Hedgehog disease profile — wobbly hedgehog syndrome (WHS) and relatively common GI lymphosarcoma

"Hedgehog disease profile — wobbly hedgehog syndrome (WHS) and relatively common GI lymphosarcoma"

The text below is reproduced verbatim from the first-hand source (Merck Veterinary Manual / professional veterinary reference).

Source: pdf-raw/exotic-health/mvm_hedgehog_disease.txt (first-hand professional veterinary reference, tag-stripped).

Claims (verified C1 substrings of source_file)

• wobbly hedgehog syndrome
• GI neoplasia, particularly lymphosarcoma, is relatively common.
• Carpenter , DVM, DACZM , Department of Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, Kansas State University Last updated: Jun 2025 v3300768 Cardiovascular and Hematologic Diseases | Gastrointestinal and Hepatic Diseases | Integumentary Diseases | Musculoskeletal Diseases | Neoplasia | Neurologic Diseases | Nutritional Disorders | Ocular Diseases | Oral and Dental Diseases | Reproductive Diseases | Respiratory Diseases | Urinary Diseases | Zoonoses | Multimedia | Hedgehogs can develop a variety of illnesses, including cardiovascular disease , gastric ulceration , acariasis , neoplasia , dental problems , and pneumonia.
• Clinical signs are usually nonspecific, such as lethargy, weakness, and anorexia, which emphasizes the importance of diagnostic testing, despite the need for chemical restraint.
• Cardiovascular and Hematologic Diseases of Hedgehogs Cardiomyopathy is a common postmortem finding in captive African hedgehogs.
• The etiology of the disease is not known; however, genetic and nutritional causes have been suggested.
• Clinical signs include dyspnea, decreased activity, weight loss, an auscultable murmur, ascites, and acute death.
• Radiographic analysis can demonstrate varying degrees of cardiac enlargement, pulmonary edema, pleural effusion, hepatic congestion, and abdominal fluid.
• Common gross necropsy findings associated with cardiovascular disease in hedgehogs include cardiomegaly, hepatomegaly, pulmonary edema and/or congestion, hydrothorax, ascites, and pulmonary or renal infarcts.
• Suspected cardiac disease indicates a need for full-body imaging and a full cardiovascular examination, including ECG and an echocardiogram.
• Therapy with cardiovascular drugs commonly used in veterinary medicine to treat congestive heart failure (eg, diuretics, ACE inhibitors, pimobendan) may be helpful initially, but the longterm prognosis for hedgehogs with congestive heart failure is poor.
• Gastrointestinal and Hepatic Diseases of Hedgehogs GI obstructions are often caused by ingestion of rubber, hair, or carpet fibers.