[Melchior]

my hedgehog (melchior) is a bit over a year old and so far has been fine. But within the last 2 wks or so, has been losing quills. I thought it might be mites? but he is currently on fleece bedding, fleece sleeping area, etc. so I don't know where he would have gotten them from. I don't know how to get it to stop, any suggestions? He eats, sleeps, and runs on the wheel regularly, and drinks the same water we do. He currently resides in my bedroom. Could the light during the day be stressing me out? I need advice! I have also been noticing a bit of shed fur when I clean the cage, should I worry about this, too? There are few exotic vets near me.

 

[Yukidama's mama]

Some hedgies can go through a one year quilling. Is he scratching a lot?

They can still get mites even on fleece. Mites can come from the dry kibble food and they naturally have some mites living on them, it's when an infestation breaks out (due to a low immune system or from wood products etc) that it can become a problem ~ this is what my vet told me.

Do the quills have bulbs at the end of them? This is the natural way they would fall out but doesn't necessarily mean it isn't mites still. If it continues or he starts getting bald patches (you can see new quills growing through) it would be worth getting him checked out. Always a good idea to go around the one year mark for a health check if he's never been before either.