# Ouch!



## AshelynTraye (Nov 10, 2012)

I've heard from a lot of people that hedgehog's quills are THAT sharp, but the other day Betsy got me and I actually started bleeding. I don't know about anyone else, but her quills are pretty sharp. Are all hedgehog's quills this sharp?


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## AnnabellasMomma (Oct 30, 2012)

i ended up stepping on one of the quills on the ground and it got me good i was bleeding for a lil while afterwards.


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## AshelynTraye (Nov 10, 2012)

They hurt a lot more than people have told me. lol


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## Kam (Nov 7, 2012)

So cute little spike balls!
This was my main reason for getting a hedgehog, that and how darn charming they are!
But I'm weird :mrgreen: 

This one think I would like to know, are there concerns with hedgie to human illnesses that one should be aware of?
I understand that dirty or heavily anointed quills could cause a rash on a person but I'm thinking more of viruses and diseases.

Sorry to hear about your poke Ashelyn, put some anibacterial on it, and be proud you have a strong quilled hedgie.


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## hedgielover (Oct 30, 2008)

I've only had three hedgehogs, my first one I can't remember his quills well enough to compare but of my other two I think Quigley's quills were definitely sharper than Koloth's. I'm not sure if it has to do with how they hold their quills or if there is actually a difference. Quigley was always a very prickly hedgehog but Koloth's quills are usually flat. However the odd time that I have been pricked by Koloth it is not as sharp. I also think I've read that baby quills are sharper so maybe if your hedgehogs hasn't gone through all her quillings yet then her adult ones will not be as sharp. 

Also although Quigley's quills were very sharp they never made me bleed and my hands got sort of used to them after a while and I didn't feel it as much. My Fiance didn't handle him as much and getting poked did cause him to bleed a few times so maybe it will get better for you over time if you keep handling lots. On the other hand I wouldn't blame you if you didn't want to be poked and just held your hedgehog in a fleece blanket when her quills are up.


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## Nancy (Aug 22, 2008)

Some hedgehogs do have sharper quills than others and more likely to make us bleed when poked. I've found often my biggest ones, have the sharper quills and are more likely to poke into me simply because of their weight.


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## AshelynTraye (Nov 10, 2012)

Bestys not that old. We've estimated that she's a little under a year old, but she is kinda tubby. Maybe those have somthing to do with her quills sharpness. :lol:


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## moxieberry (Nov 30, 2011)

Babies tend to have sharper, more needle-like quills. A lot of the time a hedgehog's quills will get somewhat blunted over time, but this is mostly from handling, so if you get an adult hedgehog that hasn't been handled all that much, they're not going to be as dulled. I also agree with Nancy, though it applies to the squirmy ones too - if they're heavier/larger hedgehogs they tend to dig in more, and also if you have a squirmy hedgehog, if you get poked with some momentum behind it, it'll hurt more.

The other thing is just plain getting used to it. Most of the time I just don't feel it anymore. I have minor allergies and sometimes I'll get little red bumps where I get poked - mostly it's the inner arms or if I somehow get prickled on the upper chest, and my hands occasionally get a little red. It used to itch and now I don't feel it, I just see the bumps show up. Similarly, even holding very spiky hedgehogs now it's not something that registers as "painful" - it's just a sensation.


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