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| Peggy |
We had a hedgehog emergency here at the Manor which was precipitated by a visit to my vet for advice on relieving Peggy's dry skin on her back. He recommended a product used for cats with skin issues.
I put the oil on later that night while I watched TV with Peggy. After the oil had been on her for about 20 minutes I kept smelling a strong, natural oil smell like eucalyptus. Turns out it was tea tree oil which is FATAL to hedgies. It was a Friday night of course... why don't emergencies ever happen during regular business hours!? I bathed her immediately twice with her regular bath soap and called my vet's 24 hour line which directed me to the ASPCA 24 hour poison control hotline.
I was pretty panicky and worried I had given my little gal a death sentence. The woman who helped me asked lots of questions about her size, age, the name of the medicine and dose etc. She then put me on hold as she spoke with an actual vet and then relayed the instructions to me. She was fantastic and explained what I should do immediately, what illness signs to look for and my next steps. in the coming days. Honestly, I cannot stop telling every pet owner I know about this phone line.
I am happy to report that the only damage done was 3 baths in one night which strained her love for me for a few days. I am now using olive oil on her skin and it seems to have alleviated the dryness.
ASPCA Contact details:
www.aspca.org/pet-care/poison-control
Phone number: 1-888-426-4435
Hedgehog Allergies and Dangerous Products:
thehedgehogmanor/toxic-lunch and wiki.hedgehogcentral.com
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