# Possible Quilling- Skipping eating?



## StellaWithaBow (Dec 18, 2009)

Stella is one year old- I took her to the vet a few days ago for quill loss, vet said she is probably quilling (he didn't seem to know much about hedgies and rushed me out of the office) :x 

She has since not eaten for a day and a half and has drunk very little water, if any. Running less as well. I have tried to give her wet food she usually receives for a treat and I have been counting kibble. She really doesn't like other treats than a bit of cooked chicken but I haven't any to give her.

Is it a quilling thing?  

Any suggestions to get her eating? 

Nikki was kind enough to take a call from me and suggested I put the food in her bed with her... 
I'll be trying that tonight.


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## anna m (Dec 19, 2008)

Probably not quilling as she is a year old
You need to find a better vet if possible
Quill loss at such an age would probably be mites
Now you don't need to see them they could be the burrowing kind
Don't worry
You can easily get hold of some treatment for mites from your vet
If not mites it could be fungus and you can get this tested from the quills
Your vet can do this 
Probably one of these 2 things
Get some treatment and see if this improves
Sorry your little one has gone off food as well
That's not so good
Try some chicken or make some chicken soup


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## strawberryfields (Oct 3, 2009)

I've heard some people say that there is a quilling at one year, and others say that the final quilling is around four months, and others say that there is only one quilling at six weeks.. So it's hard to know for sure. The thing about domesticated hedgehogs is that they haven't been domesticated for hundreds of years like other animals, so even the experts are still learning.

That said, Rocko went on hunger strike and ran on his wheel less both during quilling and when he got mites. Is Stella scratching a lot? Grumpy? Is the skin on her belly, legs, shoulders, or face red? Is the skin under her quills flaky? It is most likely either quilling (if one exists at one year) or mites. You should visit a vet that knows about hedgehogs and have them do a skin scrape to check for mites.


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## StellaWithaBow (Dec 18, 2009)

Stella has ALREADY been treated for mites with revolution (by the crappy vet),
this isn't mites. There is zero flaking, and she hasn't scratched at all.
She's tried to hibernate and the cage is at the correct temp.

I syringed her food this morning, she's slightly more alert and took a few bites on her own.

I'm still horribly worried.

I'm thinking she's on hunger strike because of the quill loss, be it quilling or something more.


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## StellaWithaBow (Dec 18, 2009)

I'm upping the temp of her cage a few degrees to see if this may help her out.
If she doesn't come around by tonight she's going to see a REAL vet, I promised her I'd never take her to see that jerk again.... :? 

I appreciate the advice, and sorry if I come off a bit testy, but she's got me on high alert! :roll: 

The quill loss is slowing, maybe 10 a day now, it's been about a week now since the serious start and loss...

She's got no reason for the hibernation, she's getting exactly 12 and 12 day and dark.

Just too much for me to handle.


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## Kalandra (Aug 25, 2008)

I had one once that would go on hunger strikes if we traveled her, this included some trips to the vet. She would stress out so much she would stop eating for a day or two after. 

If she had mites, the quill loss could just be her shedding the damaged quills. Sometimes this can go on for a while. Is she growing in new quills to replace them yet?

How long have you had her? They can also go through a quilling if they have had a major stress in their life or if they have a major diet change. I have a nearly 3 year old who is quilling currently due to a change to a better diet (with 10-20 quills being dropped daily at the moment).

If her tummy is getting cool to the touch, have you moved anything in the room that may have changed the air flow? Maybe when the furnace runs its causing a draft?

If all else fails, find a better vet.


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## StellaWithaBow (Dec 18, 2009)

I changed her diet a month ago, and the quills are slightly brittle, but the ones dropping seem to look healthy at the follicle and the skin scrape came back neg for mites.

I'm hoping it's stress, but there had been no change in the room, or anything moved.

I'm just hoping for a feeding alternative other than syringe... she hates it.


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## lane_m (May 20, 2009)

My Wilbur is definitely quilling and he is one also. He had been losing quills for about a week
and I have just begun to notice the new quills poking through. He is still eating, but not running very much (about 20 mins each night). Also, nothing whatsoever has changed in his life so I'm pretty sure it has nothing to do with stress. My female who lives in the top floor of their Ferret Nation 142 is the same age and is not quilling. Maybe it's an "optional" quilling


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## anna m (Dec 19, 2008)

It's a complete nightmare. My lad is losing quills too. At first this was 20/30 daily but now it's down to 1 or 2. He hasn't got mites or fungus. Both test negative but at least he eats well. I have ordered him some vitamins as vet thought he might be short of B's and zinc. So the search goes on. Good luck with your hedgehog


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## StellaWithaBow (Dec 18, 2009)

FANTASTIC NEWS!

Shes awake, and EATING ON HER OWN.

I bribed her with cheap food she likes, and she decided to eat!

Hopefully she ends this hunger strike.

I'll keep you updated!


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## nikki (Aug 28, 2008)

OH that's wonderful!! any food right now is better than nothing. I'm so glad she started eating for you, I know how scarey it can be when they don't eat. It would be so much easier if they could talk and tell us what's wrong instead of having to guess. I'm sorry i wasn't much help when you called.


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## StellaWithaBow (Dec 18, 2009)

You were wonderful. I simply needed a calm and reassuring voice. 

She is my baby and I was horrified so I had to talk to someone.

I'm seeing new quills coming in on some of her so I'm thinking she is quilling for sure, but she's GOT to stop being so finicky. haha :lol: 

Silly girl, FOOD is essential!


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## nikki (Aug 28, 2008)

well I'm glad I could help anyways..its always nice to talk to another person owned by a hedgie or two...lol


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## strawberryfields (Oct 3, 2009)

Good to hear that you see new quills poking through! Sometimes I think hedgies just do things to purposely worry us, since they know hedgehog parents are the biggest worriers on the planet. :roll: 

I get stressed out if Rocko isn't up and running on his wheel within ten minutes of his normal time every night, haha. But being so alert means that if anything is ever serious, you'll know right away.


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## Kalandra (Aug 25, 2008)

Great news. New quills and eating... its a good day!

Hopefully this hunger strike was just a fluke. But you may have a hedgehog that will do it on occasion when she is stressed. I have one currently that does it and have had one in the past. Their behavior is certainly very stressful on us as their worried mommies and daddies.


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