Hedgehog grooming is essential for your lovely pet, although they are excellent self-groomers. If you decide to bathe them, you should do it only sometimes every two weeks. Hedgehogs only need your assistance with nail trimming when it comes to grooming.
You could take your hedgie to the doctor for a manicure since they don’t have access to their natural surroundings to perform their filing, or you could trim their nails with a pair of human nail scissors.
However, you must be extremely cautious if you handle it yourself. Keep reading to see how you can go about grooming your hog.
Your Hog’s Bathing Schedule
This depends on you since you don’t have to bathe your hog. It’s okay to bathe the pet sooner if they are very messy. Just be gentle and keen not to damage their skin. There are numerous items available that you can put directly on your hedgehog.
To rehydrate their skin, they might add drops of flaxseed or CBD oil to their food. You can also use a mild wash rather than a shampoo to avoid drastically changing the pH balance of their skin.
How Do I Cut My Hedgehog’s Nails?
1. Get the Right Equipment
A simple nail trimmer treats and a blanket is all you need. You can also use a nail clipper explicitly made for small animals. It has a handy, easy-grip handle and is ideal for your hedgehog’s delicate little claws.
2. Pick Your Hedgie Gently.
If your hedgehog likes to wiggle, consider wrapping him inside a blanket to prevent him from moving about too much. After that, sit comfortably lighted and hold your hedgie in your lap.
3. Grab Each Paw at a Time
Remove one of your hedgehog’s legs from the blanket with care. Make yourself comfortable before taking the nail clipper with your hand.
4. Cut them Slowly
To avoid damaging the nerves in the nail’s pale pink line, trim only the top of your hedgehog’s nail. Cut whatever is sticking out, and don’t cut it too short.
Factors to Consider When Grooming Your Hedgehog
- Gently place your open hands beneath the companion’s belly. You’ll keep from getting bitten if you do this. Do not tense up your hands. You could lift it silently once it has been securely fixed and is stable. You can also remove him from his cage using his blanket because it will shield you from his little spikes. A hedgehog may move quite quickly, so be keen!
- Avoid placing your fingers beneath his tummy to avoid getting caught in his sharp armor if he abruptly curls up. Instead, retain your hands open with the palms facing the hedgehog’s belly.
- Reduce all fall risks. Put yourself on a bed or close to the floor for your first interactions with them. Therefore, if you are startled by your pet’s quick response, he won’t risk tumbling and hurting himself.
- Note that the hedgehog only sees in two dimensions, without perspective, due to its weak eyesight. If you put him on higher furniture, he might throw himself to the ground without realizing how high he is because the floor might look level.
- Don’t attempt to stretch him if he curls into a ball; otherwise, you’ll end up hurting him more than helping. Instead, gently massage his back in circular strokes to ease any tension since this will encourage him to raise his head. On his forehead, you can also apply some drops of warm water.
- When your hedgie is in his cage, avoid petting him since he can feel intimidated by hands that appear above him. Get him outside to enable him to see you more clearly.
- Give him sufficient time to awaken and talk to him softly so he can get used to your voice.
- Stay steady. Try to remain calm if you feel a little anxious during the initial manipulations because the animals may feel these vibrations. Although hedgehogs have tiny spines, they don’t detach from their skin like porcupines.
Why Do You Need to Trim Your Hedgehog’s Nails?
Hogs’ continually developing nails naturally deteriorate from digging. However, because they are kept in captivity and don’t have the chance to shed their nails, they are more prone to ingrown and injured toenails.
Long toenails can also affect a creature’s stride and ability to grasp live prey, like hopping insects.
Small and insectivorous, the hog is easily identified by its spikes, essentially hollow keratin hairs. They mainly eat insects, snails, frogs, and other tiny amphibians and invertebrates in the wild. Bird eggs, berries, roots, mushrooms, as well as other plants are used to enhance their nutrition.
Conclusion
Bath time offers a chance when you have better illumination and a more obedient pet, even though regular hedgehog grooming is crucial.
It’s vital to pay close attention to your hedgehog’s legs and feet. Hedgie feet can get trapped in carpet fibers, human hair, and other loose threads from several sources. The severity of the injury that results might range from minor discomfort to the foot losing its blood supply, necessitating an amputation.
