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.
