# Losing quills & scratching



## soile6661 (Aug 2, 2013)

so my hedgehog has been scratching for cca 5 days now, i noticed he lost quills behind his ears, so i thought he could have fleas but i couldnt find any on his coat on the belly and around it, do hedgehogs have fleas in the quills? because i found some in my room but none on my hedgehog..


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## Tom (Jul 21, 2013)

Are you sure they're fleas and not mites? I didn't think hedgies lose quills when they have fleas (but I'm no expert on the subject). How old? Maybe quilling as well?

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## soile6661 (Aug 2, 2013)

he is 5 months old, will be 6 months on 17th of august now..i checked one lost quill and it had a little white ball at the end, i thought it means there are no mites.. and i really found fleas here so i used spray against them today ..don't you know whether those fleas "live" in hedgehogs' quills tho?


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## Tom (Jul 21, 2013)

A white crusty coating at the end of a quill (I believe) is a sign of having mites. I'd take him to a vet to get it checked. Just don't let them use ivermectin.

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## soile6661 (Aug 2, 2013)

its like a little white ball , i read on the internet it means they dont have mites..but i'll think of visiting a vet then


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## Tom (Jul 21, 2013)

Sorry! I was half-asleep when answering. I've read a little white ball is for normal quill loss- but that white coating can be mites. So confusing! But I definitely recommend the vet to figure out what it is for sure.


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## Lilysmommy (Jan 7, 2009)

The ball on the end not meaning mites is a myth - the shed quills may or may not have the ball when it's mites and when it's not. So that's not a good way to test for mites. 

The fleas might be bothering your hedgehog even if you didn't see any on him at the time you checked - make sure your room is treated (you said you sprayed? make sure it's not something that your hedgehog should be around - check with the vet if you're not sure) and personally, I'd take your hedgie to the vet. Revolution is effective against fleas too, so if they are bothering your hedgie, it'll get rid of them. As a bonus, it'll also take care of mites - though to treat for mites, you'll need to apply the Revolution dosage 3-4 times, about 2-3 weeks apart. Different vets recommend different treatment lengths, probably depending on the intensity of the infestation. What kind of bedding is your hedgie on? The main place he would get mites is from wooden bedding, or Carefresh has been a suspect before as well.


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