# Skin Infection



## Serenity (Jan 27, 2012)

So Ava is on her last quilling (13 weeks old) and I noticed yesterday there were some pus pockets under a couple of quills. They were definitely not there the day before. I took her to the vet immediately, and they tested for mites (negative) and looked her over pretty well. They decided to treat with Revolution in case it was mites, and also gave her some antibiotics (TMS suspension twice daily; 0.34mL for 14 days). I just want to make sure I'm doing everything I can for her. I'm just really worried about her. Has anyone else dealt with this? If so, how long did it take for them to get better? She's not feeling well at all, poor thing.


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## shetland (Sep 2, 2008)

Wow! You got her to the vet so quickly. That is great! Hopefully one of the experts, such as Nancy, who know the usual protocols will be along soon.


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## Draenog (Feb 27, 2012)

Aren't they ingrown quills?


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## Serenity (Jan 27, 2012)

I had assumed they might be ingrown quills, but taking into account all of her symptoms, I thought it best to be safe than sorry. She had been losing fist-fulls of quills (which I had assumed might be due to a particularly bad quilling- her other ones were very mild) and was very very grumpy. Hindsight is 20/20, and I feel terrible that she might have been in bad shape for that week before. I was going to talk to the vet anyway about the quill lose, as it had been going on for a week, and then I found the pustules, so I knew it was definitely time to do something. She kept eating, wheeling, drinking, and gaining weight normally during all of this, hence why I wasn't very worried. They might have been ingrown quills, but the amount of pus was definitely not good, so either way the antibiotics were needed. She is doing much better after just a few days. Her wheel is plastered in poo (yes, cleaned every night), and her mood has greatly increased. She's still quite bald, but new ones keep poking through, so that's a good sign, and her quill lose has lessened to just a few a night.

She absolutely loves the taste of the antibiotic, too! The vet said "it's cherry flavored, so it's supposed to be very palatable to hedgehogs!", well it definitely is. She gets excited for it just like she does for her green bean baby food!

I would still like some more info on how she could have gotten this skin infection, though. I questioned my mom, and she had accidentally used fragrance detergent when she washed the fleece last. I rewashed everything in the special detergent, so could this whole thing have been an allergic reaction? I'm not really sure how else she could have gotten this infection, or whatever it is.


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## cleibson (Feb 13, 2012)

Hello Serenity,

I had a similar case with my girl the first time i took her to the vet and she too was negative for mites and was put on antibiotics just incase. I noticed she was doing better but then I looked at the base of her quills and there was dry, crusty yellow stuff along with a little blood. Obviously, it was pus coming out. she was also losing ALOT of quills and getting bare just as you described.She also had very flaky skin too. I went to a different vet and found out that it was ringworm. It took me awhile to figure out something was wrong because the she too would eat and wheel and act fairly norma and would see new quills poke through but the bare back was bugging me. So, it's just another thing to consider if it keeps getting worse. If you decided to test her for ringworm then make sure they take a skin scrape and grow it a culture it's the only sure way to make sure it's ringworm or another fungus. The test take about a month so you have to hang in there. My hedgehog is taking a med called griseofulvin and ever since has been tons better. Her skin is better and her back is not so bare. Another way you can tell if it's ringworm is if you get kinda itchy after holding her. My vet told me that it's possible for her to have a advanced case of ringworm and never show symptoms yourself. I myself never got it but would just get a little itchy for a little while.

Hope this helps, hope to hear more about your hedgie


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## Serenity (Jan 27, 2012)

That's definitely something to keep in mind. Thank you, cleibson. Ava doesn't have any bloody quills, and her pus pockets have healed over. She seems to be in much better spirits, even though she's still bald. I sure hope it isn't ringworm, but I have another appointment for her in about a week for her second dose of Revolution, and I'll ask the vet what she thinks about that.


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## Lizzmay1002 (Feb 5, 2016)

Hello friends, I'm concerned about my hedgehogs skin. I've been watching it very closely, and he has developed this dry scab like thing on his leg, and he has been walking strange with it. Just tonight I noticed this redish scab coving on one of his feet. I just need to know what I can do and what I need to do to help my poor little guy. He's eating and drinking and he's alert and still playful. Just need to know if it's just something that comes with old age. Please give me some feedback! Thank you!


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## Artemis-Ichiro (Jan 22, 2016)

This is a very old thread, you should start a new one so your question doesn't get lost. 

I don't have any other advise than to take your hedgehog to the vet.


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