A full-grown hedgehog should be drinking 25-40 milliliters (1.5 -2.5 tablespoons) of water each day. Young hedgehogs drink far water more daily, owners have measured as much as 60 milliliters (4 tablespoons) in a single night. Extremely active hogs may drink even more than this.
Water Bowls
Baby hedgehogs or hedgehogs that have difficulty using a bottle may do better with a water bowl. Some hedgehog owners prefer using glass or stainless steel bowls for drinking. Water bowls will need to be checked frequently to make sure they are clean and full.
Hedgehogs will drink water from natural sources such as puddles, but leaving out a shallow dish of fresh, plain water is the best way to ensure they stay hydrated all year round.
Plain fresh water is all that is required for them. Sadly, this mixture can be lethal for birds if they bathe in it as the sugar will cause problems with their feathers. Please do offer plain water in shallow bowls in the garden for thirsty hedgehogs but do not add anything else to it.
Almost all hedgehogs can safely use a water bottle instead of a water bowl. Water bottles are more sanitary than bowls and they also give you the ability to easily see how much your hedgehog is drinking each day.
In a bath tub or sink, get the water going at a warm temperature. If it's too hot or too cold for you to be comfortable, your hedgehog won't be comfortable either.
While hedgehogs aren't usually aggressive, they will extend their quills when they feel threatened. Supervise children to ensure they aren't playing too rough with your hedgehog. They don't like being wet and generally don't like their heads petted.
There are reports coming in from all around the country of mummy and baby hedgehogs suffering from severe dehydration. Please leave several shallow bowls of water around the garden and make sure they are topped up every day. If you don't have a garden, you can still leave bowls of water out on the pavement edge.
Things you can look out for are: Does its skin spring back when you pull up a couple of spines? If the skin appears to stay in place, the hedgehog could be dehydrated. Ensure the hedgehog has access to plenty of water if you suspect dehydration.
Not only do they swim, they also float. Hedgehog spines are hollow, air-filled tubes. So a hedgehog who gets tired whilst swimming can turn onto her back and float on her spines. Think of it like having your own built-in lilo.
Many people get confused about how often they should bathe their hedgehogs. Your vet should be the ultimate authority here. That said, in general, about once a month is good. Don't bathe your pet too often: this could dry out his skin!
Put out a dish of cat biscuits, hedgehog biscuits or meaty dog food each night along with a dish of fresh water. If there are hedgehogs around they will come to know where there is a reliable source of food.
How Often Do Hedgehogs Poop? Hedgehogs poop a lot. According to experts, these animals poop all the time because they have a fast metabolism. Young hedgehogs seem to have no control over their bowels, and as such, they seemingly enjoy pooping wherever and whenever they find the opportunity.
Hedgehogs will also be very thirsty, so if you can, leave out a shallow dish of fresh water. This will need to be topped up, and disinfected on a regular basis.
Filtered water is preferred. Most owners choose to offer water through a sipper bottle hung in the cage. If using a sipper bottle, ensure that your hedgehog will drink from it.
Cause – Change in Environment or Routine
Sometimes hedgehogs are just too busy sleeping, exploring, or running on the wheel, to take the time to eat. Waiting to introduce the wheel, after the hedgehog has acclimated to eating and drinking in its new home, will help prevent eating distractions.
A hedgehog's go-to vocal is huffing and puffing, but he's not trying to blow the house down. This sniffing is a normal vocalization he makes while going about his business of exploring. An unhappy hedgehog, on the other hand, will show his disdain with a hiss or a clicking sound.
We often keep our homes cooler in the winter than is healthy for our pet hedgies. Click here for a great article on suggestions om providing your hedgie some supplemental heat from: Signs of hedgehogs in danger of being too cold are decreased activity, decreased appetite, sneezing (as opposed to puffling).
During the day, and during winter hibernation, the hedgehog will sleep in a specially built nest in thick undergrowth, under a shed, in piles of leaves or unlit bonfires. It will never sleep or hibernate outside a nest.
Many hedgehogs love to play in warm water and will enjoy themselves during bath time. Other hedgehogs may not like the water at all, but bathing a dirty hedgehog is necessary for the overall wellbeing of the animal.
Hedgehogs will relish any combination of meat-based wet dog or cat foods, or dry cat/kitten food. Just remember, they will be getting most of their food from insects and worms in the wild, and this food is only supplementary.
a drop of Dawn dish soap is okay too. Dry your hedgehog off with a towel when finished and keep warm. If you notice your hedgehog is itching and scratching excessively then add a teaspoon or so of Aveeno oatmeal bath powder (available at Target) to the bathwater.
Hedgehogs sleep in the day and attend to business at night. What they're doing at night is mainly eating. Hedgehogs need to eat a lot of food for their size. They will eat up to 100 beetles and other invertebrates in one night.