# Quilling and Irritabilty



## parabol23 (Apr 7, 2011)

Our little guy, Pete, just turned 4 months old today. He seems very healthy, he is active and loves his wheel. We just have had very little success getting him used to us in the two months we have had him. We hold and play with him everyday, but he just has a severe temper it seems. Tonight when I was holding him he was fighting as hard as he could to jump out of my hands. He also bites and it is quite painful.

He was quilling after we got him, it subsided or at least became much more minimal, but now it has picked up again. I was told that it is a sign normal quilling and not mites if the lost quils have a small white dot on the end (which they do), could someone tell me if this is correct? Also, is it normal to see quilling at this age? I was under the impression it would stop by this point. If it is, is it safe to assume that he is under some stress and anxiety from the quilling yet, and will mellow out once it finally stops? Thanks in advance!

Here's a picture of Pete!


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## shaelikestaquitos (Feb 2, 2010)

The dot at the end does not mean anything.

Are new quills growing in? If so, he may just be quilling for a long time.

If you see any bald patches, it is definitely a sign that it is something much more severe.

Have you taken him for a vet check-up since you brought him into your home?

How long has he been losing quills?

PS, Pete is adorable! I love albinos <3


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## parabol23 (Apr 7, 2011)

He went to the vet a week or two after we got him, and besides the fact that she could hardly take a look at him, she told us he seemed fine. He is not balding, so I assume that he is growing new quills. Hes been losing them for at least two months now, maybe longer if it was already happening before we adopted him, but I am not sure of that.


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## shaelikestaquitos (Feb 2, 2010)

parabol23 said:


> He went to the vet a week or two after we got him, and besides the fact that she could hardly take a look at him, she told us he seemed fine. He is not balding, so I assume that he is growing new quills. Hes been losing them for at least two months now, maybe longer if it was already happening before we adopted him, but I am not sure of that.


How often/how much does he drop his quills?

I think maybe he's just one of those hedgies that quill a bit slower than others. Kashi was dropping a few quills a day until around 7 months when he went through a late quilling, where he dropped A LOT of quills. At this time he turned very aggressive and bit me many times.

The only thing I can suggest is to handle him gently and continue handling him, even if he is being a big grump.

He may not ever become super friendly, but I'm sure he will learn to at least tolerate being handled.


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## nikyb (Apr 17, 2011)

Hello! this is Pete's hedgie mom....he has been losing a fair amount of quills but NO bald spots.
I did notice a few weeks ago some new quills growing in and they looked painful! Today I just noticed how dry and flaky his skin was so we gave him a bath in a natural flea/mite killer shampoo for kittens.

His skin already looks better, but he's still chewing away at everything..including my leg. 

Could he be teething? He just wants to bite everything! Or could it be from being so irritable?

Is there anything we can do to sooth him? Are there certain scents that calm hedgies like eucalyptus? 

Thank you in advance for the help you all will give and all the help you have given already!


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## panda (May 23, 2011)

poor baby, Norma just finished a quilling a week or so ago and she is still toughing out some dry skin.. shea butter works great for dry ears/skin as well as an oatmeal bath. put the oatmeal in a sock or something like that and soak it in the water.. also a tiny amount of olive oil in water can help soothe dry itchy skin. make sure anything you use does NOT have tea tree oil as it is TOXIC.. there are other posts on this site that recommend what types of soaps/oatmeal ect to use.


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## nikyb (Apr 17, 2011)

I'm so glad you told me that tea tree oil is toxic! Is vitamin e oil okay?? I've been using that after his baths.

For his oatmeal bath i usually just use the mortar and pestol and grind it up really fine then put it in the water...will that work?


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## panda (May 23, 2011)

i believe i have read about people using vitamin e.. but i dont know, i would search the site for that 
idk about mortar and pestol either? :?: 

aveeno oatmeal bath is what i have used i also use aveeno creamy baby wash which has oatmeal in it. i use a small amount of the baby wash on a tooth brush to get it inbetween her quills by brushing from behind her head to her bottom. as well as her little feet and body, avoiding her eyes/face!  for the oatmeal its recommended to put it in a sock or something like that in case they potty in the water so you can quickly remove the sock rather than have to get another packet of the oatmeal bath.
the shea butter i have is a lotion but is organic and i double checked the ingredients to make sure it is safe. i rub a dot of the lotion on my hands so its a small even amount and then smooth the small amount on her tummy/ears/quills so it can soak in.
as for the olive oil, like i said a smal amount mixed with some bath water and getting her wet with it has helped some, you dont rinse afterward.. leaving the oil in is what lets it soak. hope that helps!


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## Lilysmommy (Jan 7, 2009)

nikyb said:


> I'm so glad you told me that tea tree oil is toxic! Is vitamin e oil okay?? I've been using that after his baths.
> 
> For his oatmeal bath i usually just use the mortar and pestol and grind it up really fine then put it in the water...will that work?


Vitamin E oil is usually not recommended because it's sticky and it can clog up the pores. Most people on here use flaxseed oil, which is a lot lighter. Olive oil works too, I can't remember if it clogs pores as well or not though.


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## nikyb (Apr 17, 2011)

Good to know! 
We will pick up those items tomorrow and let him have play time again in the tub!

How long does quilling usually last for? He is 4 months old and everything we've read said it shouldn't be that long. We are just paranoid. We lost our previous baby right before we got Pete so every little thing concerns us.

Thanks again.


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