Tuesday, July 23, 2013

Hedgehog Health Problems

Hedgehogs suffer from many diseases common to humans, including cancer and fatty liver disease.



Picture from Rose City Hedgehogs


Cancer is very common in hedgehogs. The most common is squamous cell carcinoma which spreads quickly from the bone to the organs in hedgehogs, unlike in humans.  Fatty liver disease is believed by many to be caused by bad diet. Hedgehogs are known to eat foods that are high in fat and sugar. Having a metabolism adapted for low-fat, protein-rich insects, this leads to common problems of obesity.

No comments: