Hedgehog House, Terminology & Common Ailments

Housing

Min. Recommended floor area	4 sq feet
	0.37 sq Metres
Cage Floor	Solid – NO Wire
Exercise	Hedgehog Wheel (solid running surface, no wire)
	Toilet Paper Tube (for hedgehogs over 3 months of age only!)
	Small child-safe toys
	Ferret-size ball under supervision
	Daily Handling

Terminology

Males	Males
Females	Females
Young	Hoglets or pups
Breeding Group	Herd
Quills	Quills or Spines
Anointing or Self-Anointing	The act of frothing at the mouth, arching the head back over the shoulders and depositing the frothy saliva onto the quills.
	Triggered by pungent smells and new tastes. The exact purpose of anointing is unknown.

Common Ailments

Wobbly Hedgehog Syndrome (WHS)	A genetic disorder that causes progressive paralysis similar to the human form of MS. There is no cure and the afflicted hedgehogs slowly and eventually become totally paralyzed. The disease appears to be carried by a recessive gene making detection and eradication difficult. Breeders should avoid using hedgehogs with any WHS in their family lines.
Cancer	Hedgehogs can suffer from cancerous growths and lesions to the same extent as other comparable species. Common to female hedgehogs are ovarian, uterine and mammary tumors; and to males, jaw and testicular tumors.
Eyes	Eyes can be lost to quill pokes, most commonly when multiple hedgehogs are housed together. Infection is common if not treated immediately.
Teeth	Tooth loss and wear can occur in older hedgehogs. Weight loss can occur in extreme cases. There is some speculation that an all-hard food diet can cause premature tooth wear. Hedgehogs with poor dentition should be fed a soft food diet to compensate and prevent weight loss.

Source : Hedgehog Central