Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Hedgehog with spinal bone cancer causing foot self-injury
By Rhody, Jeffrey L & Schiller, Chris A·Published in The veterinary clinics of North America. Exotic animal practice·2006·Lakeside Veterinary Center, United States·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Spinal osteosarcoma in a hedgehog with pedal self-mutilation.
- Species:
- wildlife
Plain-English summary
A 3-year-old African pygmy hedgehog was brought in because it was injuring its back feet by biting them. After examination, the vet found that the hedgehog had a type of bone cancer called osteosarcoma affecting its spine, which was pressing on the spinal cord and nerves. The vet also discovered other serious conditions, including a type of cancer in the spleen and kidney issues. Unfortunately, due to the severity of the conditions, treatment options were limited, and the hedgehog's prognosis was poor.
People also search for: hedgehog self-mutilation · hedgehog spine cancer · hedgehog foot injury treatment
Abstract
An African pygmy hedgehog (Atelerix albiventris) was diagnosed with osteosarcoma of vertebral origin with compression of the spinal cord and spinal nerves. The only presenting sign was a self-mutilation of rear feet. Additional diagnoses included a well-differentiated splenic hemangiosarcoma, an undifferentiated sarcoma of the ascending colon, and membranoproliferative glomerulonephritis.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16931383/