costume competition, for which she placed third. :)

Cheers!
~Kristen

Yoda's Passage

Yoda was put to sleep last week Tuesday. Here is my eulogy for my dear, sweet boy:

It's with a heavy heart that I share with you that I helped Yoda cross
over to the rainbow fields this evening at about 6pm. He suddenly
became unresponsive and cold, refusing to eat and seemingly unaware of
where he was or who I was. At the vet's office we found he was more
than 10 degrees cooler than he should have been, though my apartment
was 77 and his heating pad was on high. His body was completely limp,
he wouldn't even hold up his head. He and I had agreed that he'd tell
me when it was time for him to go by not wanting to eat anymore, and
that time had come.

Yoda came to me almost exactly one year ago. He arrived to my
boyfriend's family's house in MN from Jennifer P. who got him from a
woman who knew someone in Iowa who didn't want him anymore. Said she
was going to graduate school and wasn't going to have time for him. He
was a sweetie right away, splatting out on Jennifer's lap the night he
spent with her.

He had many health problems and more than once over the last year I
thought I was losing him. Actually, I think I thought his passing was
eminent 4 times. He was a real come-back kid, though. He struggled
with blindness and balance issues that for the last 8 months had left
him unable to get around as good as he used to. This week he got stuck
on his back every night, poor guy, and I'd have to rescue him every
morning. Up until today, though, he loved his backrubs and turkey
snacks and rubs and cuddles enough that I knew he was happy staying
with me for at least a little while longer.

When they gave him a shot to help him sleep this afternoon in the
vet's office, he didn't even flinch. Somehow he had gone from being my
punkin, my sweet little boy to being more gone than here in just a few
short hours. He has left a huge hole in my heart. I'm not sure what
I'll do without my little boy to cuddle. I was so hoping he'd make it
to Milwawukee to meet all his friends from the list, but I guess it
just wasn't meant to be.

Even though I'm sad, and miss him terribly, I know that there wasn't
anything else I could do for him. He gave me a couple lip smacks as he
was peacefully drifting to sleep to let me know it was ok, that I was
doing the right thing and he was happy.

The vet school does necropsies free of charge, and I'm hoping that can
help me learn what had been going on with my dear boy. I'll be sure to
let you know when I've heard anything.

I'm sorry this isn't my best writing. He chose to leave me when I,
too, was sick, so that doesn't help. I'm just glad I got to spend his
last day cuddling and snuggling him here at home. I'm sure that was
his plan.

Thanks for all the support you've given me as I've battled his
illnesses over the last year. We both really benefited from your advice.

Could we save him for the next Circle of Light ceremony? I am in class
for the one on Thursday, and I would really like a chance to light a
candle with you when we remember my special little boy.

Hugs,
Kristen Z. and Lola
Angels Sophie, Heddie and Yoda

Inspiration

I want my blog to be like this blog. I can only dream.

Meanwhile, here's Yoda in the bath!

Farewell Heddie

Heddie's Story (??? to 7-30-06)


Heddie arrived at my apartment in October of last year. She had been
a classroom pet somewhere in Madison, but the school was no longer
allowing animals and the family who was caring for her had no
interest in keeping her. She showed up at my door in a plastic bin
with soaking wet shavings, a gerbil wheel and a little shoe box to
hide in. She was a huffy, fluffy girl, but she was very curious and
opened up very quickly when held (to the amazement of her prior
owner). I thought she would make a great candidate for re-homing
after I helped her adjust to more regular human contact again.

The first thing I did was get rid of her shavings and wheel. I set
her up in a pen and gave her a nice wheel to run in. That evening, I
let her wander around the livingroom to see how she would behave.
What I saw broke my heart. Heddie had no use of her back legs. When
she whump-whump-whumped across the floor, it was because she ran with
only two legs, while the back two dragged behind her.

So, Heddie stayed. The vet treated her for mites and said to help her
lose weight to increase her mobility, which eventually helped (to a
limited extent). Later, I started her on a low-allergin diet to help
her tummy feel better.

She was ever the gentle girl, once she stopped hissing and clicking
that is, and never ever bit or showed agression. She bit me once in
the time she was with me, and that was after Lola had been agressive
towards her and she was very upset. She prefered to eat mealworms
from the floor, since she had to be soooo careful not to bite my hand
when I held them for her. She prefered to eat the mealies from their
back ends, since she really didn't like when they tried to grab on to
her while she ate them. She was very patient with the vet, and always
polite with her fellow hogs. She was a gentle spirit, regal and kind.

Her illness came at a difficult time. Yoda has been so touch-and-go
lately, and Lola had her emergency spay just over a month and a half
ago. Poor Heddie hadn't gotten as much quality snuggle time until we
bonded over syringe feeding. That was an experience for sure. My
calm, sweet girl faught me tooth and nail, refusing to swallow,
whipping her head around, pawing wildly in the air when I tried to
give her medicine or Boost or baby food. She didn't particularly like
to be held afterwards, but she appreciated a place to hide or a leg
to snuggle. We found common ground and shared some good quality
moments, just the two of us.

Yesterday morning Heddie was gasping for air. Though she improved
when she was placed on her heating pad, she later stumbled about in
her habitat, deficating and urinating, gagging and falling to her
side in her effort to get enough air. She could have stayed alive
only in an oxygen tent, and after two rounds of antibiotics and
nearing complete anorexia, it was doubtful that she could have stayed
long even then. I made the difficult decision to help her cross.

Heddie fell asleep peacefully with Mom nearby. For the first time in
a month she breathed gently, and for the first time she let me hold
her and kiss her before sending her across the rainbow bridge. I am
so greatful to have been able to give her the gift of a peaceful
crossing, and know it was what she wanted.

Heddie will help the vet students at UW Madison learn more about
hedgie kind, and I will share the results of her necropsy with you
when it comes back to me in a few weeks. I look forward to the
closure of knowing why she had to leave me so soon after coming into
my life.

I know she is happy and running on four healthy legs with her friends
across the rainbow bridge. Her fellow Molly Girls are sure to have a
party for the newest arrival, and I know Angel Sophie was there to
welcome her and keep her company until the happy day I will see them
both again.

Thank you for coming into my life, sweet girl. I count you as one of
my blessings.

Hedgehog Update and X-Rays

Lots has been going on with the hogs. About four weeks ago Lola had an emergency surgery to remove her enlarged uterus. She's doing just fine, and, besides my having to snip a stitch that was being pushed out of her tummy, we've had no problems.

Heddie also had to go to the vet about two weeks ago. When I returned from work I found her panting, even gasping with an open mouth. I couldn't afford the emergency fee (Lola had to go to the vet at 10pm), so we had to wait a few days until the first available appointment. She lived in the bathroom for two days, which I kept hot and steamy by filling the tub with hot water a couple times. By the time we got to the vet she was still not eating well but was breathing better. I gave her some antibiotics and that seemed to fix her up.

In my trips to the vet, I was able to ask my vet to e-mail me the x-rays of Yoda from his vet visit earlier this year. Those are the pictures at the top of the blog. You can see some cloudiness in his right ear on the top-down view. He had an ear infection, and possibly some damage to his inner ear. Poor boy.

Time for dinner. Enjoy the pics!
~Kristen

During final exams in December, Yoda splatted out on my leg to help me write my papers. I think that's my Psychology and the Law paper on the screen of my laptop, and that is definitely Yoda's butt hanging out.

I'm going to try to post more pictures more frequently. Pictures are cool.

Kz.

What I want to remember about my hedgehogs

Sophie: She'd splat out in her tube with her pink little tail sticking out. She first did that when we were listening to Turkish Pop music. She had the cutest little butt! I'll always remember how her ruby eyes looked at me so wisely when she was resting. She also loved to bite my toes when we had nap time together. Little stinker! She really bit me hard a number of times, but really, each time I knew she was sending me a VERY CLEAR message, not trying to be mean. I'll never forget the time very shortly after she came to live with me when I awoke to the sound of the screen lid of her aquarium slamming shut over and over again. She was standing on top of her hidey-house flipping up the lid with her nose! She could scale the walls of her ferret cage, which amazed me. She also looooved to run in her ruby-colored ball. She'd zoom all over the house, bumping into door frames, furniture, fighting to get over cords in the livingroom. I always had to do clean-up duty when she was done, but it was so great to be able to let her run around like that.

Yoda: He sticks his tongue waaaay out and then opens his mouth waaay wide when he yawns, which is fairly often. He likes to sniff my nose, give me snuffly kisses and reach out his paw to me when I say hi. He also enjoys snuggling up on my chest, most reciently in a hammoc-like scarf draped around my neck. I like having him near to me when I study; he's very calming and comforting when I'm working on yucky stuff like writing a paper for Constitutional Law II with Klug. He loves to splat out when I rub his back, and loves the attention.

Quirky Pets

Hedgehogs are very quirky pets. They have such individual personalities; there really is no mistaking one for another, at least in my experience.

Lola is the hedgie in my household with the strongest personality, or maybe just the hedgie with the biggest attitude. She's the wild one. As such, she will not tolerate being kept in a boring cage or eating cat food. Well, maybe just a little cat food, but not much. Wild hedgies like Lola only eat BUGS, like mealies (live mealworms) and crunchies (roasted wax worms, smell like peanuts). Wild hedgies find their own sleepy place, which is NOT the tube designed for that purpose. Wild hedgies run out to see their owners when they want, not when they're called. Wild hedgies must run and run and run all night around the house, and sneak from dark spot to dark spot.

Wild hedgies also find their OWN toys. Toys are things like scarves, food wrappers, plastic grocery bags, tea bags, gum and ESPECIALLY cell phones. All toys are to be dragged to a very dark, secret safe-spot to examine.

The first Lola decided my cellphone was a good toy I was really stumped; I looked and looked and couldn't find my phone... until it started ringing from waaaay underneith the futon. I've learned enough to leave my cellphone plugged in when I leave it on the floor. That way, I can find my phone by simply tugging on the cord. With the help of the red light, I've even had the opportunity to watch Lola dragging around my phone. She grabs it by the sparkly charm and trotts across the room with the phone riding across the carpet like a tiny sleigh behind her.

If Lola were my only hedgehog, I might think she was just like any other, wanting to be independent and exercise her curiosity because that's what hedgehogs do. With Yoda and Heddie, and formerly Sophie to compare with, however, I know how very special Lola is because of these traits.

More about the quirks of the rest of my herd later~
~kz

Heddie is So Cute!

So, I need to post a better picture of Heddie the Hedgehog.

Ta da!

Blogs are better with pictures, don't you think?

Yoda Visits the Vet

Yesterday Yoda and I visited the nice people at the University of Wisconsin - Madison Veterinary Medical Hospital. I have to admit, despite the fact that I always leave broke, I do enjoy visiting a place full of people who care for and about animals as much as I do. All the people in the waiting room with their sick dogs ask about what little creature I'm holding. They ooh and ahh over the surprising cuteness of a hedgehog. It's my little chance to educate people about my favorite animal.

Yoda has been feeling unwell off and on since January. He was being treated for mites, but in between his last two treatments (Ivermectin, every other week) he became quite dizzy and would spin in circles or run in circles, all clockwise, until exhaustion. I thought that he might have a mite infection in his ear, and worried that it could be something more sinister, like a degenerative neurological condition or a tumor. I made his appointment early last week, hoping for the best.

After a three-hour ordeal of an appointment and nearly $400 in tests and medications, Yoda came home with me and is being treated for otitus - an ear infection. He was anesthetized and x-rayed, had blood drawn and excrement tested, and was very unhappy with all the uncomfortable attention. He had eaten a couple of mealworms right before being anesthetized, so those quickly exited after he woke (read: he puked). The anesthesia itself was hard on him; I think it made his dizziness worse, since he seemed less able to stand on his own without falling. Even with all the pokes and prods, he was still a doll, peacefully snuggling with me in the waiting room full of noisy dogs and angry cats.

It's nice to visit the vet for the 6th or 7th time rather than the first. By this visit, the veterinarian knows I know my stuff. She trusts my knowledge and is honest with me about the extent of hers. She appreciated that I brought mealworms and a red headlamp so we could observe Yoda's troubling behavior. It turns out that my vet actually knew the family who owned Heddie before, and asked how she was doing. It was nice to feel respected for doing what I do.

Back to Yoda... Giving ear drops to an animal that has the ability to completely enclose itself in prickly quills is less challenging than I at first feared. Dear, sweet Yoda is so mellow that he actually slept through half of the process this morning. He's even tolerant of me moving aside his fuzzy facial fur to get the drops waaaay in there. Thanks to my HWS lists, I knew to warm up the eardrops in my pocket for a bit before putting them in his wee ear. He really seemed to appreciate it.

Besides the large vet bill, I am left with a sense of calm. Not only is his health issue not terribly serious, but we were also able to rule out a lot of other potential problems in the process of procuring a diagnosis (sorry, ran out of p-words). His x-rays showed no tumors, no out-of-place organs, no bone or muscle loss, and fecal/urine tests were completely normal. He is a very healthy four-year-old hedgehog. I look forward to enjoying his snuggles for a good while.

Lola the Climber

This morning I woke up to find a very strange sight. Running frantically in Heddie's wheel, inside Heddie's cage. Granted, Lola didn't have to escape her own cage, but she did have to scale the 14.5 inch walls of Heddie's. She was pretty upset... she got in but couldn't get out! Her tummy was all wet from trying to climb over the water dish, but to no avail. Who knows how long she was in there!

Crazy hedgehogs. They really make life interesting. They never let me down. :)
~Kristen

Running Mad

As I sit here feeling every inch of the two miles I jogged this
afternoon, it ocurred to me just HOW MUCH our wee ones can run! Last
night I switched Lola's and Yoda's wheels, since Yoda runs laps now
and seemed to enjoy running UNDER Lola's wheel, and Lola runs so much
that she might as well have a solid jogger. The result is that I can
now track Lola's miles (Yoda's are now a mystery, though his feet get
plenty poopy). Lola ran three (3) miles last night, which seems about
on par with what these guys tend to do, but THREE MILES. What kind of
physique would I have if I ran 3 miles every day?!?

Well, and ate cat food. :)

I also am sad to share that Lola and Heddie's co-hab experiment ended
with them at eachother's throats, pretty literally. They seemed fine
over the weekend, though to be honest I didn't see much of their
actual interaction. Since there were no squaks nor evidence of
bloodshed, and since they had gotten on so well before, I figured
everything was fine.

Well, last night I woke Heddie up for a while with Lola, so I could
see how they interacted in their new set-up. Well, no sooner was
Heddie out of her pigloo than Lola was huffing and shoving. "Let them
sort this out," I thought. That lasted for about another 30 seconds
before Lola bit and PULLED, and Heddie latched on and pulled in turn.
I had to literally pull them apart. I quickly set Lola up in her old
set-up.

So, what went wrong? Could it be they could co-hab while running
around in my 15x10 living room and nothing smaller? I made a coroplast
and cube cage that was 3.6' by 2.5', which was admittedly smaller than
I had imagined but with a good amount of floor room. Too small for two?

What I really need to do is move into an apartment with space for
three hedgies, but that won't happen until August. I'll have to
re-think my plan...