# Quill dropping: An emotional response?



## Alastrina (Sep 18, 2009)

I'm noticing more of Charley's dropped quills seem to show up after a bit of huffing & puffing, or after he unballs from being startled or scared. 

Can a hedgehog drop quills due to an emotional response, or do you all think that his losing them at those times is just a coincidence, perhaps caused by brushing against fabric or something?

~Katie


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## hedgielover (Oct 30, 2008)

Hedgehog's can't choose to loose quills the way a porcupine can so I don't think loosing would be an emotional response. Quill loss can result from stress but that is usually from excess stress or prolonged stress. Just holding him while he is huffy wouldn't cause that kind of quills loss.

When I hold Quigley I notice quills come out sometimes too. It will usually only be one or two on my lap I think that these are probably quills that are already loose and just come out when he huffs because the muscle contracting to lift them and the resistance on the fabric or on my hand pushes them rest of the way out. 

Also if your guy is quilling age that could be another reason for loosing quills.


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## Alastrina (Sep 18, 2009)

He normally only loses 2-5 that I see over the course of an hour or so of playing with him, and he looks like he's got a full coat. He's about a year old, and I've looked at his back and don't see anything that looks like a new quill growing in. Do hedgies quill after a year?

Today he dropped almost 10 when I was looking him over. He was a little stressed because I was poking at him trying to get him to open up so I could get the piece of bedding out of his boy parts, but he was wiggling around too, so that could have been it.


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## hedgielover (Oct 30, 2008)

I think that hedgehogs can quill at one year but they don't always. I don't know much about quilling because I've never had a baby.


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