Lay is getting old (hedgehogs age fast)

Lay sleeps most of the day now. When we got him I thought hedgehogs were like hamsters, something that lives a long time in a cage with a wheel. Not really. He is 4 and a half and the vet said he is in the senior part of his life, which I did not expect at all.

The signs were small at first. He stopped running on the wheel after dinner, and then he started to drop food from the bowl more often, like his mouth is not so good. His quills look dull too, and he is slower to uncurl when I pick him up. I thought it was the weather. The cooler room in Phasi Charoen helped a bit, but the vet said it is more about the age.

Gold is a different story. Gold is 7 and still wants to walk every morning, and every time he sees Lay he tries to sniff his face. Lay just puffs up and ignores him, which Gold seems to think is a game.

We changed a few things at home. The wheel is lower now, Lay has a warm pad under half of the cage, and the food is softer for his teeth. I cut the mealworms, he likes them but the vet said too much fat makes the liver tired. Now he gets one small piece every second day.

Honestly it is hard to see him slow down. He still eats well and he still comes to the front when I open the lid, so I am not too worried yet. The vet said to bring him in every three months for a check. I put the reminder on my phone, and I also took a few videos of him sleeping in the sock nest, just in case.

If you have an old hedgehog, I would love to hear what worked for you. Not sure what else to do.