# crusty uneven ears



## Dillyhog (Nov 16, 2011)

Hi all:
I have a question about my hedgehogs' ears. It seems that his ears are really crusty uneven and also it seems that they are disintegrating.I took my hedgie to the vet and they did some tests to see if he had mites or other ear related problems but all tests came clear. I only had him for a three weeks now and i don't really know his history. He was a "rescue". I check his ears every day and it seems like the edges are rougher and kinda looking shreded and now even more than before they are not round anymore but almost missing chunks. There is no blood and he seems not to be bothered by this condition. 
Any suggestions on what that might be?


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## HedgieGirl519 (Oct 21, 2011)

Try putting bag balm on his ears. I've never personally used it, but I read people talking about it on here, and I have a friend who uses it on her hedgehogs. 

Here's the bag balm Canada website:
http://www.bagbalm.ca/bagbalm.ca/english/buy.asp


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## beautsbelle (Jul 19, 2011)

I've heard bag balm as well. I am curious though, if food has anything to do with dry ears. Roxie was eating (ack) Spikes Delight for years, and her ears looked like that. Frayed like and uneven, and crusty looking. When we found this site (woo hoo) and changed her food, her ears cleared up and look fine now. I was going to get bag balm for her ears, but she isn't up for letting anyone touch them anyhow, so I was thinking I'd never get it on her anyhow, and POOF. They are great now. Just curious. With yours being a rescue, do you know what kind of food she/he ate? Just curious.


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## Dillyhog (Nov 16, 2011)

Hello:
as far as i know they were feeding him "8in1 Hedgehog diet" Ultra-Blend Select. But after reading bad reviews on this food i switched to Innova EVO organic cat food which is supposed to be better. But his ear condition hasn't changed....could it be some kind of allergy on maybe ingredients? I wonder... Also, he really loved sunflower seeds...like he starts shaking and purr how much he loves them...could he OD on them? I don't think so but everything is possible...

Have you heard about Innova EVO cat food? any suggestions on good food for hedgies? I have read about food suggestions on this website but some of the products we can't get in Canada...


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## sweetergrrrl (May 5, 2009)

I have Link on a blend of Innova cat food (mainly the low fat senior). I get it cheap where I work, plus it is on sale and the food rep gives me $5 coupons so I get the little 5 pound bags for just a dollar or two. Link loves the food though I want to try and nudge some Blue Buffalo into his diet, just for variety.


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## HedgieGirl519 (Oct 21, 2011)

Innova is a good brand but the EVO line is way to high in protein for hedgehogs. There's only 3 that I know of and they all have 50% protein. You want to aim for 30-33% protein (to high of protein can cause health problems). I live in Canada to and there are lots of goods foods available.  Thank god hey?

My friend gave me a list so I'll give it to you!

Authority Sensitive Solutions Formula
Blue Buffalo Indoor Health Adult Chicken & Brown Rice
Blue Buffalo Sensitive Stomach Adult Chicken & Brown Rice
Blue Buffalo Finicky Feast Chicken & Turkey
Blue Buffalo Weight Control Adult Chicken & Brown Rice
Blue Buffalo Healthy Weight Aging Mature Chicken & Brown Rice
Blue Buffalo Basics Adult Turkey & Potato
Blue Buffalo Basics Fish & Potato 
Blue Buffalo Basics Duck & Potato
By Nature Organics Chicken Formula
Chicken Soup for the Cat Lovers Soul Adult Cat
Chicken Soup for the Cat Lovers Soul Adult Cat Light
Chicken Soup for the Cat Lovers Soul Senior Cat Hairball
Innova Low Fat Dry Cat Food
Solid Gold Katz-n-Flocken Lamb

 Hope that helps.


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## Dillyhog (Nov 16, 2011)

Oh, wow! thank you guys for all your replies! I will go and get the right food! Should I introduce it gradually?
I really want that problem with crusty/shredded ears to go away because it is bothering me...it looks like there is something unbalanced? maybe new food will help! I sure hope so...


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## HedgieGirl519 (Oct 21, 2011)

Yeah you'll wanna introduce the food gradually so his tummy doesn't get upset. From what I've read:

Week 1: 1/4 new food mixed in with 3/4 old food
Week 2: 1/2 new food mixed in with 1/2 old food
Week 3: 3/4 new food mixed in with 1/4 old food
On the 4th week he should be eating all the good, new food


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## Dillyhog (Nov 16, 2011)

Thank you so much HedgieGirl!


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## nikki (Aug 28, 2008)

Usually the ragged, tattered ears are just a build up of dead skin and gunk. Try putting something like the bag balm or even vaseline on her ears for a little while and the tatters should eventually come off, leaving behind a nice normal ear.


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## ThePliny (Jun 3, 2010)

Pliny get's Blue Buffalo Indoor Health, Wellness Indoor Health and By Nature Organics Chicken formula. I get them all from the Petsmart near Chinook Mall in Calgary


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## Dillyhog (Nov 16, 2011)

Oh thank you guys for your replies! Going to grab a good food tomorrow and purchase this bag balm. Does anyone know if it is possible to get it in Canada without ordering? I live in Victoria, BC.
Also I am going to try to take pictures of Dill's ears. 

Thank you all for your replies!


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## Kalandra (Aug 25, 2008)

If you cannot find bag balm, look in the human baby section for nipple cream. Both can work well. I have had a hedgehog or two that I could not use bag balm with. The smell drove them nuts. Nipple cream was acceptable. I have also had the reverse. And as Nikki mentioned, unscented (important!) Vaseline can be used too.

I've encountered tattered ears a few times with rehomes. I've yet to have one that I blamed their diet on. Usually it is the bedding that they were living in. Or if the hedgehog is an avid tp tuber, they will get paper build up on their ears.


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## Quinn (Apr 24, 2011)

I got bag balm from global pet foods and they have store across Canada http://www.globalpetfoods.ca/home/home.htm


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## Nancy (Aug 22, 2008)

I've never heard or found that tattered ears were diet related. Usually it is a dry skin and gunk build up. Some hedgehogs are more prone to it than others. I've had hedgehogs that lived here from babies and never had the least bit of it. Others would start getting build up fairly quickly. Peaches in particular was prone to it. Once every week or two I had to rub her ears as it was starting to build up. 

I use either human nipple cream or unscented Vaseline.


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## Hissy-Fit-Hazel (Jul 15, 2011)

Nancy said:


> I've never heard or found that tattered ears were diet related. Usually it is a dry skin and gunk build up. Some hedgehogs are more prone to it than others. I've had hedgehogs that lived here from babies and never had the least bit of it. Others would start getting build up fairly quickly. Peaches in particular was prone to it. Once every week or two I had to rub her ears as it was starting to build up.
> 
> I use either human nipple cream or unscented Vaseline.


Oh I didn't know you could get unscented vaseline...cool. I have not had ear issues yet with Hazel but I do wonder about using Bag Balm at all ( I have used it for years with my dogs, with livestock and love the stuff) BUT it does have a scent. I DARED put a tiny miniscule amount of Polysporin on Hazel because she poked herself in the butt with a brow quill and you'd of thought I poured acid on her. Having to use anything scented on her ears that would stick there like bag balm would is a big worry cause she really wigged out about the poly lol


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## Nancy (Aug 22, 2008)

Did you use Polysporin ointment or cream? Most are fine with ointment. My hubby picked up cream for me one time and OMG, they had fits over it. 

Most Vaseline is unscented but you can get scented stuff. I think the scented is more common in the US than Canada. I have used Vaseline very successfully on most hedgehog. I've had a few that licked at it and bugged the area but most don't bother. Try putting a tiny dab on a cloth or on her paw and see if she reacts. If not good. You can also use Polysporin first and then a tiny bit of Vaseline after to hide the Polysporin. They can be tricked.... sometimes. :lol:


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## Hissy-Fit-Hazel (Jul 15, 2011)

I just checked my Polysporin and dang you are correct...although it still says original, but then Non-Greasy Cream hmmm. I just bought this one to throw in my emergency kit cause I had another opened but it is the same stuff. 

Do you have a pic of the box or a link to the correct one? They have so many flipping varieties now lol. 

No wonder she was pissed...I actually had to give her a quick foot bath/bum bath to get it off so she would stop fussing at it. The poke healed just fine weeks ago anyway with me giving her a wipe in the area with some salted water couple x a day but like to keep the emerg kit up to date with something she is less likely to wig out over


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## Nancy (Aug 22, 2008)

This is the one you want. http://www.polysporin.ca/en/p-ointment.asp

There is something about the cream that freaks them out.


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## Hissy-Fit-Hazel (Jul 15, 2011)

Makes sense because the ingredients are all different aside from the Polymyxin B! Thanks Nancy!


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## Dillyhog (Nov 16, 2011)

Nancy: you mentioned bedding and paper build up. That makes sense now. Dilly was always used to sleep in" Care Fresh" bedding and it is recycled paper. I just switched him to fabric lining (baby blankets). But it has been a few days only so really early to tell the difference. 
If any of you guys know Care Fresh do you think it is a bad bedding? 
Just discovered recently that one of my hedgehogs developed excess runny nose- so my vet suggested to switch to "Yesterday's News" cat litter (recycled paper). 
So my decision was to switch both of my hedgies to baby blankets(fleece) and leave only a bit of litter in their pans to poop into. I purchased "Crown Animal bedding".
So first night I removed all the "Care fresh" stuff out of their cages, leaving soft baby blankets and just a bit of Crown Animal bedding under their wheel.
Dilly was totally cool with the change- though he questioned the fleece blanket first. But at the end he settled for whatever he had. Easy going lad!
Vanya on the other hand went nuts! He ran so much that night that he hurt his paw (broke skin) and scratched the **** out of corners of the cage. The cage looked like there was a murder committed- all in blood. I found him at 9 am still running, though usually he is asleep at that time. I fixed all the bloody issues with washing him and the cage and he was happy to fall asleep in my bed! Second night I put a bit of Crown Animal bedding in his cage just to ease the anxiety (I figured maybe he reacted to changes so drastically). He was fine with that.
So I was wondering those changes are they really would affect the poor little guy? (I just got him as a rescue and don't know all his habits yet)? It was a shock to me and probably him as well. But all I wanted is to make things better. 
I don't think I will go back to Care fresh cause of runny nose...but the runny nose could be from other issues, right?
So, Dilly who has shredded ears seems to be okay with changes and doesn't mind the absence of paper bedding.
Any suggestions on bedding in my situation?
I know it sounds complicated.

P.S. I had no idea paper can build up on their ears! Cold that be bedding build up as well then?


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## Nancy (Aug 22, 2008)

Is your little guy sneezing as well as the runny nose? I'd put him totally on fleece with just a bit of yesterdays news in the litter box. If the runny nose isn't gone by Monday, he should see the vet, especially if he is sneezing or if the mucous is coloured.


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## beautsbelle (Jul 19, 2011)

I only thought maybe it could be diet related due to my experience with Roxie. The only thing we changed was her food, and her dry ears cleared up.... so it was a guess.  She had only had corn cob bedding prior to me finding this awesome site with such helpful members! Now she is loving her fleece. Wait! Maybe it was the corn cob bedding?? I am not sure. But she is much better! I may get some bag balm to keep on hand if it happens again. (and I hear it is great for dry hands too!)

Thanks for clearing that up for me. Again, it was just a thought I had from my own experience.


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## Dillyhog (Nov 16, 2011)

Nancy: nope, he isn't sneezing. Just really wet nose and when I took him(Vanya) for a check up with my vet she said she saw a bit of bubbles coming out of his nose???? But I have been watching him I havn't seen any, just his nose is wet and maybe a bit runny (in comparison with Dilly's)....she didn't say anything in particular about the "bubbles" situation...should I take him back to her for some tests? She couldn't listen to his breathing with a stethoscope cause he balled up pretty tight and wasn't going to unroll any time soon.


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## Dillyhog (Nov 16, 2011)

Nikki nd everyone:
thank you for your suggestions.
Vaseline totally helped! the crusty parts just came of off his ears easily. I broke them apart and it did look like a build- up! Whew...I thought it was some kind of parasites...all good now!

Thank you again!


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## ThePliny (Jun 3, 2010)

yay, glad to hear the ears are all better! 
Pliny was on carefresh for a while (when I first got him) and his nose was definitely runnier and he sneezed more - carefresh is really dusty. He has been on liners for ages now and it is way better (not to mention keeping my apartment much cleaner!)


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## Dillyhog (Nov 16, 2011)

for sure it seems like he is not missing carefresh! His ears are waaaaay better then they used to be! It is amazing how little it needs to change the ongoing problem! and i think he liked the ear rub he just didn't want to admit it!
I kinda broke one of those pieces of crusty ear that came off- and it seemed i saw his little ear hair mixed with paper fibers! That's crazy!I had NO idea that paper can affect ears so much!
And Dilly loves his cozy fleece blankets way more than sleeping in a paper mush
I feel like I have accomplished something huge! Baby steps towards better hog care! 

P.s. I have heard that Carefresh can carry mites in it??? That's what a girl in a petstore told me??? That sounds awful...though I don't even know if it is true.


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