[Isokeraunic]

Sebastian has always had dry, flaky skin. We give him oatmeal baths about once a week which kind of keeps it under control, but lately things have been looking bad.

He's always had these weird dark spots on his skin. He even has one visible on his penis sheath. It looks bizarre, and I have no idea what it is, but I assume it's not bothering him too much since he isn't reacting to it. Lately, though, there's been something weirder.

He had a quill that was growing into his skin on his back. I removed it with a pair of scissors and it left two holes in his skin which I then treated with an antiseptic. Rather than heal, this has happened.

http://i.imgur.com/a0JgcSl.jpg

What is going on? Is he ok? Do I need to take him to a vet now? I'm worried about my poor boy.

 

[gracefulchaos01]

First of all, 2 hedgehogs named Sebastian in MD? Awkward! Second of all... that looks painful. I would contact the vet and determine a best course of action for your little guy. I hope it's nothing serious and can be taken care of before it develops into something that could be difficult.

 

[Isokeraunic]

First of all, 2 hedgehogs named Sebastian in MD? Awkward! Second of all... that looks painful. I would contact the vet and determine a best course of action for your little guy. I hope it's nothing serious and can be taken care of before it develops into something that could be difficult.

Mine is named for Sebastian Moran. We also have Moriarty and we used to have a Watson before he passed on earlier this year.

It does look painful now, yes. I thought I was doing the right thing by removing the quill since it was hooked and growing into his skin rather deeply. I've removed weird stuff from him in the past (including a fully grown quill that had broken inside of him!) without anything bad happening and with him seeming relieved and no longer in pain. This has just gone rather poorly and is definitely a cause for concern. It looks like a divet in his body almost. :/

Part of my concern in taking him to a vet is that he's extremely skittish around people that aren't me. I'm worried he'll have to be sedated for even a basic exam.

 

[gracefulchaos01]

I understand the stress concern. Fortunately my Sebastian is super laid back and easy going. But my other hedgies, not so much. I would make an appt with your regular vet now and keep a close eye on it the next couple of days to look for improvement. The last thing you want to do is hie up the highway to falls rd at midnight some night this week because it got worse and it will take 3-5 days to get to your regular vet.
Been there, done that...

And my Sebastian is a girl. there is a story there, lol.

 

[Isokeraunic]

Going to the vet tomorrow. Very nervous though. We're concerned there might be something under the skin since the area is concave and the other black spots are, too.

 

[Isokeraunic]

I'm attaching a picture in hopes that more people might see it and have advice for what to do/what it might be.

I'm really worried about the poor guy.

 

[gracefulchaos01]

If no one here knows, that is why you are going to the vet. Is he acting normally other than having spots and this thing on his back? Normal eating, activity levels, water consumption?

 

[Lilysmommy]

Definitely vet time. It looks like the area got very infected. The vet will likely clean it out and possibly give you medication to keep on it until it can heal up properly. What antiseptic did you use on it? Also, personally I'd ask the vet about that other quill next to the infected area, right below it in the picture. It looks curved & like it could try to become an ingrown quill. See if the vet thinks it'd be a good idea to clip it so it doesn't cause problems. The problem is that clipping quills can also potentially open them to infection (since quills are hollow), so that's why it'd be best to ask.

Also, in regards to his skittishness, your vet will likely try to look first without any aids. If that doesn't work, you guys could try a bowl of warm water to see if that convinces him to unball & cooperate a bit more. If they do have to sedate them, generally for exams or simple treatments, they just do a little bit to make them sleepier & less likely to fight or ball up. So it should be just fine. This definitely looks like a situation that warrants vet attention.

 

[nikki]

Even if the vet has to sedate him its better than leaving it and having what ever it is get worse.

 

[shetland]

I will be very interested in what the vet says about this situation. To me it looks as if a follicle was cut off or broken at the root which is still remaining under the skin.

 

[Isokeraunic]

Sebastian had a VERY successful vet visit yesterday.

It turns out that it was a sebaceous cyst, and the vet took a dental pick and some needles and was able to drain the cyst. It was rather gross, but among the crap that came out of it was a fully grown ruined quill. The black spots on his body the vet believes are moles, but there are more cysts that need to be taken care of. He gave me tools to do it. He thinks the cysts, as well as the tendency towards ingrown quills are genetic and a result of bad breeding.

In addition to all of this I saw some mites while he was examining the area. What's recommended for how to get rid of them? I'll be treating him as well as the rest of the hedgehogs in my herd.

Thank you so much for your help. I've already drained two additional cysts (also with ruined quills coming out of them. What's up with /that/, Sebastian?) This should seriously improve his quality of life and happiness now that I know what's hurting him.

He was really good for the vet. Didn't even ball up once. Just complained. He probably feels much better now.

 

[gracefulchaos01]

I'm so glad your little Sebastian is on the road to recovery and had such a successful vet visit.
For mites, revolution is recommended around here. It's topical and safe for hedgies. There is a great section here in the forums on it.

 

[Isokeraunic]

I'm so glad your little Sebastian is on the road to recovery and had such a successful vet visit.
For mites, revolution is recommended around here. It's topical and safe for hedgies. There is a great section here in the forums on it.

Thank you! I thought Revolution was what was recommended. I was thinking of getting Humilac for him after the Revolution treatment is through to try and get his skin less dandruffy in the long run.

 

[gracefulchaos01]

Indeed. My Sebastian also seems to be suffering from dandruff of late. So it will be oatmeal and coconut oil baths tonight for all. I figure if one is showing issues like that I may as well address the whole array before something gets out of hand.
With a cyst issue, external oil isn't really an option for you. But, if you don't already, you could add oil to his food and it may help with dry skin. I just started my kids on a higher fish diet to ensure they get good essential oils in their diet.

 

[Isokeraunic]

Indeed. My Sebastian also seems to be suffering from dandruff of late. So it will be oatmeal and coconut oil baths tonight for all. I figure if one is showing issues like that I may as well address the whole array before something gets out of hand.
With a cyst issue, external oil isn't really an option for you. But, if you don't already, you could add oil to his food and it may help with dry skin. I just started my kids on a higher fish diet to ensure they get good essential oils in their diet.

Oh! So no Humilac for Sebastian. Would adding Vitamin E to his diet be a good option then? A bit on his kibble?

 

[gracefulchaos01]

I have heard lots of people will add vitamin e or flax or even Olive oil to kibble and treats. I'm thinking about making frozen fruit treats with a bit of coconut oil in them. But for all I can get my kids to try different meats, getting them to try fruits is a different story.
But adding bits of necessary oils to their diets is a great way to enhance their skin quality.
I'm guessing Sebastians minor dandruff issue would be very much worse if I hadn't started adding oils in the past few months by adding oily fish to her diet.

 

[Isokeraunic]

Just wanted to update this to let you all know that his cyst has completely healed! In addition to that healing, his temperament has also much improved. I think the poor guy was in a lot of pain from that before, but now he's much better.

 

[shetland]

Wonderful news! Thank you for the update!!

 

[Isokeraunic]

It is wonderful! You're welcome. I never like leaving people in the dark about how things end up.

 

[gracefulchaos01]

That's great news!