# Swollen lump on my hedgie's head! Please help!



## EnaEna (Aug 23, 2012)

I just noticed today that there's a slight swollen mass on my little Earl Grey's head. You know how the quills on hedgehogs' heads have that separation in the middle? If you looking straight at his face, the lump is on the right side, right at the edge of the divide. It's about half the size of the mass of bristles on the toothbrush in terms of width and length. The quills on it don't move in synchronization with the other divided half. They lean towards that side, or just hang forward a little. It's not red.

He doesn't have any other odd symptoms. He's acting perfectly normal. That lump just suddenly appeared today. 

Is it quilling? Also, I tried to scruff him recently to clips his nails, but it didn't work. Did I hurt him by accident?

Please tell me what's wrong! I'm going to try to take him to a vet tomorrow, but I would really like to know what I should possibly expect!


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## hedgielover (Oct 30, 2008)

It's hard to know what it could be without a picture. I doubt you hurt him when you tried to scruff him. I've never heard of swelling being associated with quilling before so I don't think that is the cause. 

Once my hedgehog got a swollen bump on his head it sort of looked like a pimple only not red. I freaked but the vet said it was just a fat deposit skin tag sort of thing and took it right off, no big deal. My point is the vet is a good step and it's not time to panic yet.


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## moxieberry (Nov 30, 2011)

A picture would help a lot. It could be the beginnings of an ingrown quill (or several) in that area. The times I've dealt with those so far have been around the visor area (the little circular clumps of muscle right above the forehead, that control the quills that they shove forward/down in that "grumpy face" expression). It seems to happen there a lot, probably because those quills move around so much and it can get the tips snagged on the skin when there are new quills coming in there. In one case I noticed sort of swelling (although not visibly red, more just largeness in size, if that makes sense) the day before the ingrown quill became obvious (as a sore/scabby spot). So, that's my best guess with only having a description to go on - I could be wrong. If it is an ingrown quill, or similar, you'll be able to tell within the next day or so. Those can easily be dealt with without a vet visit. I'd say keep an eye on it for now, and hopefully that's all it is.


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