[Free2Dream]

My new hedgie (who I think I am going to call Lily) has severe dry skin. I think a lot of it has to do with the yucky diet she was on prior to coming to live with me. (They were feeding her "Complete Hedgehog Diet." I don't know much about nutrition, but I assume that all commercially available hedgehog foods are bad, lol.) My Annabelle has some dry skin, but Lily actually leaves a trail of dander wherever she goes. It's pretty unsightly, and I imagine she's very itchy. What can I do to help her?

 

[krbshappy71]

I use a humidifier in the room every other day. Its helped mine. Don't bathe too frequently, it dries out their skin.

 

[LizardGirl]

A humidifier will help, using flax oil once or twice a week on her food will help, bathing with oil will also help. It may take a while for her skin to get healthy and for all the flakes to go away.

 

[Free2Dream]

Is flax seed oil something I would be able to purchase at a pharmacy?

 

[silvercat]

You can find flax seed with the vitamins. It's little capsules. Simply puncture a capsule with a pin & then add the oil to the food and/or skin. One capsule per treatment

 

[Immortalia]

Make sure you buy the capsules and not a little bottle of flax oil. Capsules last, while the bottle of oil will only last a few weeks, if even.

When I first got my boy, his skin was pretty dry. So I gave him flax oil every 3 days, and gave him an oil rinse about every week since he was quilling as well (No "bath" with soup, just oil and water. Pop a capsule and empty in a very small cup, fill up with water, and pour over back).

 

[Free2Dream]

Thanks guys! I will definitely try the flax seed oil capsules. I have fed my horse flax seed before for skin issues, but I didn't know it was safe for hedgehogs. You learn something new every day!

 

[mel2626]

In addition to a humidifier, we switched from flax seed oil to vitamin E oil capsules over winter when our baby had a bout of dry skin. We didn't like the way hedgie smelled after using the flax seed and so the vitamin E works perfectly for us. Just thought I'd throw that out there.
~Melissa

 

[Free2Dream]

In addition to a humidifier, we switched from flax seed oil to vitamin E oil capsules over winter when our baby had a bout of dry skin. We didn't like the way hedgie smelled after using the flax seed and so the vitamin E works perfectly for us. Just thought I'd throw that out there.
~Melissa

Oh, it can make them smell? That's not good, I'm sensitive to odors, lol. Maybe I'll try the vitamin E instead. Does it effect their bathroom habits at all? It seems to me like using either flax seed oil or vitamin E would cause loose stools.

 

[mel2626]

I think most people on this post recommended the oil to be used during bath time which leads to the smell because it's being applied onto hedgie's body. It's not a really horrible smell but it is distinct. It didn't bother me until "hedgiedad" started complaining that she smelled weird. Then that's all I could smell! :lol: We would also pop open a capsule and mix a little into her food every so often. We didn't use too much in her food so it never changed her stool~ though I'm guessing in larger amounts it could have an affect. Neither are that expensive so you could even get both and if you don't end up using them for the hedgie, you can use it for yourself!

 

[Immortalia]

Most use flax (or you can even try jojoba oil) because it's more water soluble than the other oils. It washes off easily, so it doesn't build up.

And with vit e, if you use loose bedding, you will end up with a hedgie with bedding stuck to their body.

And I found Nancy's post from here

I like flax seed oil the best. You can use it either in the rinse water, directly on their backs, or a couple drops in their food once or twice a week. Unlike Vitamin E, and olive oil, flax seed oil is more water soluble so washes off in the next bath and doesn't build up.

Be careful using too much on the food as it can give them the runs.