# Mites, or just quilling?



## Sneezy000 (Mar 9, 2010)

Hello! 
i have had a hedgehog for a short time now and i am worried she may have mites!
She is almost 8 weeks old and i think it might be that she is just quilling, but based on the following, do you think my hedgehog has mites??:
-She has very dry skin, and itches- i thought maybe its because of the very dry climate, but i dont know!!
-She is losing quills- I'm pretty sure shes just quilling, but could she have mites too? I always look at her quills when the fall out, and they always have the little ball on the end.
-she doesnt have scraggly ears
-i have not seen any white things moving on her
So, i guess.. i know shes quilling but im still worried about her having mites too! 
What do you guys think?
Anything else i can do to test if she has mites?
Thanks in advance!


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## Hedgieonboard (Nov 15, 2009)

I think the only way to know if their is mites for sure is a skin scrap at the vets and I've heard that its not always going to pick it up. Mites are microscopic and usually can't be seen with the naked eye. Also the ball being on the end of the quill doesn't mean for sure that it is or isn't a mite case. At 8 weeks old its very possible just a quilling. Hedgehogs tend to have dry skin and when quilling they do seem to itch a little more. One thing you can do to ease the itchiness is an oatmeal bath (or Aveeno) Just make sure if its your hedgies first bath that they have had time to settle into their new home and that you don't make the water deep because they may be afraid of it. You can always put them on something non slip and pour the water gently over them making sure not to get the ears or face wet. Another thing is if they are on wood bedding you can switch them to fleece and sometimes that will help also. 
If after this they hedgie is still itching a lot or frantically you might want to take him to the vets to be on the safe side. 

Hope your hedgie feels better


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## Immortalia (Jan 24, 2009)

There is NO way to tell 100% if your hedgie has mites or not. Skin scrapings can come back false negative, just because the vet took a sample from a 'clean' area. Even if your hedgie has a bald spot, it might not be mites, and could be a fungal or bacterial infection. 

As long as your hedgie's quill coat does not grow sparse, that there are as many quills growing and poking through her skin as much as she's losing them, then she is quilling. As mentioned above, you can give her a nice oatmeal bath(aveeno, or just plain old oatmeal in a sock and swished around to make white cloudy water). Many also follow baths with some sort of oil. I'd open a capsule of flax seed, empty into a very small cup, add some warm water to it, and pour that over my boy's back. Others have used Vit e, jojoba oil(I think that's the right spelling ). I just use flax because I also add that to my boy's food once a week. 

However, if you ever notice her quill coat thinning, then it would be best to take her to the vet.


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