Wanting a Necropsy after your hedgehog passes?

In the event that your sweet hedgehog dies and you suspect that it might be (WHS) Wobbly Hedgehog Syndrome or maybe another genetic anomaly, it is crucial that you have your hedgehog prepared and shipped to a veterinary diagnostic lab immediately upon death for a proper necropsy.  If you don’t have a particular lab near you or one that you prefer… we do recommend Oregon State University.  They do an excellent job and are one of the more reasonably priced labs.

Steps for shipping your hedgehog to the lab:

Step 1: Place your hedgehog in a large Ziploc bag and put in a cool place, such as the refrigerator, not freezer . DO NOT FREEZE.  It might also be a good idea to take a sharpie and write your name and phone number on the ziploc bag.

Step 2: Line a small priority box with puppy training pads. Use one puppy training pad to wrap a large ice pack. 

Step 3: Place your hedgehog on top of the wrapped ice pack. Cover with a few more training pads and fold like a burrito. Secure with packing tape and place in the priority mailing box, adding packing material as necessary to avoid shifting in the box.

Step 4: On the OSU Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory website http://vetmed.oregonstate.edu/diagnostic/forms you will need to Print and fill out the followoing forms:

• Submission form
• New client form
• VDL Disclaimer
• OSU Revolving Charge agreement

Step 5: Seal up the box and send via priority mail (or UPS/FedEx) (overnight mail if you are not in Oregon) to the shipping address on the top of the necropsy submission form. OSU will email the results to you in about a week.

VIDEO.:  Understanding WHS