Spicicle: May 10, 2012 ~ March 3, 2015

Our favorite hedgie boy got very sick late in February. He lost quite a bit of weight very rapidly as he stopped or virtually stopped eating. At first we were able to tempt him with lots of meal worms and canned cat food, but that only worked for a little while. The vet started him on antibiotics and a probiotic. We were able to get a critical care formula from them that we fed him via syringe. That was the way we got him to drink, too. 

After several days, he seemed to perk up, although he still wasn't eating or at least not eating a measurable amount of anything, except by syringe. We did feed him pumpkin, which he LOVED to try and make sure he wasn't constipated. Erik, Dad and I took turns so he could be fed about every 4 hours around the clock. 

 Then on March 3rd he started shutting down. Our sweet boy didn't want to eat or drink anything. He just wanted to snuggle or sleep. He didn't even want to sleep in the warmest place in his home, preferring to sleep in his wheel. He stopped peeing and wasn't able to regulate his temperature. Despite the fact that he was cold, he kept trying to crawl out of his sleep sack to get closer to the family he knew and loved, wanting to spend what time he had left with us. 

We miss our little spikey friend! :( 

Erik got upset when I asked him to pack up the hedgie home and hedgie supplies to store in the attic. He felt a bit better about it when I added, until we need them again. Erik is hoping to find a new hedgie as wonderful as Spicicle to join our family one day. (I think Erik is hoping it will be one day soon.)