# nutrient deficiency



## Viki (Jul 10, 2012)

I am so stuck and confused. Willow has flaky skin and itches. We tried 2 doses of Revolution and her temperament got a lot better but not her skin. She doesn't seem to be sick in any way besides the flaky skin and losing a few quills a day. Willow is 5 months old. The vet thinks it could be a nutrient deficiency. I feed her Nutrience kitten kibble and she will normally get ground beef, fruit or a veggie as a snack just to keep her diet interesting. I familiarized myself with a big list of foods Willow should not have such as avocado or grapes. Am I feeding her something wrong? I have done a fair bit of research and I thought I was doing everything the way it should be done. Apart of me thinks maybe it is the weather. My skin has been really dry an peely lately no matter what I do so why could that not be the case for Willow as well? I have tried bathing her in Aveeno oatmeal stuff and oil and she still is flaking. Any incite would be greatly appreciated.


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## Sarahg (Feb 18, 2010)

You could try getting some sunshine factor: http://www.harrisonsbirdfoods.com/SUNSHINE-FACTOR-1oz/productinfo/AVXSSF1/

I bought it from a local vet. It can do wonderful things for dry flaky skin.


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## Viki (Jul 10, 2012)

Thank you so much! I am at my wits end with her flakiness. Her vet is suppose to call me today so I will talk to him about it. I did a bit of research and it seems to be safe for hedgies so I am now very excited to try this. I am hoping it is super cheap from the vet like in the link you sent me, for once it would be nice to have a low vet bill.


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## Sarahg (Feb 18, 2010)

I can't remember now how much I paid for mine, but it wasn't expensive. If your vet doesn't have it, look for a vet that sees birds. I had to call a few places before I found one that had it in stock, but totally worth it


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## Viki (Jul 10, 2012)

Sounds like a plan. Thank you again. I am sure Willow is really going to appreciate it! I read somewhere hedgehog anoint with it so it should be interesting to see how sh reacts.


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## sparkmanr (Aug 29, 2012)

Milo is a little under two months old and quilling. When I first got him he had flaky dry skin. My breeder suggest this spray conditioner that is used for ethnic hair. It's made of olive oil. I have been using that and not only does it make him smell good but I haven't seen anymore dry skin. Maybe you could try it. It's called: Palmers Olive Oil Formula Hair & Scalp Conditioner Spray 5.1 oz. I bought mine off Amazon because I guess they don't sell it in stores anymore. So far it has been awesome and my breeder uses it on all her hedgies. you just spray it on their quills and wipe off access with a paper towel. Good Luck.


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## moxieberry (Nov 30, 2011)

An alternative to Sunshine Factor is Humilac. Pretty much the same thing. I haven't tried Sunshine Factor, but I use Humilac all the time and it works great. http://www.amazon.com/Virbac-2508-Humil ... B002EFXA24


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## Viki (Jul 10, 2012)

If my vet doesn't have anything I can pick up right away I will defiantly order some alternative stuff. Thank you for the help!


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## Viki (Jul 10, 2012)

I just got off the phone with the vet and we go to pick some Sunshine Factor up tomorrow! 
Thanks for the help. Hopefully over the next 3 weeks Willow's skin improves!


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