# Scab on Quill? Help :(



## hedgielove412 (Nov 2, 2010)

*Awww, my little Damien is about 7 weeks old, he's been quilling. I just recently attempted to cut his nails, but he was so squirmy!... anyways, while i was cutting his nails i noticed on his side quil he has a sort of scab/red swollen bump (about the size of a pimple) . It's right on the base of a quill, i'm really worried. He eats and poops regular. Uses fleece for bedding.
I've researched this plenty. Nobody has really gave much detailed pictures, or information on ingrown quills, or mites, or infection. Please help, I'd appriciate it the most. 
Would a warm bath help with dry skin or this bump? *The bump does have a red scab, such as dried blood.  *


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## margolia.wind (Oct 4, 2010)

I don't know about the bump, but a bath with oatmeal shampoo and/or flax seed oil in rinse-water would definitely be a good idea for dry skin/quilling, as far as I know.
That's what I did for my girl and it seems to have made her more comfy. 
I don't know about the scab though - sorry! I hope it works out well for you both.


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## susanaproenca (Aug 14, 2010)

From how you described it it sounds like it could be an ingrown quill. I'm not sure if you can do something about it or not, as I'm not on my computer right now which makes it a little hard to search, but try to use the search tool for "ingrow quill" and see if you can find some useful info. 

Good luck


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## shetland (Sep 2, 2008)

Why don't you E mail Nancy. She will give you excellent advise.


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## Kalandra (Aug 25, 2008)

Comb through his quills, look for other spots. If you see several pimple like spots at the quill bases, take him to a vet and have them examined. However if it is only one spot and it looks to be healing, the skin around it isn't red and angry looking, I would most likely just monitor it. If it appears to not be healing quickly, or if more should appear or should it change, off to the vet.


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## hedgielove412 (Nov 2, 2010)

*Well, last night i took a closer look into his back quills and yes my worst thought came true  he had mites. Tiny little white specs moving on his skin, You really have to focus in and watch and then you can see tiny white spec moving just a bit. 
Just to be sure, i even took two black socks... picked him up, pet him just held him, (he kinda wiggled) and then i put him back in his cage and quickly placed the two black socks in a clear zip log bag. Then i placed it under my desk lamp and i could see the tiny specs moving in between the fabric of my socks.
He was really grumpy. Scratched alot. He quilled ALOT. He never wanted me to touch him, puffed and huffed, and never even ran around as much anymore  that's when i looked into the whole mites thing and relized he had them 
Turns out he probably got them from his previous breeder and they used wood shavings for their hedgehogs, also they had other hedgehogs so Damien was probably infected.

He had one kinda big red scab on a base of a side quill and one little scab on another quill near his back. So i took him to the vet, she took a sample with some tape and basically gathered a few mites. Then she sanitized his scab wound and removed the quill that was infected. He got an invectermin shot? right in the butt! ouch  
I heard this shot was bad for him, but well, she's a vet so it's a risk to get rid of his mites, and they were pretty servre by now.
He is due for another shot in two weeks. 
I'm working on cleaning out his cage COMPLETLY. 
what chemicals (would be safe to kill the mites and safe for my hedgehog) to use to clean his cage. His cage is two plastic tubs...
I'm cleaning all his fleece bedding, dish, toys, igloo, my clothes, vacumming, etc.
I hope he gets better soon  hate to see him suffer.
anyways, any advice for the chemicals i can use to clean his cage?
Safe household cleaners, maybe clorow wipes? lysol? advice?

*


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## lmg_319 (Oct 4, 2010)

How is he doing? You might want to be cautious with the second shot as Ivermectin has caused harm to some hedgehogs. There are many threads on this.


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## hedgielove412 (Nov 2, 2010)

*i am happy to say, Damien is better  
In my personal thought he's alot more curious, alert, awake, and obviously less grumpy.
i'm very careful about the mites problem and hope this doesn't return. I believe the mites were from the breeder i got him from. Anyways, his coat of noticeably thicker!  No bald spots what so ever! (he use to have a bald spot on his back ..lot's of quills missing)
He has a little bit of dandruff though... No mites (well i think so) 
I roll him up in a black shirt of mine & it seems to be just dandruff, no white specks dare to move!  haha. It really does look like dandruff flakes.
It's been 2 weeks since the vet. I canceled his 2nd shot and refuse to see him get a shot & sqeak again :/
anyways, i'm happy he's better 
trying to get his routine down still... i always have his food & wheel & water ready & fresh by 7pm. and i take him out at 7:30 or 8pm. After that quality time, i set him in his cage and he munches on his new food,
Natural Balance Green Pea & Duck
He licks the bowl clean 
(his old food was purina kitten chow, it STUNK)
*


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## PJM (May 7, 2010)

Glad he's doing better! And glad you canceled that other shot. Revolution is much safer.


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## Kenzi (Aug 29, 2010)

hedgielove412 said:


> Natural Balance Green Pea & Duck
> He licks the bowl clean
> (his old food was purina kitten chow, it STUNK)


Is his bowl actually completely empty? if so, you should feed him more. Its recommended to free feed (give hedgies as much food as they will eat) for their entire lives. Its a good idea to count it so you know how much he is consuming. Just put more than you know he'll eat in, and then count the remaining pieces to see what the difference is. (change in appetite is one of the first indicators of illness).

Natural Balance is a great food, but it is very rich and not great all by itself. Cutting it with something lower in fat/fiber is a great idea. Also, I hope you made the transition slow.. some hedgies are resilient, others seem okay on a new diet, but problems may arise as their bodies realize that its a permanent change and not just a treat.

If he continues to have flaky skin, I recommend using Flax oil in a bath (with Aveeno creamy baby soothing oatmeal wash). it's really done wonders my Mila, especially when she was quilling. Adding some to food helped too, but I did notice some extra odor with it.

Is there anything wooden in his cage?


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