[hedgielover]

They don't have to eat the flax seed oil it's just one way to use it. You can also put it directly on their backs or in the rinse water of the bath. If you buy flax seed oil capsuls for people you can just break a capsule or poke a hole in it and pore it into the bath onto the hedgehog or in the food. I always use it in Quigley's bath because when I tried it in the food he wouldn't eat it.

 

[Bookgobbler]

Flax for Tama goes directly from the capsule to her back. She refuses to eat if it has flax oil on it and she gets serious dandruff problems so a rinse doesn't really help a lot. This is on top of an oatmeal bath. personally I recommend doing both. if your hedgie doesn't get serious dry skin, a nice rinse with flax oil in it is a good way to evenly coat the skin with it, if the dryness is bad, more direct measures might be better suited.

 

[LittleMiss]

Alright, maybe I'll pick up some of the pills then and try some of the suggestions on here. Myles seems fine, his skin really isn't that dry so I'm not that worried about him. But I've noticed Ivy's skin is pretty bad. I still need to try the oatmeal bath, but I just gave her a bath a week or two ago, I don't want to over wash her (if that's possible)

Also is it normal if their skin is a bright red/pink? I notice it with Myles alot, but it's never that way long, just like a day or so. But it freaks me out, and throws me into a panic attack. But he acts fine, eats, drinks, runs on his wheel, poops, and everything they normaly do.

 

[Immortalia]

Oatmeal baths tend to be soothing. And if you follow it with an oil rinse, it would make her feel much better. So an oatmeal bath now, even though she had a bath 2 weeks ago, is not going to harm her. It might actually be better for her, as you are helping to moisturize her skin.

However, if you are really worried about bathing so soon, you can put the flax oil directly onto her back. Also, you can put her in the sink/tub, open a capsule into a small cup, then fill that cup with warm water, then pour that onto her back. I like oil rinses like that better, because I feel that it spreads the oil more evenly across their back, more so than just dropping the oil.

With Myles, it sounds like he has been scratching a lot, to the point where his skin turns pink. You may not see him scratch, but he is obviously scratching. So it sounds like an oatmeal bath with an oil rinse could be good for him as well.

 

[LittleMiss]

Okay, then after I get some flax seed oil, I'll put some on them both, and maybe give them both baths tomorrow. I thought he was itching but my mom told me that it would only be in area's not all of his skin. It kinda looks like how a person blushes, just ALL his skin is that color. What could cause his itching? I use carefreash bedding, could mites be in it? I thought that was just with woodshavings. I'll post how they are after they've had baths just as an update on their skin.

 

[Immortalia]

A lot of people have found that carefresh is TOO absorbent. And it dried out their hedgies skin, or irritated their skin. There were a few here who used it, and their hedgies were scratching till they had rashes, or all around their muzzles were always red, because the bedding dried their skin and made it itch. Once they made the switch to liners, the problem slowly eased away. This may or may not be the case with you.

Are they losing a lot of quills? Are they losing more quills then they grow? If you notice their quill coat getting thinner, mites is a possibility. It is also possible that the bedding you are using is contaminated.

Considering the red is all over his skin, it sounds like a reaction to something, making a switch to liners may be beneficial in his case, at least to see if it was his bedding or not.

If you are not sure if it is mites or dry skin, it doesn't hurt to get both of them treated with a dose of Revolution, just as a precaution, and see how things go.

 

[Nancy]

Carefresh can harbour mites as can any loose commercial type bedding. As Immortalia mentioned, it can also dry out their skin and is dusty which can irritate skin. I'd put him them liners. Also, when you give a bath, make sure they are very well rinsed. I'd hesitate to put any type of oil on until you find out what is causing the problem. Oils can block the pores in the skin and if by chance this is fungus or a bacterial infection, oils will seal in the infection and make it worse. The vets sell oil free conditioners that won't block pores. Apparently jojoba oil is ok to use but I've not heard that from the vet I'm not 100% certain if it's true.

 

[LittleMiss]

I'm not sure if it's the bedding. I've switched it before thinking that was the problem, and it just happened again. After I use up the bedding I'll try liners. Ivy has no problem with the bedding, she actually loves it, she hated shavings, and I also tried just leaving strips of fleice down and she shoved it all into the corner and ignored it. Atleast with this bedding she lets it be all over and not in one spot that is never touched. Also I haven't noticed Myles skin that red color since the first month or so that I had him. They both had stages where they lost lots of quills but I read that it was probably quilling.