|
|
|
||||||||
I'm an 8 year old African Pigmy Hedgedhog named Barney. I have worked hard most of my life. I was a stud hedgehog at Marshall's, a commercial breeder in Wayne County, New York. I probably have fathered hundreds of little hoglets.
I was known as "Red" to all of the folks there because my nose was an unusual color of red. I was born missing my left eye but that apparently was not a concern of my employer. I later lost the right eye due to an injury on the job. When I reached the age of 5, I was no longer useful as breeding stock, and was rescued by two lovely people, Bruce and Carol Lee, who knew where I would find a safe home. My new owner renamed me Barney.
Several years later I developed a lesion on my left hind toe that was thought to be an infection. Despite several different antibiotics, the foot swelled to 5 times its normal size. I also developed a rapidly growing bulge on my right chest that, at first, appeared to be an abscess. My vet cultured my foot and chest. The cultures grew pseudomonas. I was placed on Cipro and Vitamin C (to help prevent Cipro crystals in my kidneys).
The chest wall lesion was growing at an alarming rate and an emergency decision was made to remove it. Special thanks to Barry Myer for his surgical expertise and Bruce Lee for his anesthesia and airway skills. Here I am pre-operativly under ether anesthesia.
The lesion was cancer, adenocarcinoma.
My pre-op weight was 480 grams, the tumor weighed 70 grams.
My foot was not getting better so it was removed at the hip by my vet.
Here I am several months later walking around on three legs.
You would think that this is too much for an old, blind hedgehog but I lived for another year. The quality of my life was good and I'm glad people didn't give up on me.
If your vet is not experienced with hedgehogs please call:
Perinton Animal Hospital (716-248-5566)