# mites and bath time



## zbmcghee (Oct 4, 2012)

Hello everyone! Im a new hedgehog owner and I have a quick question! I picked up Squiggy 5 days ago (from the pet store) and almost right away I noticed he had dry, flakey skin and mites! I took him to the vet and she confirmed this and he stared his first round of anibiotics...When I go to hold him to get him used to me, I notice he still has TONS of mites and flakey skin. My question is am I allowed to give him a bath to help him or should I just hold off for a while?


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## moxieberry (Nov 30, 2011)

Antibiotics aren't used for mites - do you know the name of what he was given? Mites are treated with an antiparasitic; the best option for hedgehogs is Revolution. An antiparasitic goes to work in about two hours and kills mites pretty quickly, typically within 24-48 hours. When was the medication applied? If it's been more than a day or two, and you're still seeing mites, you probably weren't given the right stuff. As for the bath question, it's better to wait 24 hours after mite treatment before giving a bath; usually it's absorbed in much less than that, but 24 hours is a good guideline to avoid lessening the potency.


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## zbmcghee (Oct 4, 2012)

He was given an ivomec injection on October 2nd, so 2 days ago. The vet told me I would have to return a few more times in order for everything to clear up. I feel so bad for him right now. Is there anything I can do to help him while we wait for this medication to work?
Thank you again!


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## Lilysmommy (Jan 7, 2009)

The next time you go back, please ask the vet if you guys can switch to using kitten/puppy Revolution instead - Ivomec/Ivermectin is a mite treatment that is very easy to overdose, especially the injected kind. There's been cases of it killing hedgehogs, or nearly killing them from an overdose. Revolution is given topically, just a liquid that's put on the back of their neck/shoulders. It's much harder to overdose and with less serious side effects. If your vet doesn't have Revolution available to them, I would see if they'd be willing to get it from another vet in the area, or if there's no other options besides Ivomec/Ivermectin, go with the topical or oral versions of it, which are slightly less dangerous. 

To help him out until you guys get Revolution, you can give him an oatmeal bath, which soothes skin, and put some olive oil in the rinse water. Oil can suffocate the mites and give him some temporary relief.


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## moxieberry (Nov 30, 2011)

Definitely don't allow another injection. Like Lilysmommy said, Ivomec/Ivermectin is extremely dangerous for hedgehogs when given by injection. Fortunately, since he was given the injection two days ago and isn't showing any signs of a problem, he should be fine; in the cases of ill effects that I know of, it seems to happen within the first 24 hours.

Ask for Revolution. Ivermectin is also safe when used topically, as long as it's dosed correctly, which is 1-2 drops per 400g of the hedgehog's weight. That dosing is pretty much the same for Revolution, as well, but Revolution isn't as dose-sensitive, which is why it's the best choice for hedgehogs.


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