# Inside of hedgie's leg is red?



## Morel3etterness (Dec 5, 2009)

I know it may be a dumb question, but I was wondering why the inside of my hedgie's leg if red... very noticeable. I hear him scratching at night a lot. Today i gave him a thorough bath and put him in a clean cage with fleece liners. Im going to see a vet during the week. I dont see any mites.. what could it be? Is this common in any way or should i worry?


----------



## shetland (Sep 2, 2008)

I will let the experts give possibilities, but I think you are right to see a vet.


----------



## Bengall77 (Aug 1, 2009)

I'm thinking that it might be something like mites or fleas or a fungal/bacterial infection on the skin. Quillbert's skin is pink under his white fur but it's a healthy, light pink color.


----------



## strawberryfields (Oct 3, 2009)

When Rocko had mites, the skin on his legs and belly got very red. If he has red skin and is scratching a lot, that's a pretty good possibility. Just take him to the vet, I'm sure he'll be fine.


----------



## Morel3etterness (Dec 5, 2009)

I hope its not mites. I didnt seeeee anything moving on him or around him on his blankets. Its actually VERY weird. He only scratches when hes running on the wheel or about to ....Its like he has hedgies turrets. I have an appointment with the vet tomorrow at 1:00....but it does seem the redness is going down on his leg. 35 bucks for the visit...and god knows what shenanigans they are going to try to pull medication wise. =/


----------



## Bengall77 (Aug 1, 2009)

I'm not 100% sure but I don't think that you can see mites with the naked eye like you can with fleas. I think the vet has to do a swab. And even then animals can have mites in only one area and if the vet swabs the wrong area the test can come back negative. I would make sure that the swab the area that he's scratching.

As far as I know hedgehogs scratch themselves occasionally. But if his skin is red then something is probably wrong. How are his nails? Could a trimming help keep him from damaging his skin?


----------



## Morel3etterness (Dec 5, 2009)

He was never red until the other day. today the redness is gone because I kept him in the wheeless cage for an entire day and let him run around a play pen while i was home. he went to scratch twice and i clapped my hands and he stopped. His nails are longer than they should be because hes a bit difficult with the trimming. I wont let me down it while hes on his back. He shoots me this mean face like hes going to take my life and honestly i cant stop laughing lol. I have to push one side up whiles hes on the floor and stick the clippers under his nail. It takes mad skill haha. Ill be at the vet tomorrow so hopefully they can give me some info. I would think if it was mites he would be scratching all day every day... plus i dont even know how he could get them. He only stays in my room?


----------



## shetland (Sep 2, 2008)

Do not let them use Ivermectin for mites. Only Revolution for mites. This is very important! You can read up on this-deaths related to Ivermectin. You cannot see mites. A negative scrape is not necessarily conclusive that a hedgie does not have mites.


----------



## smhufflepuff (Aug 28, 2008)

Morel3etterness said:


> He shoots me this mean face like hes going to take my life...


They are experts at huffy expressions, eh?

Hopefully, it turns out to be something simple like a random bug bite that's healed.


----------



## emeko (Nov 28, 2009)

Is his wheel clean? I wonder if it has urine on it that is irritating his underside as he runs. Since it gets better when doesn't go on the wheel? Just a thought.


----------



## Morel3etterness (Dec 5, 2009)

oh yeah def.I clean the well every night and sometimes wake up in the middle of the night and clean it again. i went to the vet today and they made the stupid mistake of scheduling me when the real vet wasnt there so i wasted my time.


----------



## LizardGirl (Aug 25, 2008)

That sucks! I hope they didn't charge you. :?


----------

