Hedgehog — AEMV Exotic Companion Care Guide
Source: Association of Exotic Mammal Veterinarians (AEMV), *Exotics Companion Care Series* "How to Keep Your Hedgehog Happy, Healthy and Safe" / "Common Disorders of Hedgehogs" / "About Your Hedgehog". PDF landed at pdf-raw/aemv/hedgehog.pdf. Consolidated husbandry-and-health manual from that single veterinary-association source; figures and disease names quoted from the PDF, narrative paraphrased.
Species overview
Two distinct hedgehog species are available to the pet trade: the African or white-bellied hedgehog (the most common in the United States) and the European hedgehog. Free-ranging hedgehogs are hardy animals of scrub, forests, grasslands and deserts; they eat very little plant matter, preferring insects, spiders, slugs, snails, worms and grubs. Maximum life span is 4–7 years.
Housing & environment
- Use a smooth-walled, solid-bottom enclosure high enough to prevent escape; aquariums 20 gallon or larger are acceptable. Cover bedding (newspaper or recycled material) to a depth of several inches, kept dry; Avoid pine, cedar and corn cob for bedding.
- Maintain the optimum environmental temperature range of 75-85ºF (24-30ºC). Provide climbing / hiding accessories (box, untreated fruit tree log / flower pot, solid-bottom exercise wheel) and smooth clean rocks for scratching.
- Prevent chilling; provide a heated environment with dry bedding.
Diet & nutrition
- The hedgehog diet is omnivorous, high in protein and low in fat; high-fat foods adversely affect health and longevity. To minimize obesity, ad lib feeding of adults should be discouraged; feed once daily late afternoon / evening in heavy crocks. A sample adult daily diet: 2–3 tbsp low-fat high-protein chicken / meat-based cat food; 1–2 tbsp mixed fresh vegetables; 3–5 insects 3–4 times weekly.
- Fresh water must be available at all times (sipper bottle or crock). Weigh the hedgehog at least monthly.
Social & behavior
- Hedgehogs are nocturnal. The African pygmy hedgehog is essentially non-domesticated and can be extremely timid; handle daily to keep tame. When encountering new odors they may "anoint" (hypersalivate and foam onto themselves).
Common disorders
AEMV lists (specific to African Pygmy): cancer (especially over 3 years); dental disease; dermatitis (mange mites, ringworm); enteritis (including Salmonellosis); fatty liver; gastrointestinal parasites; obesity; ocular injuries; Pneumonia; Wobbly Hedgehog Syndrome (progressive demyelinating paralysis).
Veterinary care
- Take your hedgehog to an exotic mammal veterinarian for a bi-annual physical examination; routine veterinary dental cleanings decrease periodontal disease.
Resources (per AEMV trifold)
Association of Exotic Mammal Veterinarians (AEMV.com); Lafeber Emeraid (lafeber.com/vet/mammal-medicine); Oxbow Animal Health (oxbowanimalhealth.com).
Honest scope note
Single-source manual from one veterinary-association trifold; a general care overview, not a substitute for species-specific veterinary advice or for the per-aspect topics already in this dataset. Figures and disease names are quoted from the AEMV PDF; no NRC-style nutrient-requirement percentages are provided by this source.