Alternative therapies for your hedgehog:
Copyright © 1999 - Laura Mowrey - All Rights Reserved
*Color Therapy:
The use of colors has proved to be very beneficial for a number of problems with hedgehogs, as well as other
animals. You can use color therapy in various ways. Put a light bulb of the appropriate color over the
hedgehogs cage. Your hedgie is likely to move away from the light source when it has had enough. If you give
healing, such as Reiki, you can visualize the appropriate colors around the hedgehog. You can also try covering 2
sides of the cage with color.
The following is a list of colors shown to be most effective:
BLUE: A color very much associated with healing. Useful for fevers, inflammation, and
for soothing pain.
GREEN: A calming color, green is good for babies, heart problems, aiding the nervous
system and easing muscle spasms.
INDIGO: Excellent for respiratory problems, including pneumonia. Indigo will also calm
hyperactivity. Indigo light is very popular since hedgehogs who are ill like to bathe in it.
INFRA-RED and ULTA-VIOLET: Although these lights can be used in veterinary treatment of
animals, they are very powerful and can be damaging if the hedgehog has too much of it. Use other, safer colors.
ORANGE: A stimulating color, orange is good for hedgehogs that are fearful or depressed,
or generally lacking in energy.
PEACH: A mild painkiller, peach can be used for pain.
PINK: This color is associated with unconditional love. Pink is particularly good for orphans
or for any hedgehog that has experienced a loss.
RED: A very stimulating, energizing color which is good for the circulation, for clearing
negative energies and for healing arthritis. Give to hedgehogs that are either lacking in vitality or are
anemic. red is a powerful color, so only use it for short periods.
SILVER: A very cleansing color, silver is good for helping hedgehogs overcome bacterial
or viral infections.
VIOLET: A good color for combating viruses, it helps strengthen the immune system and nervous
systems, and combats fatigue and stress.
YELLOW: A purifying color, used for hedgehogs that are toxic. Lemon yellow is especially good
for helping to combat parasitic infestations.
*Purple Plates:
The positive energy plate, or purple plate, is a very powerful healing tool. It is made from aluminum which has
been treated specially to enable it to act as a transceiver of universal energy. Purple plates increase
energy, relieve pain, and have other stimulating or soothing effects, depending on what is needed. Hedgehogs
will often go and lie on the plate, and move off it when its work is finished.
An example of a Purple Plate.
To find out more information or to purchase one of these purple plates, click on the following website:
Purple Plates
*Aromatherapy:
Essential oils can be used on burners, pans, diffusers, and sprays to infuse the air with their fragrance. You
can also put a drop or two in bathwater, or inhale them in steam over the stove. When infused into the air of
a room, they can serve to calm hedgehogs, overcome unpleasant smells, positively charge the ions in the
air, and kill bacteria and viruses. Some oils (such as camphor, menthol, eucalyptus, and peppermint) because
of their strong nature, are anecdotal to homeopathic remedies. Keep those oils stored away from your
other remedies.
The following oils are used most frequently:
EUCALYPTUS: For respiratory problems. Anecdotal.
OLBAS OIL: Respiratory problems. Anecdotal.
LAVENDAR: Most commonly used oil. It has a calming, balancing effect, and is a natural insect
repellent. It soothes pain, and inflammation, is antiseptic, kills bacteria, and helps to expel parasites.
ROSEMARY: Stimulates the brain and central nervous system. A general tonic and painkiller that
helps to clear catarrh and respiratory problems.
*** Tea Tree oil has been reported to be toxic to hedgehogs
so please do not use this product!
To learn more about aromatherapy, click on the following websites:
Aromatherapy
Celestial Touch Aromatherapy
*Sounds and Smells:
Hedgehogs have a sharp sense of smell and will benefit from the natural smells of nature. Adding grass, leaves,
flowers, and or bark to their environment will make them feel more at home.
*Make sure anything you put in their cage is non-toxic if ingested and free of pesticides, fertilizers
or other chemicals.
Hedgehogs have a keen sense of hearing and are very responsive to the sounds around them. Soothing, calm music,
played at low volume with gentle flowing sounds will have a beneficial effect. You should avoid sound
tracts with the sounds of predatory animals and jungle noises, however the sound of rain, a babbling
creek, waves and such would be fine. I personally keep a small table-top water fountain near their cages at
night. This not only gives them the soothing sound of water, but it also boosts the humidity a bit in
their room, which is beneficial during the winter months when the heat is on all the time, drying out the
air in our home.
*Crystal Healing:
The healing properties of crystals and gemstones have been recognized throughout the world for centuries. This
section you are about to read will deal with those that have seemed to work well with hedgehogs. This list
is by no means complete, and I would highly recommend investing in a good book on this subject.
Animals seem to instinctively know when a crystal is good for them. They will lie with it or on it, lick it and
even try and carry it around. They also seem to know when they have had enough. With my own hedgehogs,
I have seen them keep a particular crystal in their beds for a day or two, or even weeks and then
toss it out, refusing to allow it back in.
Before using any crystal, you will need to cleanse it of all negative energy it has absorbed from being used or
held by others before you. To do this, place your crystal in a clear glass bowl, cover it with spring
water and sea salt. Place the bowl outdoors for 24 hours where it can absorb natural sunlight. Another way
to cleanse the negative energy from your crystal is to let is sit on a purple plate for a half hour or
so. These techniques will both cleanse and re-energize your crystal. This cleansing process will need
to be repeated frequently to allow it to work efficiently, since it absorbs negative energies from the sick
or injured animal. The sicker the animal, the more often you will need to cleanse it. If the crystal
goes dull, sticky, or loses its rainbows, it needs cleansing.
The following crystals have been shown to be the most effective:
AGATE: This grounding stone is the choice for a hedgehog who is unconscious or in a coma.
It helps bring them back fully into their bodies and return to consciousness.
AMETHYST: An excellent choice for a hedgehog who is stressed, nervous or fearful as it has a
soothing, tranquilizing effect. It will also help detoxify the body, as well as stimulate the immune
system, the production of red blood cells, and tissue regeneration.
DIOPTASE: An all-around healer, with a particular affinity for animals. Dioptase relaxes the
mind, and strengthens the central nervous system. It also helps the cardiovascular system so give this
to any hedgehog that is stressed or suffering from heart problems.
ONYX: Pale green onyx is the color of choice. It calms the emotions, bringing balance back to
a stressed animal, and strengthens bone marrow, so give it to any hedgehog with bone injuries.
QUARTZ-CLEAR: This stone is useful for healing all manner of physical ailments because it
helps alleviate emotional stress, and encourages tissue regeneration. Clear quartz can act in various way:
transforming, amplifying, focusing, and storing energy. It will also enhance the effects of any other crystals
used with it and can be used to purify drinking water by soaking a crystal in the water overnight.
ROSE QUARTZ: This stone is a great companion to give an orphaned hedgehog, or to one who has
lost it's companion hedgehog, baby or caretaker. It helps to heal grief, and other emotional problems.
RUBY: Unpolished ruby (which you can buy quite inexpensively) strengthens the immune system
and aids in circulation and tissue regeneration. It is a particularly good choice for heart problems.
To learn more about crystal healing, click on the following websites:
Healing Crystals
Rainbow Crystals
*Bach Flower Remedies:
These flower essences, like homeopathy, work on the body's energy field or aura. However do not confuse them
with homeopathy as they are two different approaches and require different methods of administration. Bach
Flower remedies infuse the patient's aura with the positive energy from a particular flower or group
of flowers.
Bach Flower remedies are very safe for hedgehogs and there are no negative side effects. To administer these to
your hedgehog, put 2 drops of the selected remedy in a 30ml medicine bottle containing 3/4 spring water
and 1/4 cider vinegar, or alcohol. The vinegar or alcohol will preserve the mixture. Keep this mixture
tightly capped in the refrigerator.
For hedgehogs, the dose is 2 drops, 3 to 4 times daily. In an acute situation, you may have to give more
frequently (every 15 - 20 minutes) until the hedgehog's condition has improved. The dose is best given
orally. Continue with the daily dose until the hedgehog has improved, usually within 10 days in serious cases if
the animal is going to respond. Acutely ill animals will usually show a response within a few hours.
To get the best from the 38 Bach Flower essences, study them all to see which ones are best suited to your
hedgehog's needs. Bach Flower remedies are compatible with all other alternative treatments and with
conventional veterinary drugs.
Bach Flower Remedies are sold in many pet stores and health food stores.
To find out more about these remedies, go to the following website:
Animal Nutrition Center/Bach Remedies
Rainbow Crystal/Bach Remedies
New Bach Remedy Therapies
Animal Communicators:
Animal Communicators are individual's who have the ability to see inside of our animals and tell us what they are
thinking, and feeling. If an illness is present, they can offer insight to that as well. Although
skeptical at first, I was soon convinced that there are some people out there who truly have this gift. I
personally have used Elizabeth Severino and found her to be an accurate, and a very caring, gifted, and
compassionate woman. I know others who have claimed Lydia Hiby to be a very gifted communicator as well.
If you are at all interested in finding out more about this subject, try the following sites and see what you think!
Elizabeth Severino-Animal Communicator
Lydia Hiby-Animal Communicator
Reiki is a form of hands on healing. Basically it means to channel healing energy through your body and into the
recipient. This technique is now being used in many hospitals throughout the country, as more and more
come to see it as a valid and useful tool to help the sick and injured, and to calm people prior to
surgery and other procedures. Reiki works directly on the subjects energy field, or aura, to bring
balance and improve health. It can also work on the emotions, helping people to cope with a difficult situation
that has or is happening to them.
I am a 2nd Degree Reiki Practitioner. I have been practicing for many years and have worked on many people, but I
feel that my biggest calling is to work with animals. When I work with a subject, I begin by visualizing
white and purple healing lights around them, I then "scan" the body to attempt to ascertain
where the trouble may lie. In doing this, a troubled spot may feel cooler, or more dense or even like a hole in
the energy field. When that is located, the energy I channel is concentrated to that area of the body.
I feel that when performing Reiki, that it is important to take in account the person's or animal's
state of mine, not just where the physical problems lay. Animals are on a whole, usually very
susceptible to Reiki, but there is always the exception. Often they will accept what your offering with total
trust, but move away when they have had enough. Trust that they know what they are doing, and save
additional treatments for another time. Do not ever try and force them to lay still or to stay put.
Although there is a lot more to Reiki then what I have described here, and training is considered favorable,
anyone who has the true desire can practice hands on healing. Just chose a quiet place, perhaps light a white
candle, and while you and the animal are in that safe place, start the visualization technique I
described above, surround them with light, and run your hands around them, leaving nothing un-checked. If the
animal is not open to direct touch, you can hover your hands directly above them by an inch or two.
Feel healing energy flow into your feet, through your body and heart, down your arms and out your
hands. "See" whatever it is you seek for your subject. In other words, if you know what the problem is,
visualize that animal being healed, see that animal running healthy and living a happy, healthy, normal life. Do
not be surprised if in your hands you feel heat and or a tingling sensation. This is normal!
Like any other treatments, alternative or otherwise, nothing is is a guarantee. Do not feel you have failed
if
the end result isn't what you wanted or expected. Rest assured that the healing energy you gave to your
pet was a precious gift, and that the energy did its work where it was most needed. Sometimes that can
take the form of a physical healing, and other times, in the form of an emotional healing.
To learn more about Reiki, go to the following websites:
Reiki Circle
Reiki and Pets
Elizabeth Severino
Massage Therapy:
I was never really involved with massage therapy on my animals until my hedgehog Tommy came to have WHS
(wobbly hedgehog syndrome). I had done plenty of massage work on human subjects however, and am very familiar
with its benefits to mind, body and spirit. I thought this would also be beneficial to him as
well. Tommy's paralysis was rapid and as with human beings, a paralyzed state causes muscles to atrophy and
internal organs to shut down. Thus began my routine of daily massage therapy on my hedgehog Tommy. Some of my
techniques came from the knowledge I already had about the human body, still another aspect branched out
from my Reiki practice as massage and Reiki work hand in hand beautifully. Still another aspect
came
from reading about a specific form of massage known as the Tellington Touch, or T-Touch as it
is often referred to.
The intent of T-Touch is to activate the function of cells and open the pathways to healing.
T-Touch is basically done by making 1 1/4 clockwise circle turns along the area your working on, progressively
moving along the body. The pressure you use depends on the type and size of the animal your
working on, what the problem is, and their acceptance level. There are 9 levels of pressure in
T-Touch. I would never use beyond a 2nd or 3rd level on a small animal such as a hedgehog. A good way to
practice the pressure you use, is by closing your eyes and making a 1 1/4 circle on your closed eyelid. It
doesn't take much to feel it, does it? With hedgehogs, I use a very light touch, beginning at the rump or head
(depending on how accepting the patient is, and lightly, but firmly start making these circles, all the
while moving my way up or down the spinal column, to the sides, and even the abdomen, face, legs and
feet if the animal is open to it. If the animal is not comfortable with one level of pressure, use
a lighter one.
I have used this method on 3 of my hedgehogs and have had varying degrees of acceptance ranging from complete, as
with Tommy, to moderate acceptance, as with Spicket and Emma. I have also used this technique on cats
and dogs; my own as well as others, all with high acceptance rates except in the instance of 1
particular cat who had a very low tolerance level to it.
I have found that with massage and Reiki, not only is it relaxing and healing for your animal, it also benefits
you and opens the door to a greater bond between you and your companion animals.
Homeopathy:
It has been said that homeopathy is one of the most gentle and sympathetic forms of healing. Homeopathy respects
each person and animal as being unique and individual. Homeopathic's acts deep within the
organism, making lasting cures at all levels; physical, emotional and mental. Most conventional doctors are not
trained to look at their patients ailments as a whole, they tend to treat each ailment separately and
consequently the base cause is seldom found, or permanently eradicated.
It is not my intention to go into any real depth about homeopathy, but I have used it and do believe in it's
capacity to heal. I strongly recommend every pet owner to look into finding a good Homeopathic Vet in their
area, and to study up on this fascinating subject. There are many good books written as well as limitless
information on the web.
My most in-depth experience with homeopathic medications was with my hedgehog Tommy, who had WHS. Though these
treatments did not cure him, I really do believe they gave him a much longer and higher quality of
life then he would have had otherwise. I have also used homeopathic's on my other animals for minor
problems and did see improvement.
There are several more commonly used medications you can purchase to begin building your own supply.
Among these are:
ACONITE; Useful for situations involving fear, colds, cough, sore throat, earache, eye inflammations etc that have had a sudden onset.
ARNICA: Number one remedy for bruising and shock that follows accidental injuries;
also sprains and strains.
ARSENICUM: Useful for diarrhea, nausea and vomiting.
CALENDULA: Use for open cuts and wounds externally as a gel, cream or diluted tincture
directly to the area around an incision site.
CANTHARIS: Used for bladder infection and cysitis.
CHAMOMILLA: Used to treat irritability, has a calming effect.
PHOSPHORUS: Useful for individuals that are very nervous and sensitive, and who do not want to
be alone. Where deep anxiety is caused by sudden loud noises, and shadows.
NUX VOMICA: For nausea and vomiting.
Just an example of some homeopathic remedies. It's important to not allow your
hands to touch the tablets.
*REFERENCES: The Natural Hedgehog, by Lenni Sykes and Jane Durrant, as seen below:
An excellant resource book for herbal remedies:
Sage Woman Herbs:A good resource for herbs, especially for those
harder to find varieties.
To learn more, click on the following sites:
Cool Pet Sites: This site contains a vast amount of links to various alternative healing sites. Just scroll down on their homepage and click on Alternative Medicine.
Homeopathy For Animals
Welsh Hedgehog Hospital's Online Catalog/Homeopathic Supplies
Click On:
This website claims no particular endorsement to Spiritual Minds.Com,
but added it only for those interested in researching these areas.
Send me your comments or questions:
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