Dry Skin and EXTREMELY grouchy

[baloneybaby]

Hi, My hedgehog is almost 6 months old and went through quilling at around 12 weeks old. She was always really cuddly and would fall asleep in my hands every day when I take her out and never minded being held until about 3 weeks ago. Now she wants nothing to do with me...she just hisses and pops and tries to run away everytime I hold her. I still take her out of her cage in the morning and evening but the only way she is agreeable to it is if I leave her in her bag. I have noticee her skin is very very dry and flaky and she loses about 10 quills a day. Some seem to be adult quills while others seem to be baby quills. I do put flax seed oil on her a couple of times a week and also in her food. The reason that i don't think that she is quilling is because I have not seen anynew quills coming in and when she was quilling before I could see the new quills coming in. Also, she stopped using her wheel around the same time she got crabby. Any ideas on what is going on with her? Thanks for your help!!

[Immortalia]

Sounds like mites.

Take her to the vet and get her treated with Revolution.

[baloneybaby]

Thanks for the advice, I was thinking that it may be mites but she really doesn't scratch that much so that is confusing me a bit. I also noticed she has an odd smell to her and the flaky skin is a combination of regular dry flakes and thicker, crusty flakes. I will call the vet tomorrow and make an appt. (although with the mood she is in I don't think they will be able to do much with her )

[Immortalia]

Mine was losing quills and when I brought him to the vet, they didn't find any mites on his skin. But, we treated with Revolution anyways, just as a precaution.

[baloneybaby]

Yay!!! Mystery solved! I am finally able to see some new quills poking out...they sure are taking their time, no wonder she is so crabbly. I will just be patient and wait for her niceness to come back.

[Immortalia]

If her quills are thinning out too much, should take her to the vet anyways. Mine had new quills growing, but he was losing more quills than he was growing. So I got him treated anyways as a precaution.