It is a beautiful thing to have many pets at home. It fills the void of loneliness whenever you are left home alone. However, it might be less peaceful if the pets do not get along.
Dogs are known for protection. They react when they see an enemy. In addition, they don’t get along with most animals. You probably wonder if your dog will accept your hedgie as a friend.
Hedgies, however, have spikes that don’t look as friendly. The points can easily injure your pets. This read will guide you on how best to live with the two pets together.
Can Hedgehogs Injure and Infect Dogs?
Hedgehogs can have ticks, ringworms, salmonella, mites, and fleas easily transmitted to other pets. This makes the hedges dangerous to your dogs.
Hedgies use their spikes for protection in the sight of danger. Giant dogs are hardly ever scared of spikes. Once they see a hedgehog, they are excited to prey on them. Although they might successfully kill the hedgehogs, the spikes injured their mouth.
How Can I Know A Hedgehog Infects My Dog
When your dog starts developing symptoms like:
- hair loss
- irritation
- redness on the skin
- dandruff
- scratching excessively
- visible mites on the fur
There is a high likelihood of a hedgehog being the cause of this. Just as stated before, mites are easily transmitted from hedgehogs to dogs.
Salmonella, unlike mites, infects dogs internally. Your little pup might develop symptoms like:
- diarrhea with blood and mucus
- weight loss
- dehydration
- vomiting
- fever
- loss of appetite
- anorexia
These symptoms are evidence of salmonella in your dog.
Just as the name suggests, ringworms form ring-like patches of hair loss. Some of the other symptoms include:
- skin inflammation
- dry, scaly skin
- excess dandruff
Ringworms do not itch. So if you see your dog itching after interaction with your hedgie, this might not be the infection your dog got.
How Can I Treat My Infected Dog?
If a hedgie has infected your dog, you should not worry; there is a lot you can do to treat it. It should be good news that these infections hardly lead to death. What they do to your dog makes them less active and uncomfortable.
For cases of mites, you wash your dog with an anti-parasite. They are widely available in shops, but your veterinarian always knows what works best for your pup. Consult with them to get the best anti-parasite.
Besides the anti-parasite, you can use half a cup of apple cider vinegar and half a cup of warm water as a natural wash for your dog. If left untreated, the mites will result in bacterial infections in your dog. You can also use medicated shampoos to wash your infected puppy.
For salmonella-infected dogs, their treatment is majorly based internally. The first thing you need to do is keep your dog hydrated. Dogs lose a lot of water when they have diarrhea. Keep your dog hydrated to replace the lost water.
If symptoms persist, the infection might have reached the blood, and inpatient treatment is advisable.
If ringworms have infected your dog, topical and systematic therapy works best. If you were wondering what this might be, it is treatment using creams, ointments, antifungal medicine, and shampoo.
Ringworms can go away without treatment. The only difference is that it will take a longer time.
Can Dogs Harm Hedgies?
Giant dogs can harm hedges. It is not easy for a dog to harm a hedgehog. Their teeth can only go as far as the spikes of a hedgehog go. Reaching the body of a hedgehog is more challenging.
Can Dogs and Hedgehogs Live Together?
The two must live in harmony, and as much as it might sound a bit hard, you can hack things and make them work. You need to know your dog and how it is likely to react in the presence of a hedgehog.
Learn about your hedgehog and when it will likely be around your dog. If you need to keep the two apart, you can keep your dog indoors while the hedgie is on the lawn.
Wrap Up
Hedgehogs might not be as giant as dogs but are a greater danger to them. They infect them with worms and parasites, leading to irritation, and might also drain your pockets in severe cases. With good monitoring, the two can live together.
