Is my Tenrec sick?

[Nicole Ravenscroft 11]

Hi everyone.
I recently got two tenrecs, male (Pumba) and female (Simone). I got them in May this year. Pumba has been quite active in the beginning - often running in his wheel, climbing etc. Lately he's just been lying in his log. I always feed them around 6pm and a few days back he didn't want to eat. He ate yesterday but then I found him this morning lying on his back with his legs in the air. I've never seen him do this before.... so I'm getting a bit worried. It gave me a big fright. He has been sneezing a lot this week and I'm afraid he may be getting sick? I don't know. I also don't want to be paranoid and take him to the vet if he's actually doing fine.... please can anyone give me advice? What symptoms or warning signs can I look out for? I just want to be sure Pumba is okay and if not, how can I treat him to get better....

 

[dementedlullaby]

I'd take him to a vet. Lying on the back is not a good sign imo. I don't pretend to know a bunch about Tenrecs but for the price they go for and the scarcity of them in captivity I wouldn't risk it.

 

[Dark]

Definitely sounds like something I'd have a veterinarian check out. Like dementedlullaby said, they're scarce and expensive so I wouldn't risk it. I'm not a tenrec expert myself (I doubt many people even know what they are) but laying on it's back and sneezing doesn't sound good. Good luck.

Eric

 

[Nicole Ravenscroft 11]

Thanks for the advice Eric and dementedlullaby. I will definitely have him checked. He is doing better now but I'll rather be safe than sorry. We're also adjusting their diet as he started picking up weight quite quickly - which may be the reason for his laziness. We also used to put them outside on the grass and in the garden for 15 min or so every few days around sunset which I stopped doing now. Maybe when the winter is over I will allow them to gallivant in the garden again. I think the temperature change from their cage and outside may just be a recipe for picking up a cold or sickness. I'm still learning and reading a lot about them but in the mean time I also think it's best to let a vet check. Thanks again.
Nicole