# Fleas - i need a help..



## soile6661 (Aug 2, 2013)

hi, my hedgehog has gotten fleas from outdoor cats yesterday, he started scratching a lot, especially during this night. i bought him a flea shampoo for cats but he kept scratching, so i was searching on the internet a bit now and found dawn soap could get rid off them fleas, but i'm not from USA and we got this at home:
http://i.clubafaceri.ro/clients/70/...ase-pur-balsam-aloe-vera-15-l-1865646_big.jpg
its actually very soft, could i use it instead of the dawn soap?
i really need a help immediately for my hedgehog :/ if you have any experience with fleas, please recommend something effective to me..


----------



## abbys (Oct 13, 2012)

Are you sure it's fleas and not mites? I'm not sure how to treat fleas, but for mites you should take him to a vet and get him treated with Revolution (NOT Ivermectin, as that can be fatal to hedgehogs).


----------



## Sonics1AndOnlyGirl (May 25, 2013)

Does the cat shampoo contain Pyrethrin? That is what kills the fleas. Also the dish soap you linked to says aloe vera and from what I read some parts of aloe are poisonous so I wouldn't use it.


----------



## soile6661 (Aug 2, 2013)

Sonics1AndOnlyGirl - no it does not contain it -.-...and i have another dish soap which is without aloe vera, could i use that one?


----------



## Sonics1AndOnlyGirl (May 25, 2013)

I'd see if you could return the cat shampoo and get one that does have pyrethrin in it. Cat shampoo is made for an animal that licks itself so so it's totally safe for hedgies incase they anoint.


----------



## Tom (Jul 21, 2013)

Ones for kittens are the best (don't get the non-tear type) and get non-scented.


----------



## alma&dex (Jan 17, 2013)

I recently moved into a new apartment (two and a half months ago) and we had fleas when we first moved in. I am not bothered by fleas and Dex's cage was a few feet off the ground, but I called my breeder to double check suggestions - she said to take him to the vet to get a round of revolution (they do smaller doses than for dogs/cats for our little ones). I took him a month and a half ago to the vet and he didn't seem to be scratching any more than usual but I wanted to take him just in case. The vet told me (as my breeder had suggested) that hedgies don't usually get fleas since their fur is too short on the underside for fleas and obviously with their spines over the top would be a bit difficult for the fleas (they don't really enjoy just bare skin they like thick fur) BUT that fleas could get into their bedding and breed there - so if you have anything but fleece bedding, I'd get rid of that for sure (I used to use pine) and if you use fleece, make sure you give it a good wash or something to get rid of any fleas or their eggs, etc. 

When I went to the vet, she gave me four rounds of revolution for that month and the following four - our apartment is rid of fleas and we don't have to worry about Dex getting them either. He's had two rounds now and the vet explained how to do it and it's been quite easy both times. I can repeat her instructions if you want. But revolution will protect against mites as well, so you might as well just get your little one some revolution just in case.


----------



## Stellara (Nov 12, 2011)

I agree with revolution- it will help regardless if it is fleas OR mites and is hedgie safe. I don't know about using shampoos...as alma&dex mentioned it is rare for fleas to actually be ON hedgehog and in that case the shampoo would do nothing. If it truly is fleas you would be better of switching out all bedding and getting dirty bedding into a sealed bag and bringing it right down to be washed. If you just bath and put him back in the old bedding where the fleas would be it really isn't going to help him much.
I'm sorry but I am really not sure of any flea bath shampoos that would be hedgehog safe and would personally use revolution since it will be more effective. I'm hoping that a vet will be able to get that for you- I believe there are doses somewhere on this forum and if you need them I can try to find them for you.


----------

