AEMV Forum

Intervertebral Disc Disease in African

Hedgehogs (Atelerix albiventris):
Four Cases
James T. Raymond, MS, DVM, Dip. ACVP,
Roberto Aguilar, DVM,
Freeland Dunker, DVM,
John Ochsenreiter, DVM,
Sally Nofs, DVM,
Wynona Shellabarger, DVM,
and Michael M. Garner, DVM, Dip. ACVP

Abstract
Four, adult, captive, African hedgehogs (Atelerix albiventris) were diagnosed with inter-
vertebral disc disease. Clinical signs associated with intervertebral disc disease were
progressive hindlimb ataxia, urinary stasis, loss of proprioception, and lameness.
Radiographs on 2 of the cases revealed narrowing of the cervical intervertebral spaces
and spondylosis. Histologically, all hedgehogs had several intervertebral discs that were
degenerative and protruded dorsally into the vertebral canal, which, in some cases, caused
compressive damage to the spinal cord. The clinical signs exhibited by the animals de-
scribed in this report were similar to the signs of wobbly hedgehog syndrome. Based on this
case series, clinical evaluation for disc disease is recommended in hedgehogs with signs of
ambulatory dysfunction. Copyright 2009 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Key words: ataxia; Atelerix albiventris; degenerative; hedgehog; intervertebral disc disease

A
frican hedgehogs (Atelerix albiventris) are a pop-
ular exotic pet, as well as a small mammal com-
monly exhibited by many zoological parks. Dis-
eases such as neoplasia, chronic interstitial nephritis,
and cardiomyopathy are commonly diagnosed in cap-
tive, adult hedgehogs.1-3 Recently, a neurologic condi-
tion of unknown cause referred to as wobbly hedgehog
syndrome (WHS) has been noted in captive hedge-
hogs.4,5 We report herein the first cases of interverte-
bral disc disease (IVD) in hedgehogs, which, in some
instances, clinically resembles WHS.
Case Reports
Case 1 involved a 6.5-year-old male hedgehog housed
at a Northern Californian zoological park that devel-
oped peripheral vestibular disease characterized by
ataxia that initially responded to supportive care and
corticosteroids for several months after presentation
of the problem. Radiographs revealed narrowing of
C2-C3 and C3-C4 intervertebral spaces and spondy-
From the Northwest ZooPath, Snohomish, WA USA; the Audubon
Zoo, The Audubon Nature Institute, New Orleans, LA USA; the San
Francisco Zoo, San Francisco, CA USA; and The Toledo Zoo, Toledo,
OH USA.
Address correspondence to: Michael M. Garner, DVM, Dip.
ACVP, Northwest ZooPath, 654 West Main, Monroe, WA 98296.
E-mail: zoopath@aol.com.
© 2009 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
1557-5063/09/1803-$30.00
doi:10.1053/j.jepm.2009.06.007

220 Journal of Exotic Pet Medicine, Vol 18, No 3 ( July), 2009: pp 220-223
Intervertebral Disc Disease in African Hedgehogs
Figure 1. Hedgehog, case 1. Radiographic image showing focus of
intervertebral disc disease in cervical vertebral column. Note nar-
rowing of disc spaces at C2 to C3 and C3 to C4 (arrows) and
spondylosis.
losis between C2 and C3 (Fig 1). In April 2001, the
hedgehog had another episode of neurologic dis-
ease that was unresponsive to treatment and 2
months later was humanely euthanized. At necropsy,
the lungs were congested and the liver was pale with
increased firmness. The kidneys had cortical in-
farcts, and the hedgehog’s adrenal glands were en-
larged.
Case 2 was a 4-year-old female hedgehog from the
same Northern Californian zoological park that de-
veloped lameness in the left front limb. Radiographs
revealed spondylosis between C2 and C3 and C4 and
C5 and narrowing of C4-C5 intervertebral space with
increased radiodensity (mineralization) of the inter-
vertebral disc. For humane reasons, the hedgehog
was euthanized. At necropsy, the hedgehog was in
good body condition, had slightly enlarged kidneys,
pinpoint consolidation of the left caudal lung, and a
3-cm mass infiltrating the dorsocervical and ret-
roscapular soft tissues.
Case 3 was a male, approximately 4-year-old hedge-
hog from a zoological park in the southeastern United
States that had a prolonged history of urinary blad-
der atony with urinary stasis and progressive bilateral
hindlimb ataxia with loss of proprioception. Eutha-
nasia was performed for humane and diagnostic pur-
poses. At necropsy, there was severe distention of the
urinary bladder and a 1-cm area of dark discolora-
tion on the spleen. Longitudinal sections of the
lumbar spine revealed expansion of adjacent inter-
vertebral joints associated with thickening and white
221
discoloration of the intervertebral discs. Affected
discs were partially prolapsed into the spinal canal,
and the adjacent spinal cord was dorsally displaced
and slightly compressed (Fig 2).
Case 4 was an approximately 6-year-old male
hedgehog from a zoological park in the Midwestern
United States that was humanely euthanized because
of infiltrative, oral squamous cell carcinoma. At nec-
ropsy, there was a segment of cervical spine that had
two small, hard, 0.5-mm ventral protrusions inter-
preted as spondylosis.
Tissues from the 4 hedgehogs were submitted to
Northwest ZooPath fixed in 10% neutral buffered
formalin. Northwest ZooPath subsequently decalci-
fied the bone, which, along with other tissue samples,
were embedded in paraffin, sectioned the tissues at 5.0
␮m, and then stained them with hematoxylin and eo-
sin. Histologically, all hedgehogs described in this re-
port had multiple intervertebral disc degeneration of
the nucleus pulposus and annulus fibrosus, fissures
and neovascularization in the annulus fibrosus, and
mild to moderate, dorsal extrusion of the annulus
fibrosus and nucleus pulposus into the spinal canal.
Some of the intervertebral discs were incompletely
protruded and still covered by thin layers of annulus
fibrosus. Some of the completely protruding inter-
vertebral discs had replacement of the mucinous
nucleus pulposus by irregularly mineralized and
fragmented cartilaginous tissue. In cases 1 to 3, the
cervical vertebrae were primarily affected. In addi-
tion, case 4 had similar degenerative disc lesions in
the lumbar vertebral column (Fig 3). Three hedge-
hogs had ventral bridging osteophytes (spondylosis)
between cervical vertebrae with degenerate interver-
tebral discs. In all cases, there was mild to moderate
multifocal compression of the spinal cord by the
dorsally protruding disc material. The compressed
Figure 2. Hedgehog, case 3. Note thickening and calcification of
intervertebral discs in the lumbar spinal column (arrows), with partial
disc proptosis and associated compression of the spinal cord
(arrowhead).
222
Figure 3. Hedgehog, case 4. Tangentially sectioned lumbar spinal
column. Note complete degeneration of lumbar intervertebral disc,
thickening of the joint space (j), and nodular cartilaginous material
above the joint (arrows) that extends into the vertebral canal. The
spinal cord (c) has some vacuolar change corresponding to axonal
degeneration. The adjacent intervertebral disc (d) is normal. Hema-
toxylin and eosin (bar) ⫽ 300 ␮m.
spinal cord had multifocal axonal swelling, edema,
and digestion chambers (Fig 4), and these lesions
were more severe in the lateral and ventral funiculi.
Case 2 had several spinal nerve roots that had de-
generate and swollen axons. Case 1 also had a fibro-
cartilaginous embolus within a longitudinal venous
sinus.
Discussion
Intervertebral disc disease is a progressive debilitat-
ing condition that involves the degeneration of one
or more intervertebral discs. Ultimately, there is dor-
sal protrusion of the damaged discs that results in
compressive damage to the spinal cord. The disease
usually manifests by progressive neurologic signs in-
cluding loss of proprioception, ataxia, paresis, and,
in some cases, paralysis. Hindlimb ataxia with pro-
gression to paresis and paralysis, as noted in case 3,
is a common clinical sign in dogs with IVD.6 Also, the
urinary bladder atony in case 3 was likely due to
compressive damage to spinal nerve roots from her-
niated disc material in the lumbosacral region. Neu-
rogenic distension of the urinary bladder is a com-
mon sequela to lumbar disc herniation in dogs. The
forelimb lameness in hedgehog 2 was from compres-
sion of cervical spinal nerve roots by the prolapsed
intervertebral disc. The vestibular signs (e.g., ataxia)
in case 1 can be attributed in part to the spinal cord
damage from the histologically observed protruding
cervical intervertebral discs. The clinical signs exhib-
Raymond et al
ited by these hedgehogs with IVD were directly re-
lated to the compressive damage to the spinal cord
and spinal nerve roots by the herniated disc mate-
rial.
Although myelography is the diagnostic tech-
nique of choice for IVD, standard radiographs of the
vertebral column helped make a clinical diagnosis of
IVD in cases 1 and 2. Spinal radiographs made for
evaluation of IVD in hedgehogs should include lateral
views of the cervical and lumbar regions. Fortunately,
hedgehogs are small enough that the entire spine can
be visualized on one lateral radiographic view. Radio-
graphs were not available for cases 3 and 4.
Intervertebral disc disease in the hedgehogs de-
scribed in this report had histologic features of chon-
drodystrophic breed–associated disc disease in canids.
In all of the hedgehogs, there was replacement of the
mucinous component of the nucleus pulposus with
cartilage-like tissue that eventually became mineral-
ized. This is a characteristic lesion described in chon-
drodystrophic dogs with IVD.7 Spondylosis, as noted
in 3 hedgehogs, develops in ongoing cases of IVD
because of the creation of abnormal movement be-
tween vertebrae from degeneration of the annulus
fibrosis and from inflammation with bone prolifera-
tion elicited by ventrally protruding disc material.
Case 1 had fibrocartilaginous embolus, which has
been noted in large-breed dogs with herniated frag-
ments of nucleus pulposus.
Recently, there has been an emergence of a con-
dition in captive African hedgehogs referred to as
wobbly hedgehog syndrome (WHS).4,5 This condi-
tion mainly affects hedgehogs ⬍2 years of age. The
main clinical sign of WHS is progressive ataxia orig-
Figure 4. Hedgehog, case 4. Higher magnification of spinal cord in
Figure 3. Note vacuolar change likely reflecting axonal edema
(arrows), and a vacuole containing cellular debris (arrowhead). He-
matoxylin and eosin (bar) ⫽ 120 ␮m.
Intervertebral Disc Disease in African Hedgehogs
inating in the rear limbs. Histologically, there is
demyelination primarily within the spinal cord. The
underlying etiology for WHS is still unknown at the
present time. Early clinical signs of hedgehogs with
WHS are very similar to the clinical signs exhibited
by the hedgehogs with IVD. It may be difficult to
clinically differentiate IVD from early stages of WHS
without the aid of radiographs or postmortem exam-
ination of the spinal column. One difference in the
clinical presentation between hedgehogs with IVD
and hedgehogs with WHS is that hedgehogs with
IVD were typically older at the time of presentation
than hedgehogs with WHS.
A paralytic condition associated with demyelina-
tion in the central nervous system has also been
reported in European hedgehogs (Erinaceus euro-
paeus).8 The cause for this neurologic disease has not
been determined at this time. The clinical signs of
this disease are very similar to those noted in the
hedgehogs with IVD and those described for hedge-
hogs with WHS. The primary difference in the Eu-
ropean hedgehog demyelinating disease is the histo-
logic presence of inflammation within the central
nervous system, a feature neither noted in our
hedgehogs with IVD nor in African hedgehogs with
WHS.
The purpose of this report was to present 4 cases
of IVD in hedgehogs. Given the close similarities of
the clinical signs of IVD and WHS in African hedge-
hogs, diagnostic imaging is recommended for all
hedgehogs with progressive neurologic disease to
screen for evidence of IVD. Histologic examination
of the spinal column is helpful for detection of IVD
and associated lesions in the spinal cord.
223
Acknowledgments
We thank R. Brown at Histology Consulting Service
for expertise in slide preparation, Jamie Kinion of
Northwest ZooPath for data retrieval, and Christie
Buie of Northwest ZooPath for photo editing and
manuscript submission.
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