# Dry irritated skin, losing quills and swollen eye



## Genevievemaes (Nov 18, 2014)

Hi! My 8 month old hedgehog isn't doing very well. Two weeks ago we switched him out of his old cage and I noticed some of the quills on this head were missing. Today I noticed that his eye is very swollen and his skin is red and dry. I do bathe him 3x a week and use baby soap. I'm really scared for him. Does anyone know what I should do?


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## DesireeM81 (Jun 14, 2014)

Are you giving him full baths 3x a week? That is way to often and is possibly causing such dry skin and quill loss. Baby shampoo is also very drying and not recommended for hedgehogs.

I would switch to baths once every two weeks and using a aveeno body wash.

As for his eye, could he have gotten soap in it? 

Honestly it's probably time for the vet.


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## Genevievemaes (Nov 18, 2014)

How am I suppose to clean him in between baths? he gets dirty very fast. I'm not sure if it was the soap that made his eye puffy. He was fine yesterday and looks so terrible today. I'm thinking maybe he poked himself in the eye? I just don't know what he could have hit his eye with in his cage. 

I plan on taking him to the Vet but everything is closed right now


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## DesireeM81 (Jun 14, 2014)

He gets dirty or his feet do?

If his feet are dirty you can give him a foot bath every day. Just about a 1/2 inch of water in a sink or tub and let him walk around.


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## xorenaa (Jul 11, 2014)

Foot baths are okay every day, just without the soap. I just fill up my sink with enough warm water to get her feet wet and use a toothbrush to scrub her poopy feet clean. For her stomach I just scoop a little water with my fingers and lightly run my fingers down her belly if I notice that there's some poop clinging to her underside.


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## AlexandPersephone (Nov 14, 2014)

Baby shampoo isn't even good for humans. I'm a hairstylist please trust me on this one and just throw that out. 
Baby shampoo has a very high pH compared to our skin, its just meant to make human babies not cry when it gets in their eyes.... 
It'll be 10x as damaging to a hedgehogs skin. 
Try to reduce the amount of baths and get rid of the baby shampoo and switch it to cat or small animal shampoo. 
Not many people know. Its an honest mistake and you did it with good intentions.


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