Quill Loss due to Dry Skin?? Already had Vet Visit

[shetland]

Thank you for the update!

[SushE]

Hi all,

It has been some time since I last posted regarding Gimli's odd situation. Unfortunately, he is still losing quills. I have since given him sulfur dip baths, Itraconazole, Clavamox, disinfected his toys/wheel/cage with diluted bleach and changed out his bedding each day. He is now only losing 1-4 quills a day, but I am hoping to get it down to 0.

I am trying a new strategy by quarantining him for a month and giving him a higher monthly dosage of Revolution (per the vet's suggestion). I am spraying down the area where his home usually is with a suggested bug killer and will be making a new coroplast liner for his cage. Needless to say, he misses his roomy cage, but I had to give it a try. He and I are both quite discouraged with the lack of change in his quill loss since he has been in his quarantining home (23 days of quarantining and still loses 1-4 quills).

Now, my vet is suggesting we perform a biopsy. Gimli has been through so much lately so prior to going into that, I was wondering if anyone has had a similar situation that could provide some advice. Any information or suggestion would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you!

[taybae]

For the lime sulfur dip bath, it says that you're not supposed to rinse it off. Would you still do the same thing for a hedgehog? I don't want her to lick it off and get sick.

[lifeofdochi]

I had the same issue with my Dochi. It even got to the point where he had bald spots! I took him to the vet and they did the same tests but like you everything came out negative. The vet said it was a seasonal quilling and that my Dochi would be okay. He did prescribe the lyme sulfur did as well which did help as he did stop losing as many quills. However it did take some time for him to grow everything back. Dochi still had some dry skin so I switched his soap to the Aveeno Baby Cleansing Therapy Moisturizing Wash. It's generally used for babies with eczema but it did help his skin to be less dry. Also the air could also be dry especially with the winter season coming up so a humidifier helps too. Just careful to direct it away from the cage as the mist can decrease the temperature.

[nikki]

Hedgehogs do not have a seasonal quilling. While they normal lose a quill or two here and there if they're losing large amounts then there is something going on.