You will know your hedgehog is ready for a bath when it looks dirty, has dry skin, “poopy boots” (dirty feet from, well, you know! Some hedgehogs don’t mind handling, some are indifferent, and some dislike it. Just be careful not to dry their skin out. Hedgehogs are prone to dry skin, and frequent baths can dry them out even more. More frequent bathings lead to dry skin and serious irritation issues. Hedgehogs rarely seek attention, but this doesn’t mean you shouldn’t handle your pet. Hedgehogs do not groom or clean themselves like some animals. A hedgehog can go through his entire life without swimming or needing to swim, but given the chance, they will happily spend time in water. Fish is often rejected (by humans) as a food source for hedgehogs, most often because it tends to make their feces rather smelly. Mites won’t be able to survive the low temperatures. Some homes also have whirlpool bath areas for certain patients with certain conditions. Do Hedgehogs Like To Swim? what I like to do when my hedgies feet are dirty is just take some baby wipes and wipe the feet. A stick-on “under tank heater” sold in the reptile department of most pet shops placed at one end of the cage works well. But make sure you don’t give your hedgie a bath more than once a month. Giving your hedgehog a regular bath is one of the easiest and most effective ways to prevent them from getting mites. Do not use soapy water so that the skin doesn’t get dry and only use regular water. This is up to you, but usually you should not need to give your hedgehog a bath more than once a month. They should do a sponge bath in bed if the patient can’t or won’t get into the shower. The pet hedgehog does poorly at temperatures under 70*F. We recommend that they have access to a heated area year round. Hedgehogs love to swim and do so just for fun. In some ways, washing hedgehogs is similar to bathing babies. Many products exist like Niks moisturizing oil that you can use directly on your hedgehog. Then, you can change the pads bi-weekly and clean the fleece often. You want your hedgehog to get used to your smell and become comfortable around you. ), or anointed spots of dried “stuff”. If you do notice that your hedgehog gets very dirty and needs a bath more than once per month, most breeders suggest using an oatmeal bath (discussed below). You can use bleach to remove the urine stink. If you are giving your hog a fishy treat, fresh oily fish will give the greatest health benefits (omega 3 and vitamin D amongst other nutrients). The bottom line: how do you bathe your hedgehog? Last but not least, don’t skip baths! The next thing you should do is grab a toothbrush, preferably old but it has to be soft bristled. If so you don't need to give her a full bath. Step 4: Give the hedgehog a foot bath every day to keep him clean and use a soft toothbrush to remove excess gunk from the feet. 08/09/2019 08:36:33 If they need it sooner because they are extra messy, that is fine. Some hedgehogs need baths frequently and others seldom need one. Often a sink is the easiest thing to use but make sure you have the container completely cleaned and be sure you clean away any washing products before using it as a hedgehog bath. A lot of people don’t do this, but it’s a great method that will give you peace of mind. The quills do look dangerous but they are not very sharp and rarely cause injury. ( because I doubt that your hedgies body would get dirty after one day unless it was self anointing. All pet hedgehogs need bathing sooner or later.