Is it a bad to buy a hedgehog from a pet store that specializes in exotic pets?

hi,im really excited to get my fist hedgehog but i've heard that you shouldn't buy them from pet stores,but this pet store specializes in exotic pets.What are some of the risks?|||The reason that it's better to buy from a reputable breeder than a pet store is that the breeder will usually make sure there's no wobbly hedgehog syndrome for at least three generations, lowering the chance of your hedgehog developing it.





It sounds like a funny disease, but it's not. I have a rescued hedgehog who has it. She's at the point now where her back legs don't work at all. She drags herself around the cage on her side, and has to be propped up to eat. She goes to the bathroom on herself because she can't help it. Sometimes she'll quit eating and has to be fed with a syringe for a few weeks until she'll start eating again. I'll probably have to have her put down at some point, but for now she still seems to enjoy some things...snuggling with her cage buddy, going outside, and eating new things...and I have the free time available to care for her.|||I'm not sure about the specific risks associated with hedgehogs, but with other pets there are several risks. One is that you're contributing to puppy mills or rabbit mills--people who breed the animals specifically for sale and don't keep them in humane conditions. They breed the mothers without any regard to the mother's health. Oftentimes, animals are separated from their mothers too early, they don't receive good vet care while at the pet store, and thus may have illnesses. Ask your pet store where the hedgehogs came from, and then investigate that company/person/breeder. You might also want to try to look for hedgehog rescue groups or ask your local exotic vet if they know of anyone who has a hedgehog that they want to get rid of. This way, you'll either be saving a pet (if you adopt from a rescue) or helping out someone who can't care for their pet anymore.|||The risk with any pet store, is that you don't know where the hedgie came from.


You can't meet the breeder, plus the momma and dad to the baby.


You, in turn, don't know if theres a chance your hedgie will develop WHS (Wobbly Hedgehog Syndrome (Silly name, I know :P)) If you have no idea where he came from in the first place!


Also, buying from a pet store that takes poor car of their animals only encourages them to buy more to sell.


If it's absolutely impossible to buy from a breeder, nobody is going to come after you for breaking down and buying from a pet store, especially a good, exotic pets store that takes proper care if the animals, but it is in no way advisable.


If I were you, I would go scope out the situation, see if it has sufficient food, heat, a place to hide, etc., and base your decision on your findings.


Like I said, if it's your only choice, a pet store hedgie, in my opinion, is better than no hedgie at all!


So go check out the scene and decide from there, good luck and I hope this helped! :)