# Red around bases of quills...



## Lilysmommy (Jan 7, 2009)

Well, looks like it's already back to the vet for Lily and I...Last night I found two other spots on her right side when putting antibiotic ointment on her two spots from what the vet thought were ingrown quills.

Tonight...I was checking those spots and I started looking and she quite a few red spots now. I think I counted at least 4-5 and I didn't manage to check all over her back because she was getting so squirmy. :? They're around the bases of the quills and most of them are just a red ring around the base, not anything really big. However, there's one spot on her right side that, if it weren't for the rest of the spots, I would think it's a spider bite. This spot isn't around a quill (if I'm remembering right), it's red, and a bit scabby/dry-skin-looking around it. She was trying to scratch at it too...  I put a bit of antibiotic ointment on just that spot, hoping it might help a bit and have her stop trying to scratch it.

Any ideas as to what this might be? It's only around her back as far as I can see, not in any furred areas or on her face. If I'm remembering right, that doesn't sound like a staph infection. Could it be allergies? Fungal infection or something? I'm calling tomorrow to see if I can get an appointment at the vet on Friday, hopefully. I have to work tomorrow night, so I doubt I'll get her in tomorrow.

I really, really hope this isn't anything too bad. I have to leave next week on my trip and if it's something serious, I'll stay home, of course. I'm just wondering if I should've noticed it before or something...I feel horrible and today was already horrible, so maybe I'm just overreacting...


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## Littlefootsmama (May 23, 2010)

Little Foot is getting in lots of new quills and he also has red around the base of his quills. However, he also has it on some quills that are newly grown and I was wondering myself what that was. I have putting antibiotic cream on it and using vit E oil. I thought they were just ingrowns, but like you said, there seems to be quite a few. Also though, that spot that is scabby and there isn't a quill...there could of been a quill there before that fell out. The scab usually forms after the ingrown quill has worked itself out. That has happened with Little Foot and Gizmo.


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## Lilysmommy (Jan 7, 2009)

Thanks LFM! I got her up this morning to look her over again and found 7-8 this time. I don't think the quills are new ones...They're all normal quills, and she does have a couple quills coming in, but there wasn't red around them. It was hard to see, but I think a couple of the spots may even not be around quills...Will have to look again. She's definitely a grumpster in the mornings, so it was hard to get too much of a look. :roll: 

The place where I put antibiotic ointment on last night does actually seem to be a little better, not as scabby or sore-looking. She hasn't eaten as much kibble the last two nights though, 9 last night and 8 the night before, and only half of her baby food last night. She did eat all of her insects both nights though. She's making it harder for me to tell if I'm just being paranoid or not. :lol:


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## Lilysmommy (Jan 7, 2009)

Well, I gave in to the worried/paranoid side. :lol: Called the vet to see if I could just talk to the vet and describe what's going on and see if they thought it warranted a visit, but the receptionist told me he probably couldn't call me back for 24-48 hours. Tomorrow's really the best time for me to get her in for another visit, so we have an appointment for 2:30. Hopefully she'll be more cooperative this time. :roll:


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## Rainy (Jul 27, 2011)

Hey Kelsey. I hope Lily is doing better. If I remember right, you go to Cedar Creek, right? Did you see Derek Nolan when you were there? He's really knowledgeable. Although, popsicle sticks? psh. I don't think so. Maybe the paper was about lining a wire wheel with popsicle sticks.....although after about a week, the wood would have absorbed a ton of poo and pee. Can you imagine? YUCK!!

Are things clearing up at all? Hope Lily is back to her wonderful self again soon.


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## Lilysmommy (Jan 7, 2009)

Thanks Rainy! I didn't realize I forgot to update this topic as well as Lily's picture/story thread. The paper with the popsicle stick thing was given to me by a different vet there, not Dr. Nolan. But I thought it was pretty silly too. :lol: 

For the visit about the red spots, I did see Dr. Nolan, and he did great with her. He said he thought it was most likely a bacterial infection and since the test for it was rather aggressive (anesthesia and cutting out a follicle to test), we decided to go ahead with treatment and see if it helped. I got an antibiotic and anti-inflammatory to give her for the next ten days. She got her third dose tonight. The first two doses she got mixed with baby food and while she did eat some of it I ended up having to syringe the rest of it to her. Tonight's doses got mixed with wet cat food and she ate it all on her own!  I haven't noticed too much improvement though, she was still scratching quite a bit when I had her out tonight. Hopefully in the next few days!


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## Rainy (Jul 27, 2011)

I'm glad she's taking the medicine so easy.....with as crummy as she's feeling right now, the last thing you want is to make her more agitated. Poor girl. Hope she heals up fast. Sending Harvey-Hugs to her.


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## Lilysmommy (Jan 7, 2009)

Thank you!  I'll pass them on to her tomorrow morning during her next dose!


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## Littlefootsmama (May 23, 2010)

What did he give her for medication? Did he mention what type of bacteria he thought it might be? That is interesting. its so hard to tell with these guys, if it is something or just dry skin.


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## Lilysmommy (Jan 7, 2009)

He didn't say what kind or anything, but did think that she may have gotten it from the ingrown quills she had. They presented the opening to the body for infection to get in, I'm assuming. I'd actually been going through a list of possibilities in my head on the way to the vet, trying to rule out ones that seemed unlikely. I had heat rash, allergies, bacterial infection, fungal infection, and ringworm on the list. Ruled out heat rash because she's been dealing fine with the heat, so that seemed unlikely. Wasn't really sure about the others though, and figured I'd better rule out the others before trying to eliminate things that could've caused allergic reaction.

If we had run a test, he probably could've told me the type of bacteria, but as the test involved putting her under anesthesia and cutting out a follicle, the vet and I both agreed we'd rather just treat. The antibiotic is Ciprofloxacin and the anti-inflammatory is Prednisolone. She gets .19 mL of antibiotic every 12 hours for ten days. The anti-inflammatory is .16 mL. The first four days are every 12 hours, then three days at every 24 hours, then the last three days every 48 hours. Was told we'd need to wean her off it, which is the reason for the changes with that.


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## panda (May 23, 2011)

poor baby! glad she's being a trooper with taking the meds.. all hopes for a speedy recovery!


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## Lilysmommy (Jan 7, 2009)

Thanks Panda! I'm impressed we're doing so well with the meds...Neither of us had experienced syringing before now. :lol: Just hoping that she'll keep being a good girl with them while I'm gone!


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## Littlefootsmama (May 23, 2010)

I just noticed that you live in Mid-michigan! I do too! What vet do you go to? 

I'm so glad someone could help her out!


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## Lilysmommy (Jan 7, 2009)

Woohoo, another Michigander! (Or whatever we're supposed to call ourselves :lol: ) I go to Cedar Creek Veterinary Clinic over around the Williamston/Dansville area. We see Dr. Nolan there. Kalandra just shared her vet with me though, Dr. Fear at the Alsager Vet Clinic. I haven't had an issue with Cedar Creek yet, but if I ever do, or if I ever want a second opinion or Lily has a major issue or something, I'm going to keep them in mind. They're an hour and a half from me, Cedar Creek is only about 40 minutes or so. But I'd be more than fine with doing an hour and a half drive if it was necessary. What vet do you go to?


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## Littlefootsmama (May 23, 2010)

I go to Agawa companion animal hospital in Saginaw; but, I'm not extremely pleased with their care. I've been looking for someone more experienced.


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