PLEASE HELP my hedgehog

themidgardknight

themidgardknight

CAGiversary!
I hope this doesn't break any forum rules, I don't think it does. Anyways, I'm here to ask for help.

I have two hedgehogs, Jaime and Cushie. They're brothers. They love each other so much, its adorable. They sleep together at night under their little ferret bag (they don't get in it for some reason...) and they play together at night (they're nocturnal.)

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I noticed just last week that Jaime was starting to get a lump on his hindquarters. It got larger throughout the week. Hedgehogs are extremely prone to cancer. And of course, because they're exotic animals vet bills are very, very expensive.

I'm super poor. I'm a collegiate grad with not much money at all. I work in a running store and coach track at an area high school. I'm a runner, so this is me living the dream. However, it doesn't leave a lot of room for pet emergencies like this.

All I'm asking is that you help in anyway that you can, either by contributing a little money or even just spreading the word that I'm looking for help. I absolutely love this forum and am coming here in confidence that I will find some of that goodwill I know all of you have.

http://www.indiegogo.com/SaveJamie

Thank you so much for your time and positive vibes. I appreciate it.

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OK, they look nothing like Sonic, but they are super cute.

Do you have a veterinary school in your area? You could contact them about checking Jaime. Being an unusual pet, vet students might be interested in the rare experience. Hopefully, he just has a lipoma.
 
$10 is coming your way. I love pets and always had an affinity for hedgehogs as a little kid. Get well soon, Jaime.
 
No offense, because I hope you can get your pet treated, but if you aren't in a place financially to cover your pet for medical emergencies to a reasonable degree then you shouldn't have a pet unless you're prepared to watch it suffer and/or die. Whether its a dog or cat or hedgehog you should have a decent savings put aside for when something unexpected pops up. If cancer in hedgehogs is common, you perhaps should have seen this coming.
 
Can't help financially right now, but positive thoughts coming your way, the midgardknight.Hope Jamie is ok.
 
[quote name='parKer']OK, they look nothing like Sonic, but they are super cute.

Do you have a veterinary school in your area? You could contact them about checking Jaime. Being an unusual pet, vet students might be interested in the rare experience. Hopefully, he just has a lipoma.[/QUOTE]

That's actually great advice, but unfortunately there aren't any close by. Thanks for the recommendation. I'll be sure to move somewhere close to one in the future though. It's a good idea.

[quote name='Angie7F']http://www.facebook.com/pages/Free-Vet-Help-Online/

Maybe this will help?
I hope Jaime is ok.[/QUOTE]

I checked it out and commented, hopefully something comes of it, but looks like nothing is happening on the page. We'll see. Thanks a bunch!

[quote name='blindinglights']How old is the hedgehog?[/QUOTE]

From what the former owners told me when I got him, he'd be just over 2 years old now. That's if they actually knew his correct age. Apparently hedgies live 3-5 years in captivity and usually get the cancers then. Ugh.

[quote name='KCS13']$10 is coming your way. I love pets and always had an affinity for hedgehogs as a little kid. Get well soon, Jaime.[/QUOTE]

Wow, I don't know what to say but thank you! I am forever in your debt for your kindness. I'm actually right there with you. When I was younger, like 6 or 7, I encountered my first hedgehog and fell in love. I was surprised as to how soft they actually felt and how funny they act. Again I really appreciate your help.

[quote name='kodave']No offense, because I hope you can get your pet treated, but if you aren't in a place financially to cover your pet for medical emergencies to a reasonable degree then you shouldn't have a pet unless you're prepared to watch it suffer and/or die. Whether its a dog or cat or hedgehog you should have a decent savings put aside for when something unexpected pops up. If cancer in hedgehogs is common, you perhaps should have seen this coming.[/QUOTE]

You know what, you're completely right. I didn't really think of it as I was intoxicated at the idea of getting basically two-for-one with hedgehog brothers, but I also figured I had much more time, as they usually get it in their later stages of life. I got them when there were apparently 6 months old. I honestly will not get any more pets after these cuties until I am better off financially so that I can support them. It just wasn't really an issue at the time when I was living off college loans because whenever I worked, the money would be straight to me. It's a tough lesson to learn. Luckily there are some people that are close to me who have offered to help some. The hope was to not get any more loans on top of what I already owe for college. But yeah, you're totally right and I feel like shit for basically being in a tough position for even providing for essentially my children.
 
[quote name='monash65']Can't help financially right now, but positive thoughts coming your way, the midgardknight.Hope Jamie is ok.[/QUOTE]

Thank you a ton for the words of care. I definitely believe in positivity, in situations like this. I'm not religious but I am fairly spiritual.

Really, thank you everyone who's commented so far. Everyone is being great. Especially since this really sucks.

P.S. even with the various tumors Jaime has, he's still being his old hedgehog self, playing on his wheel, eating a lot, sleeping with his brother. So at least he's not hurting it seems.
 
[quote name='guinaevere']Contact your local animal shelter and ask what low price clinics are available.

Praying for little Jamie.[/QUOTE]

Thank you thank you thank you. I talked to the vet and will be following up with them soon. It's hard as he's an exotic animal so there aren't many skilled with them. It's usually $80-$100 for check-ups.
 
[quote name='themidgardknight']Here's a video of the brothers playing from about last year, Jaime is the smaller one. His brother is fat haha:

http://youtu.be/xQH6emYmQR8[/QUOTE]

Good speed and stride length. You can totally tell their dad is a runner and high school track coach. ;)
 
[quote name='guinaevere']Contact your local animal shelter and ask what low price clinics are available.

Praying for little Jamie.[/QUOTE]

cheap clinics could not be a way to go... i had a cat back in 2007 that had a lump and they took a needle to take a sample of the lump and broke it (mostly causing its death) when they picked up the cat there was a massive pool of blood all over the counter and they admitted they probally broke the tumor open.
cat went downhill big time and was dead within a week (had to put it down would not eat or drink anymore) ...
 
I don't think this is a good investment. A hedgehog has a life expectancy of 3 to 6 years and as the original post said, cancer is a common cause of death in older hedgehogs.

I wouldn't donate money to this cause any more than I would donate to a campaign to make the sky blue. Some things are just the way they are.

What I would suggest is to seek help coming to terms with the animal's death rather than embarking on a futile effort to save it. Even if you treat the cancer, how much time does he really have left? The best course of action is to inquire about making his last months comfortable.

If one is going to keep animals like this, their life expectancy and common ailments should be researched and you should mentally prepare yourself for the inevitable. In any case, a pet's life in captivity is a lot more comfortable than it would be in the wild. I reject the argument that poor folk should not own pets, but I would also say that poor pet owners should understand that they will not be able to provide the life-saving procedures a pet might need and may have to put their pet down, and to mentally prepare for this. The greater good is that a pet gets a home and euthanasia is preferable to dying in the wild.
 
[quote name='Burning Karma']While I understand some of the posts in this thread...man.


[/quote] Agreed. There's a time and a place for comments like that, and it's not here and now.
 
[quote name='Spokker']I don't think this is a good investment. A hedgehog has a life expectancy of 3 to 6 years and as the original post said, cancer is a common cause of death in older hedgehogs.

I wouldn't donate money to this cause any more than I would donate to a campaign to make the sky blue. Some things are just the way they are.

What I would suggest is to seek help coming to terms with the animal's death rather than embarking on a futile effort to save it. Even if you treat the cancer, how much time does he really have left? The best course of action is to inquire about making his last months comfortable.

If one is going to keep animals like this, their life expectancy and common ailments should be researched and you should mentally prepare yourself for the inevitable. In any case, a pet's life in captivity is a lot more comfortable than it would be in the wild. I reject the argument that poor folk should not own pets, but I would also say that poor pet owners should understand that they will not be able to provide the life-saving procedures a pet might need and may have to put their pet down, and to mentally prepare for this. The greater good is that a pet gets a home and euthanasia is preferable to dying in the wild.[/QUOTE]

Woah, he doesnt even know what is wrong with the hedgehog yet, he never said it had cancer. At least he cares enough to get it checked out. I feel bad for your pets if anything ever goes wrong with them.
 
If you live anywhere near Virginia Tech, they might be able to offer some cheap animal-care via their vet school.

Get well soon Jamie.
 
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