Choosing an Exotic Pet - Care of Exotic Pets

Vitamin C
Vitamin C is of utmost importance to guinea pigs, as they are unable to manufacture their own (much like humans). Without enough vitamin C in their diets, guinea pigs can become very ill with scurvy. The amount of vitamin C required varies somewhat depending on the reference source used, but most guinea pigs probably need about 10-30 mg/day. Pregnant, nursing, young and ill guinea pigs need more.

• If you feed a good selection of vegetables high in vitamin C along with a good, fresh guinea pig pellet, you can probably meet the vitamin C needs of the average guinea pig.
• Many guinea pig pellets have vitamin C added but unfortunately vitamin C is quite unstable and will degrade over time. Keeping the pellets in a cool dark place helps preserve the vitamin C. You can also get pellets with a stabilized form of vitamin C.
• The best way to supplement with additional vitamin C is to use vitamin C tablets. You can buy vitamin C tablets specifically for guinea pigs (e.g. Oxbow's GTN-50C), or buy human chewable 100 mg tablets (note: make sure you are getting just vitamin C rather than a multivitamin formula). A quarter of a 100 mg tablet daily is a recommended dose for most adult guinea pigs. The guinea pig tablets are 50 mg, but since vitamin C is a water soluble vitamin, small excesses over that daily requirement are easily excreted. Many guinea pigs will take the tablets like a treat and eat them, or they can be crushed and sprinkled on vegetables or pellets.

Answer: The answer to both questions is yes: hedgehogs are pretty spiky, but they can be held, especially once they are tame. When a hedgehog is calm, the quills are in a relaxed position, and the hedgehog and be held without worrying about he sharp quills. The quills tend to lay down along the back and sides, all pointing towards the back, so as long as you don't push against the sharp tips of the quills they pose no problems (don't pet a hedgehog the wrong way!).
A scared or angry hedgehog is another story, since the quills are raised and tend to point in all directions; trying to handle a hedgehog in this defensive posture is sure to be a prickly experience.
How much a hedgehog enjoys being held or cuddled is a completely different question, and depends personality of the individual hedgehog. Some hedgehogs do seem to like to snuggle up to their human companions, while others might be more shy or simply prefer exploring and moving about than cuddling. My hedgehog was tolerant of being held but preferred snuffling around and exploring (or finding a quiet corner of the couch for a nap) over being held. It is hard to predict the personality of an individual, though it is safe to say that with patience, almost any hedgehog can be held.

When choosing a hedgehog, there are a few things you can look for to increase your chances of bringing home a healthy hedgehog. Unfortunately, the steps here can't rule out all health problems, and health problems could develop later, but avoiding hedgehogs with some common signs of poor health is still a wise idea. Here are some things you can check quickly in a hedgehog you are considering adopting.

Here's How:

1. Learn all you can about caring for hedgehogs before you go shopping. Not only will this prepare you to be a good owner, you will be able to evaluate whether the hedgehogs you are looking at have been cared for properly. Pay close attention to what they are fed and how they are housed.
2. It can be hard to really look at hedgehogs, as they are nocturnal and tend to roll up and act defensive around new people. But usually, even if they need to be woken up (which might make them snuffle and roll up a bit at first, but usually they settle down), hedgehogs will become active for a short time. Watch the hedgehogs move around. They should be bright and curious, and not overly lethargic and sleepy. They should have a smooth gait, free of limping or wobbles.

Pokey - African Pygmy Hedgehog Photo © Julie