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Israel Journal of Veterinary Medicine  Vol. 70 (1)  March 2015 Gardhouse, S. 32
INTRODUCTION
Te African Pygmy hedgehog (Atelerix albiventris) is a mem-
ber of the family Erinaceidae, order Insectivora (1). African
hedgehogs are native to the savannah and steppe regions of
central and eastern Africa (1). In the wild, African hedgehogs
are nocturnal and spend the daytime in burrows (1). Tey are
insectivores and their diet consists mainly of invertebrate
predators such as earthworms, slugs, and snails (1, 2). Wild
African hedgehogs reach sexual maturity at 1 year of age;
however, there are reports of hedgehogs reproductively active
prior to this age, particularly in captivity (3). Hedgehogs are
popular as pets and are also common in zoological collections
(1, 4).
Due to the popularity of this captive species, several ret-
rospective studies have been previously reported in hedgehogs
but focused mainly on neoplasia. Other diseases have only
been briefy or anecdotally described in the literature (1, 4-7).
Te goal of this review is to present disease occurrence in
captive African Pygmy hedgehogs presented to the veterinary
teaching hospital at the Kansas State University.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
Animals
Medical records of privately owned and zoologically kept cap-
tive African Pygmy hedgehogs were reviewed. Tese animals
were presented for varying signs of disease or regular health
checks and were examined by the Exotics and Zoological
Medicine Service, College of Veterinary Medicine, Kansas
State University, between 1994 and 2013.
Retrospective Study of Disease Occurrence in Captive African
Pygmy Hedgehogs (Atelerix albiventris)
Gardhouse, S.* and Eshar, D.
College of Veterinary Medicine, Department of Clinical Sciences, Kansas State University, Manhattan, Kansas, 66506, USA.
*
Corresponding Author: Dr. Sara Gardhouse, Departments of Medicine and Epidemiology, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of California, Davis,
Davis, CA 95616, USA. Email: saragardhouse@yahoo.com
ABSTRACT
African Pygmy hedgehogs (Atelerix albiventris) are commonly kept in zoological collections and as pets.
Te aim of this study was to present disease occurrence in captive African Pygmy hedgehogs. Medical
records of 106 male and female African Pygmy hedgehogs, both privately owned and from zoological
collections, presented to a veterinary teaching hospital from 1994 to 2013 were reviewed. Te most common
diseases found in captive African Pygmy hedgehogs in this study were dermatological diseases (66.04%),
gastrointestinal diseases (33.02%), and skeletal diseases (15.09%). Other identifed disorders included
neurologic disease, obesity, and renal disease. Tis is the frst retrospective study to describe occurrence
of diseases observed in captive African Pygmy hedgehogs. Te most common clinical fnding in captive
hedgehogs was dermatological disease, specifcally acariasis. Based on this study, it is recommended that all
captive hedgehogs be examined regularly for timely diagnosis and treatment of common diseases of this
species.
Keywords: Captive African Pygmy Hedgehogs; Atelerix albiventris; Common Diseases;
Dermatology; Gastroenterology; Orthopedics.
Israel Journal of Veterinary Medicine  Vol. 70 (1)  March 2015 33 African Pygmy Hedgehogs (Atelerix albiventris)
History and Clinical Examination
Each African Pygmy hedgehog’s history, including any previ-
ous diagnoses or treatments, was obtained from its medical
record. Depending on the nature of the hedgehog, most of
the physical examinations were performed under general
anesthesia.
Laboratory Testing
In some cases, blood was obtained from the jugular vein
under short-term isofurane gas anesthesia. Occasionally,
when only a very small amount of blood was required, the
peripheral vessels (cephalic vein, lateral saphenous vein) were
used. Blood samples were then submitted for complete blood
count and plasma biochemical analysis. When indicated,
tissue samples were submitted for cytology, bacteriology,
mycology and/or histology tests. Fecal parasitological testing
was performed in the cases of diarrhea, progressive weight
loss, and some annual health examinations.
Imaging Methods
When clinically indicated, abdominal ultrasonography and
two-view (dorsoventral and lateral) whole body radiographs
were obtained under general isofurane gas anesthesia.
Computed tomography scan was performed in one case with
skull pathology. Echocardiography was performed in one case
with suspected cardiac disease.
RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
A total of 106 individual cases were reviewed, out of which
47 animals were intact females and 59 were intact males.
Te mean age was 26 months (range 1 month to 9.0 years)
and mean weight was 348 g (range 112 g to 786 g). Te goal
of this study was to determine disease occurrence in cap-
tive African Pygmy hedgehogs by retrospectively reviewing
medical records of cases admitted to a veterinary teaching
hospital for clinical evaluation over a time period of 9 years.
Description of the observed disease conditions in African
Pygmy hedgehogs revealed in this study are summarized in
Table 1.
In this study, the oldest animal was 9 years old and 9
other hedgehogs were older than 4 years of age. Te expected
life span of wild African Pygmy hedgehogs is reported to
be up to 4 years, though it has been noted they can live up
to 10 years in captivity due to advances in veterinary care
(2, 6). In this study, adult hedgehogs weighed 361 g mean
for males (range 112 g-770 g) and 369 g mean for females
(range 124 g-670 g). Te weight of adult hedgehogs has been
Table 1: Prevalence of health disorders in 106 captive African pygmy
hedgehogs from 1994-2013 presented to the College of Veterinary
Medicine, Kansas State University.
a
Organ/tissue disease All hedgehogs % (N=106)
Dermatological disease 66.04
Ectoparasites 46.22
Pododermatitis 3.77
Dermatophytosis 5.66
Otitis externa 2.83
Neoplasia 4.72
Gastrointestinal disease 33.02
Oral squamous cell carcinoma 9.43
Tooth root abscess 4.72
Dental calculus/gingivitis/periodontitis 4.72
Liver disease 3.77
Musculoskeletal disease 15.09
Degenerative joint disease 1.89
Spondylosis 2.83
Annular pedal constriction 4.72
Neurologic disease 11.32
Wobbly hedgehog disease 8.49
Obesity 10.38
Renal disease 9.43
Hematuria 4.72
Interstitial nephritis 0.94
Glomerulopathy 0.94
Multifocal interstitial fbrosis 1.89
Reproductive disorders 8.49
Mammary carcinoma 1.89
Uterine neoplasia 3.77
Endometrial polyps 0.94
Pyometra 0.94
Respiratory disease 7.55
Pneumonia 1.89
Ocular disease 5.66
Cataracts 3.77
Globe proptosis 1.89
Cardiac disease 1.89
Congestive heart failure 1.89
Endocrine disease 1.89
Tyroid gland hypertrophy 0.94
Tyroid carcinoma 0.94
Status ante fnem (diagnosis not known) 8.49
Healthy animals 11.32
a
Some animals displayed more than one symptom or disease and were
included in more than one group.
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Israel Journal of Veterinary Medicine  Vol. 70 (1)  March 2015 Gardhouse, S. 34
reported to be 400-600 g for males and 300-400 g for females
(1).
Dermatologic disease was the most common health
disorder seen in hedgehogs, being recorded in 66.04% (70
of 106) of all hedgehogs examined in this study. Te most
common dermatological disease seen was mite infestation
(acariasis) identifed in 65.71% (46 of 70) of the dermato-
logical cases. Te species of mites was not recorded in every
case, but when recorded (5 of 46), the species observed were
Chorioptes, 60% (3 of 5) and Caparinia, 40% (2 of 5). Two
cases with feas and one case with lice were also found.
External parasites (feas, ticks, and mites), as well as a va-
riety of dermatophytes were commonly seen in hedgehogs in
this study and have been previously reported in the literature
(8). Acariasis is commonly reported in pet hedgehogs (1).
Mites are normal inhabitants of hedgehogs in the wild, but
infestation can become severe in ill or immunocompromised
animals (7). Similar to what was observed in this study, the
most common mite of hedgehogs is Caparinia spp. (non-
burrowing mite), with reports of Chorioptes spp. (burrowing
mite) also being implicated (1).
However, in many of the
cases of mites that were identifed in this study, the species
was not recorded.
Dermatophytosis was found in hedgehogs in this study
with all cases diagnosed as Trichophyton spp. based on fungal
culture. Te most commonly identifed organisms in the lit-
erature include Trichophyton spp. and Microsporum spp. (1, 9).
In 4.72% of cases in this study, dental disease, including
calculus, gingivitis, and periodontitis was noted, which has
commonly been reported in the literature in hedgehogs (1).
Various skeletal diseases have been recorded in hedgehogs
(10). Spondylosis was noted on radiographs of three hedge-
hogs in this study. A case series (n = 4) of intervertebral disc
disease in hedgehogs noted spondylosis as a radiographic
fnding in three hedgehogs, hypothesized to be a result of
abnormal movement between vertebrae, degeneration of the
annulus fbrosis and infammation with bony proliferation
from the protruding disc (10). Annular pedal constriction, as
noted in this study in fve hedgehogs, causes an interference
with the blood supply leading to local congestion, edema,
hypoxia, and/or avascular necrosis (11). Tese injuries can be
caused by cage wire, fabric, string, hair, or other fbers (11).
Hedgehogs appear to be particularly prone to this injury
of a leg, foot or digit, often requiring amputation (11). In
this study, removal of the foreign material resulted in return
to normal function of the limb in all but one case which
required amputation.
A common presenting complaint of neurologic hedge-
hogs in this study was ataxia. Neurological disease is reported
commonly in hedgehogs in the literature (1). Common causes
of ataxia in hedgehogs include torpor, Wobbly Hedgehog
Syndrome (WHS), intervertebral disc disease, trauma, toxins,
infarcts, malnutrition, and neoplasia (1, 12-13). WHS was the
most common cause of ataxia found in this study (8.49%).
WHS (as a result of demyelination) is a progressive paralysis
in hedgehogs that begins with ataxia and ends in complete
paralysis within 15 months of the onset of clinical signs (12,
14). However, intervertebral disc disease (IVDD) can also
present with similar signs as WHS (1, 13).
Brain tumors
have also been reported to present with similar signs as WHS
and IVDD with reports of astrocytomas, gemistocytic as-
trocytomas and microgliomas (12). One report of anaplastic
astrocytoma in the spinal cord of a hedgehog has also been
reported (15). Additionally, circling, as seen in hedgehogs in
this study, may be caused by otitis media/interna or primary
neurologic disease (1).
Obesity was found in 10.38% of cases in this study, which
is refective of a previous report (16). Obesity is commonly
reported in pet hedgehogs as a result of improper husbandry,
including overeating, incorrect diet, lack of exercise, and an
ambient temperature that is too cold (16).
Renal diseases in this study were found in 9.43% of cases,
but many of the hedgehogs with suspected renal disease were
not necropsied to allow a defnitive diagnosis. A retrospective
study of post mortem fndings in 14 African hedgehogs re-
vealed renal disease in 50% of the hedgehogs including tubu-
lointerstitial nephritis, chronic renal infarcts, glomerulopathy,
and tubular nephrosis (17).
When necropsy was performed
in hedgehogs in this study, similar histopathological fndings
were also described.
In this study, cardiac disease was clinically diagnosed in
just 1.89% of cases and necropsy fndings from 13.21% of
cases revealed no evidence of cardiomyopathy. In a study
published in 2000, 38% (16 of 42) of hedgehogs examined
on necropsy, were noted to have cardiomyopathy (18).
Cases of leiomyoma and endometrial polyps were found
in this study, however some of the suspected cases of uterine
disease in this study did not have necropsy or other diagnostic
tests performed. Uterine disease in African hedgehogs has
been reported in the literature (5, 13, 19-20). Te types of
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Israel Journal of Veterinary Medicine  Vol. 70 (1)  March 2015 35 African Pygmy Hedgehogs (Atelerix albiventris)
tumors of the uterus reported in hedgehogs in the literature
includes adenoleiomyosarcoma, adenosarcoma, endometrial
stromal cell sarcoma, endometrial polyps, adenoleiomyoma,
uterine adenocarcinoma, carcinosarcoma and uterine spindle
cell tumor (5, 13, 18-19).
One case of pyometra was found in
this study. Te predominant cause of abnormal vaginal dis-
charge is reported to be neoplasia but pyometra and metritis
have been reported (1, 20, 21).
Neoplasia was the third most common general pathology
in hedgehogs observed in 20.75% (22 of 106) of cases in
this study, when incorporating all body systems. Te most
common neoplastic process observed in this study was oral
squamous cell carcinoma 45.45% (10 of 22 neoplasias).
Mammary gland adenocarcinoma was seen in 9.09% (2 of
22 neoplasias) of cases. Dermal neoplasia was reported in
22.73% (5 of 22) of neoplasia cases.
Oral squamous cell carcinoma was commonly diagnosed
in hedgehogs ranging from 1-6 years of age. Oral neoplasms,
particularly squamous cell carcinomas are commonly reported
in hedgehogs in the literature (1). Oral squamous cell carci-
noma was reported as the third most common tumor of the
hedgehog preceded by mammary gland adenocarcinoma and
lymphoma in a retrospective study, in hedgehogs ranging
from 2-5.5 years (4).
In this study, oral squamous cell carcinoma was the most
commonly reported neoplasm in 45.45% (10 of 22 neopla-
sias) of cases, mammary gland adenocarcinoma was seen in
9.09% (2 of 22 neoplasias) of cases, and lymphosarcoma was
not reported. Dermal neoplasia was reported in 22.73% (5
of 22) of neoplasia cases, and is also considered relatively
common (4). Neoplasia is reported commonly in African
hedgehogs in the literature (1, 4-6). Tere are various reports
of tumors and disseminated neoplastic processes in hedge-
hogs, afecting many body systems (4-6). Several retrospective
studies reported various neoplasms in African hedgehogs (1,
4-6). In one retrospective study of 66 hedgehogs, the most
common tumors included mammary gland adenocarcinoma,
lymphosarcoma, and oral squamous cell carcinoma (4).
Limitations of this study include the accuracy of informa-
tion available in the record, which is inherent in any retrospec-
tive study. Te age of the animals was reported by the owners
and may not be accurate. Te reproductive status was also
reported by the owners and verifed by the attending clinician.
Te population of hedgehogs used in this study is a
good representation of the captive hedgehog population,
from both zoologically kept and privately owned hedge-
hogs, since both primary care and secondary referral cases
are included. Additionally, given the large time scale, there
was a decreased chance of disease grouping. However, the
localized geographical area may represent a localized gene
pool which may result in diferent disease prevalence in other
areas of the world.
CONCLUSION
Te most common disease in hedgehogs found in this
study is dermatological disease, particularly ectoparasites.
Gastrointestinal disease, skeletal disease, and neurologic
disease were all relatively common presentations. Tis retro-
spective study may assist in extending our clinical knowledge
of disease prevalence in captive African Pygmy hedgehogs.
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