# Going bald?



## xtiana (Aug 31, 2008)

My Hayden has been losing quills for quite some time. I will usually find 20 quills (that have fallen off) in every sitting when I hold him. He is going pretty bald on his back. I've taken him to the vet numerous times and they have done every test and everything came back negative. Nothing is living on his skin, like mites or something. Other than the quill loss, he is very active and healthy. He eats and drinks normally and runs on his wheel. He's even litter trained himself after I gave up! There are lots of new quills growing in but it seems like he is losing the quills faster than he is replacing them, which is what is causing the baldness. He is about 6 months old now, is he still quilling? He is my first hedgehog so I'm not sure how many quills hedgehogs are supposed to lose when they are quilling. His skin is pretty dry but I've done everything to try and help that, including oatmeal baths, using olive oil, and putting flax seed oil on his food!

I am constantly worried about him and the vet keeps telling me there is nothing wrong. He originally thought it was ringworm but we've tested for EVERYTHING and Hayden is healthy.

Does anyone have any pictures of their hedgehogs while they were quilling so I can have an idea of whether or not this is normal? Is it normal for him to lose this many quills at 6 months old? I've gone to three different vets now and no one can find anything wrong with him 

If anyone has any advice or any experience in this matter, I would greatly appreciate it 

Thank you in advance!


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## Nancy (Aug 22, 2008)

I've had ones still loosing quills at 6 months. Loosing 20 quills at one sitting is quite normal too although usually if they loose quills quickly, it's over quickly. 

Was he ever treated for mites? Sometimes if a skin scraping isn't done in the right place, mites can be there and not show up. Does he scratch very often? 

I don't have any pictures of balding from quilling but maybe you could post a picture of him.


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## xtiana (Aug 31, 2008)

I will post a picture as soon as I get home today. I have only seen or heard him scratch himself a small handful of times during his lifetime. He does not scratch himself when I hold him or during supervised play time. 

I brought him home last week during thanksgiving break and my family was shocked that he was missing so many quills 

I just want to make sure that he is quilling and its not linked to some kind of internal problem.

But yes, I will post a photo as soon as I get home 

Thanks Nancy!!


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## LizardGirl (Aug 25, 2008)

Could it possibly be hormone related? I know that is more common in females, but... ?


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## xtiana (Aug 31, 2008)

Here are photos I took tonight.


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## Nancy (Aug 22, 2008)

They don't go that thin with quilling but I have had a couple go that thin from stress related quilling. His skin looks pretty good. Has he ever been treated for mites? If not, I would treat him with revolution even if the skin scrapping was clean. That will at least rule out mites. 

Otherwise, I have no clue if his skin scrapings came back clear for fungus and bacteria.


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## PixiesExoticHedgies (Sep 4, 2008)

I agree. That looks like too much quill loss for just a quilling stage. 
I'm not really sure what to tell you, since his skin 'appears' to be healthy.
Take Nancy's advice, and keep us updated.


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## numothehedgehog (Aug 30, 2008)

Wow that is alot of quills too be lost!


My numo was losing alot of quills at one point but he eventually grew them back.

Im not sure whats wrong but maybe a oatmeal bath to help the new quills poke through might help I really dont know..


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## Tristen (Aug 30, 2008)

Thats odd... the skin looks healthy. I can't really tell though if the slight bumps are new quills going in or if other quills are just sitting at funny angles.


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## xtiana (Aug 31, 2008)

They sent stuff out to a lab too and did a fungal culture on it and ruled out any fungus or bacteria  they also ruled out mites. Should I just buy Revolution online and apply it myself? None of the vets I went to carried it. They all used that one that it says on the forums not to use, and when I told them that I didn't want that cause it wasn't safe for hedgies, they were all insulted like, who I was I to be questioning them :/

It could possible be stress related, he never seems too happy when I hold him  Should I leave him alone for awhile? Could me handling him every day be stressing him out?


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## sagesmommy (Sep 25, 2008)

My Sage kind of looks like that to. And they say it isn't mites. She doesn't scratch but the pics look like yours do, i wish i could help you but i am in the same boat. 

But, i have a question. What color name is your hedgehog? That is THE most beautiful hedgehog i have ever seen! I want one of that color! He is just gorgeous!


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## Tristen (Aug 30, 2008)

He's algerean chocolate if I'm not mistaken


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## Nancy (Aug 22, 2008)

It's highly unlikely that being shy would cause stress quill loss. Usually stress related quill loss is caused by something like surgery, going on a vacation, being re-homed, or some big unusual event. 

You could just buy the Revolution online. It's unlikely he has mites but to treat him rules out one thing.


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## xtiana (Aug 31, 2008)

Ok I will get the Kitten Revolution online and treat him for mites, just in case.

Other than that, Is there anything else I can do for him? I haven't gone out of town much with him, other than 2 times when I first got him and over Thanksgiving break. I will be home with him all winter break, should I avoid holding him or continue spending time with him every day? I moved him to a bigger home a few months back, perhaps that could have triggered something? Other than that, he'd never had surgery and I've never like...dropped him. Please let me know if there is anything I can do 

Will the quills eventually grow back if the quill loss was stress related? How long does the stress related quill loss last?


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## Nancy (Aug 22, 2008)

I've had stress related quill loss last about a month, sometimes a bit longer. If this is stress related, the quills will grow back. Yes continue to hold him, handle him and treat him like normal.


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## sagesmommy (Sep 25, 2008)

I don't know if this will help but Sage quilled for over a month after she moved here. i guess the re-homing stressed her out. The quill loss finally stopped a couple weeks ago. Hopefully your little guy will stop soon too.


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## Mika (Dec 4, 2008)

My little boy, Kovu, have had the same thing and we never knew what was happen. We try a lot of things (anti-parasite) and the only one who it looked like works is a product for birds:



Talk to your vet if you can try it.

I have another hedgehog, Élliot, he was close to loose his eye cause it was pop up of the orbit. With all the stress I caused to put antibiotique plus the stiches, he lost a big part of his quills. But now, with the time, the quills are getting grow up. (I'm not sure if my sentence is good)

To help him, I gave him Omega-3 once per two days and fruits that he likes.


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## lalaith (Sep 1, 2008)

I just found this post, and it is talking EXACTLY about what has been going on with charlie for the last year. I have taken him to the vet 3 or 4 times and each time clean skin scraping, no fungus,bacteria, clean blood work... (and several hundred dollars gone from my pockets) 
he's also been treated for mites at least twice in the last 1.5 years, and no help. (revolution and ivermectin)

His back looks exactly like the picture, and is balding particularly on his bum. Same story that he's happy and runs all night, eats, drinks, acts normally.... also tried oatmeal baths, burt's bees baby moisturizing soap, oil on his back, flax oil in his food... noooo help 


Wondering if anyone found a resolution for this problem?


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## smhufflepuff (Aug 28, 2008)

It's similar to what's been going on with Satin and, roughly, over the same time frame. Her quill loss has improved since then... She loses between 0 and 4 quills a day now and the bald spots are gone. Her skin, though, looks not so healthy... still flaky and kind of "thick" - not quite sure how to describe it. So we'll schedule another vet visit in a bit.

Here's what's been happening and what we did: viewtopic.php?f=5&t=1588


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## Mika (Dec 4, 2008)

See what happened to mine! You will see a picture of my hedgehog Kovu that he was loosing his quills too!

viewtopic.php?f=5&t=2310


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## P97angel (Dec 17, 2014)

OMGosh xtiana....I have a balding hedgie too!!!! He sounds exactly like your Hayden...even down to now being too happy...he almost always hates being handled...but he eats well, drinks well, runs 10 miles at a time. My Sonic's skin is pink and soft where his quills have fallen out...I belong to a couple Facebook Hedgehog sites and they have all said the same thing, that his baldness is 'weird' We don't have any local exotic vets so I haven't been able to get him checked yet. But reading your posts have made me feel better...thank you.


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## Lilysmommy (Jan 7, 2009)

Please try to check dates on posts before you comment, this thread is 6 years old.  You should really find a vet near you that would be willing to see your hedgehog - balding isn't normal & he needs to be checked. It's possible that he could have an issue going on, different from the original poster here. You will absolutely need a vet at some point in his life regardless, so you need to make sure you have one that will see him. Better now than later when you have a bigger emergency going on with him.


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