Hibernation or attempts to hibernate among domesticated hedgehogs is a leading cause of death. Unlike their cousins in the wild, caged hedgehogs have limited fat reserves which can make hibernation extremely dangerous with a high probability of fatalities.
This article reveals how to keep hedgehogs from hibernating by outlining the common signs to look out for. We also uncover factors that trigger domesticated hedgehogs constantly supplied an abundance of food and drinking water to make hibernation attempts to “preserve” resources. Let’s get started.
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How To Keep Hedgehogs From Hibernating
Providing instant body heat via physical contact, offering supplemental light at night, and keeping cage temperature from dropping below 72F are smart ways to keep hedgehogs from hibernating. Insulating cages with blankets to repel winter drafts and using backup generators or gas heat logs to provide consistent heating and lighting during winter can also minimize the risk of hibernation in hedgehogs.
Hibernation attempts are common in hedgehogs when they are exposed to cold temperatures. If you live in a city with a year-round winter, letting your guard down even for a few hours could trigger an attempt. Unfortunately, hibernation endeavors among domesticated breeds like the African Pygmy Hedgehog often result in deaths.
Stifling hibernation attempts is a life-long responsibility you have to dedicate yourself to throughout your years of raising a pet hedgehog unless you live in a warm city where the temperatures seldom decline to dangerous levels.
Why Do Hedgehogs Hibernate?
Hibernation triggers a significant decline in breathing, heart rate, metabolism, and body temperature to the minimal levels required to sustain the hedgehog’s life. Hibernating is a critical survival instinct among hedgehogs in the wild because it protects them from starving to death during winter.
Wild hedgehogs rely on insect-based diets but during cold temperatures, their access to food sources diminishes greatly and hibernation for energy conservation becomes logical. The hedgehog comes out of hibernation to resume full functionality when temperatures rise and their main source of food i.e insects becomes abundant again due to the seasonal changes.
Why Hibernation is Dangerous for Domesticated Breeds
Caged hedgehogs do not have the same ability to survive hibernation as those in the wild because they lack similar amounts of fat reserves. Domesticated breeds like the African Pygmy hedgehogs have smaller body sizes and low-fat reserves unlike those in the wild.
This makes them unlikely to survive wild temperature fluctuations resulting in a high probability of hypothermia and death. Since domesticated hedgehogs enjoy constant access to food and water, they do not have the same survival instinct.
Hibernation is an unnecessary venture for caged hedgehogs because they do not need to conserve energy or food in many instances. Besides, the lack of enough fat reserves to act as fuel through the hibernation phase means they could be easily exposed to life-threatening situations when in the state of torpor.
Hedgehogs that attempt to hibernate should be revived with immediate heat via body contact. An emergency vet trip can come in handy even if you’re successful at revival since the extremely low breathing, pulse, and metabolism rate could leave lasting problems including immune system compromises.
Signs of death in hedgehogs like extremely low internal temperatures and splatting during cold periods could become apparent when attempts at revival from hibernation fail.
Signs That Your Hedgehog is Attempting To Hibernate
Hedgehogs display several signs when they’re on the verge of hibernating and a few are listed below.
- Lethargy
- Sluggishness
- Wobbly movements
- Loss of appetite
- Little to no interest in drinking water
- Shivering
- Curling up for extended periods with seemingly no interest in coming out
Spotting a few of these signs, especially during cold weather could be evidence of hibernation attempts in pet hedgehogs. Unfortunately, many of these symptoms are common when they’re battling other health conditions including the dreaded Wobbly Hedgehog Syndrome.
We recommend staging an intervention by providing instant body-to-body contact with your hedgehog when a couple of the signs above become conspicuous during cold weather. Even if it’s only a false alarm, the hedgehog will still appreciate the comforting heat at that precarious time of the year.
How To Prevent Your Hedgehog From Hibernating
Increasing your hedgehog’s body temperature is the most effective method for repelling hibernation attempts. The best methods are those that provide gradual heat because you don’t want to shock their bodies with instant temperature fluctuations.
Body To Body Contact
Body-to-body contact works best in preventing hibernation attempts in hedgehogs. Placing your quill baby on your laps, under your shirt, or letting them snuggle under your blankets in bed can be successful during cold weather.
These methods could increase the chances of getting poked by their quills but the pain could be better than losing them to potentially life-threatening hibernation attempts.
Central Heating
If your home has central heating, you need to turn it on as soon as possible to save your hedgehog’s life from potential hibernation attempts. They thrive in temperatures of 72-80F so keep that in mind when setting room temperature.
Draping A Blanket Around The Hedgehog’s Cage
One of the biggest challenges for hedgehog owners during winter is protecting their pet’s enclosures from drafts. An effective way out is to drape a blanket around the hedgehog’s cage to insulate it against the chilling drafts.
However, be careful not to block off the cage’s ventilation as that can pose a whole new set of problems for the hedgehog and cage components.
Heated Water Bottles With Towel
Draping a towel around a heated water bottle and covering the hedgehog’s body with it can increase its internal temperature and stave off attempts to go into hibernation. The towel should be large enough to cover the whole water bottle surface.
Also, keep monitoring the hedgehog for signs of distress and ensure there’s no direct contact with the hot bottle to prevent burns.
Clothes or Towels In The Dryer
Pulling some clothes or towels out of the dryer and allowing your hedgehog to maneuver through them can be a great way to stop hibernation. Physical contact with the warm clothes may increase their body heat which inhibits their attempts to hibernate.
It is always critical to be sure the clothes are not too hot after removal from the dryer before draping them over their bodies. Hoodies, in particular, could work well because they provide ample opportunities for the hedgehogs to play.
Heat Pads
Heat pads can also crank up your hedgehog’s internal temperature to prevent hibernation attempts. Increasing its internal heat is a marathon and not a sprint so avoid setting the temperature too high.
You can always place a t-shirt or fabric between the heat pad surface and the hedgehog’s body if you’re unsure whether the heat is too much for them to bear.
Signs of Successful Hibernation In Hedgehogs
Here are clues that your hedgehog has successfully entered into hibernation and needs help to come out before it turns fatal.
Curling In A Ball Without Moving
Hedgehogs curl into a ball with no signs of moving when hibernating. Attempts at getting them to come out including running water on their spiky backs or putting them in bathtubs with warm water often prove futile.
Cold Underbellies
A hedgehog’s stomach typically feels warm but can be extremely cold to the touch when hibernating. It is one of the glaring signs that immediate body heat is required to minimize the risk of dying.
Inconsistent Breathing and Heart Rate
The typical heart rate of a healthy hedgehog is 190 beats per minute but hibernation can lower it substantially. A heart rate of 20 beats per minute or fewer could be a cue that they’re hibernating. Breathing can also be inconsistent and detecting supporting evidence may require a lot of patience.
Taking a Hedgehog to Your Vet After A Hibernation Attempt
Attempts at getting a hedgehog out of hibernation may or may not be successful. Signs of abnormal behavior after getting them out of the torpor state should trigger an immediate vet appointment because your hedgehog is not out of the woods yet.
If all attempts at reviving a hibernating hedgehog have proven futile after an hour or so of trying, it is time to seek veterinary attention. Consider it an emergency that requires urgent care because the quill baby could easily lose his life.
Taking your hedgehog to the vet even after successful revival and normal behavior can also give you the confidence that there are no imminent health scares.
How Long Does It Take for hedgehogs To Go Into Hibernation?
It takes a couple of hours of exposure to cold temperatures and a lack of sunlight for hedgehogs to go into hibernation. This is why you can never completely take your eyes off their cage temperature because even the slightest negligence could lead to trouble.
Hedgehog Hibernation Recovery
It takes 6 months or less for wild hedgehogs to recover from hibernation. Domesticated breeds do not have the ability to recover and need help to come out of that state. Providing some much-needed body heat often gets the job done without too many problems.
Conclusion: How to Keep Hedgehogs From Hibernating
Maintaining the hedgehog’s temperature within 72-80 degrees Fahrenheit during cold periods of the year is the most effective method to keep them from hibernating. Skin-to-skin contact is one of the best ways to increase their internal body temperature and this can be achieved by putting your hedgehog under your shirt, on your lap, or allowing them to snuggle under your blankets in bed.