Hedgehog World - A community for African Pygmy Hedgehog Owners and Breeders - Re:WHS

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Health, Hygiene, and Anatomy

Diseases, Illnesses, and Injuries

Aaria

User

Posts: 331

WHS - 2008/04/03 13:24 Ok sorry for all the posting in the past few days. I'm sure it will get even worse when I finally get my little one.

This isn't specifically about hedgehogs but do any of you know what exactly wobbly hedgehog syndrome is? I was reading about it and it sounds so much like ALS (aka Lou Gehrig's Disease). I am currently working as a technician in a lab studying ALS so this greatly interests me because as far as we know here there are not many species that have this. Do you know what the exact cause of WHS? The article on here only says that it is familial. Do you know if it is caused by a deterioration of spinal cord neurons like ALS? The article says, "WHS is a chronic, progressive paralysis that typically starts with the hindquarters and progresses until the hedgehog is completely incapacitated." This is interesting to me because that exactly mimics what happens in our mouse model.

Maybe the drugs we are developing to slow the progress of ALS is can be used to treat WHS.

Does anyone have more information about this disease before I do a literature search and get in trouble at work for not actually working. Thanks! Becky
Mother of Peanut the hedgehog

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dzmeadows

Admin

Posts: 976

Re:WHS - 2008/04/03 13:54 Ah, WHS...... The disease of so many questions and so few answers......

Theoretically, WHS is a genetic disease that causes paralysis. (There is technically a much longer answer, but my brain hurts today) Demyelinization of the nerves etc. It usually starts with weakness and paralysis in the back legs, progressing to complete paralysis.

I think that WHS is way overdiagnosed. It seems some vets will diagnose ANY hedgehog with weakness, wobbliness, or paralysis as WHS. I am not saying that WHS doesn't exist.... there are cases where multiple members in a closely related family tree have come up with the diagnosis of WHS. But just like in humans, not all cases of wobbly hedgehogs are from the same cause.

There are other sites and sources out there that have a lot more information on WHS, and case histories of some of the wobbly hedgehogs. I personally am glad to see someone in the scientific field interested in WHS, there's no such thing as too much research and knowledge.
Becca

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