# Shedding fur - Normal?



## hanhan27 (May 12, 2011)

I noticed when I changed Milly's fleece today that there was a LOT of fur on her fleece liner. This liner was in her cage for just over 48 hours. Should I be worried, or is this normal shedding like a dog or cat would have? The whole area that she sleeps on looks like this


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## Guest (Jul 24, 2011)

I can't be certain but Feral (Who is still quilling) lost a good amount of her face fur and some of her belly fur and I was quiet concerned. The vet I have has experience with hedgehogs and has about 30 hedgehogs which she has on file and she has been very nice and understanding with me said that fur loss can happen with quilling and that it would grow back, but could also be mites or fungus/parasites. So she took some fresh stool that Feral was glad enough to plant as soon as she got in the exam room XD and did a skin test and also took time with a magnifying glass and ear scope to look thoroughly for mites which she didn't fine. The stool came back as negative for any infection, and since then Feral's white fur has grown back. I don't know if my Vet was accurate in saying any of that but that's my experience with fur loss with my hedgehog.

I don't know if that is any help to you, that's just my one personal experience with a similar situation.


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## hanhan27 (May 12, 2011)

Hmm. Well, Milly is done quilling now (I hope). The last time I noticed quills in her cage was about 2 weeks ago, and I only found 3 or 4. She is 16 weeks today. I think that crosses quilling off of the list of possible culprits.

I wonder if it's possible for her to get mites/fungus when she's on fleece liners, has nothing wood in her cage, and has never been outside other than to and from the car in her cat carrier... :? I have no clue. Sigh. 

I feel like I'm worrying over something silly, but it was just like a layer of fur on that fleece! Way more than I've ever noticed before, especially in just 2 days of using that liner.

If it's just as bad on Tuesday, I'm going to call her vet and see what he has to say.


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## hanhan27 (May 12, 2011)

I just wanted to bump this up. There's something new concerning me, now.

Some info: Milly has been staying at my mom's house the past week and a half or so - it's been really hot here, and my mom has central air conditioning and offered to keep an eye on her when I'm not at her house. She is in her old sterilite cage in my closet in my bedroom. The temperature has been between 73 and 76 degrees. My mom has 3 cats and 1 dog, but the closest they have been to each other was when Milly was on my bed and the dog was on the floor next to the bed. Milly is just short of 4 months old, has never had any health problems before, and is not losing quills or scratching. She eats Nat Balance green pea & duck, Wellness healthy weight, and Purina One Beyond salmon & whole brown rice. She eats about 70-75 kibbles a night.

I cleaned Milly's cage and noticed that her stool is really really soft. It's not diarrhea-soft, it's just really mushy. Her turds are usually tootsie-roll shape and size, but there was a small pile of soft squishy stool in her fleece. Then when I took her out to say hi and give her a mealworm and let her wander around the closet while I cleaned her cage, she pooped... and I heard little bubbly pooing noises. :roll: And it was once again really soft, unformed stool. Also, there were little tiny specks of white in her stool? I squished the poo around and looked at it really closely to make sure the white specks weren't moving, and I don't think they were.

I'm getting more and more worried.


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## Guest (Jul 25, 2011)

I would PM Nancy and copy/paste what you've posted


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## hanhan27 (May 12, 2011)

I was thinking about that too, but was hoping she would pop up :lol: I think I'll just PM her. Gotta love Nancy!


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## Nancy (Aug 22, 2008)

Is there anything in her food that could account for the little white specks? If not, I think taking in a fecal to the vet might be a good idea just in case the white specks are a parasite. 

The bubbly popping noise is just gas.


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## hanhan27 (May 12, 2011)

Alright. My vet is an hour and a half away so maybe I will ask the vet we use for cats and dog if they can test it for me.

Thanks Nancy!!


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## shaelikestaquitos (Feb 2, 2010)

Kashi is shedding some fur at the moment too, but I think it's due to the humidity in Montreal at the moment...

But I'd listen to Nancy and do what she suggests


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## Chippymunk (May 24, 2011)

My hedgie had the same problem about a month ago. She'd shed her fur just like that but after about 2 weeks, she completely stopped shedding =P So maybe it is just a phase your hedgie is going through. Although you can always bring her to the vet if you are concerned


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