Many different uterine tumors have been reported in hedgehogs including adenosarcomas, endometrial stromal sarcomas, endometrial polyps, adenoleiomyosarcomas, and adenoleiomyomas. The mean survival time after spay surgery was 303 days.
The most common symptom seen in hedgehogs is bloody urine, but you may also see frank blood around the vulva which sometimes can be expressed with gentle pressure on the abdomen. Patients may have a hunched posture, weight loss, lethargy, and a decreased appetite. They may have pale gums secondary to anemia due to excessive bleeding.
Several medical conditions share similar symptoms with uterine tumors in hedgehogs which include urinary tract infection, tumors of the urinary system, bladder trauma, bladder stones, pregnancy, pyometra (uterine infection), and dystocia (trouble giving birth).
Your veterinarian may be able to make a presumptive diagnosis based on clinical signs and palpation of a mass within the abdomen. Definitive diagnosis is made through radiographs or ultrasound. Additional testing often recommended include a complete blood count, serum biochemistry, urinalysis, and urine culture.
If a patient is dangerously anemic or weak, the first step is to stabilize the patient. Heat support in the hospital may be recommended if the patient is hypothermic. Blood transfusions may be indicated if the patient is dangerously anemic. Fluid therapy either given subcutaneously or intravenously, nutritional support, and pain control medications may be necessary as well. Once stable, spay surgery is recommended to remove the uterus as well as the ovaries.
With surgery, the prognosis is fair in clinically stable patients. If the patient is anemic or actively hemorrhaging from the reproductive tract, the prognosis is guarded.
Spaying your hedgehog prior to development of tumors is 100% preventative.
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