# Baby Hedgie Missing Quills In Visor?



## OllieTheHedgie (Aug 4, 2012)

Ever since we got ollie (a week ago, he is now 9 weeks old) he has been missing a patch of quills on the right side of his front visor. When he rases the quills by his eyes only the left side goes up very far because the right has a patch missing. Their seems to be little timy stubs of the quills still there or
They could be new ones coming in since he is now quilling. Should I be consirend about the missing patch?


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## bmaditz (Jun 11, 2012)

In the middle of every hedgehog's head is a patch of missing quills called a reverse mohawk. This missing patch of quills helps the hedgehog cover it's face and move the quills on the head to different angles.


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## OllieTheHedgie (Aug 4, 2012)

bmaditz said:


> In the middle of every hedgehog's head is a patch of missing quills called a reverse mohawk. This missing patch of quills helps the hedgehog cover it's face and move the quills on the head to different angles.


I know about that, im talking about that he has a patch of quills missing on the top right side of his visor, not the normal part were they are usually missing.


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## bmaditz (Jun 11, 2012)

Could you possibly get a pic of it?


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## OllieTheHedgie (Aug 4, 2012)

bmaditz said:


> Could you possibly get a pic of it?


This is the best picture I could get  sorry it might not be very well seen but I couldnt get him to stop moving for me to take a picture plus my phone camera is horrible at zooming and focusing

[attachment=0:2y9jvxki]photo (5).JPG[/attachment:2y9jvxki]


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## bmaditz (Jun 11, 2012)

I can see kind of what you're saying. All I can say for sure is that a hedgehog should never have an entire patch of missing quills just from quilling. My guess is that there is something else going on. You said you do see new growth though?


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## OllieTheHedgie (Aug 4, 2012)

bmaditz said:


> I can see kind of what you're saying. All I can say for sure is that a hedgehog should never have an entire patch of missing quills just from quilling. My guess is that there is something else going on. You said you do see new growth though?


He has had it every since we first got him so I know its not quilling. Yes there is growth there but I'm not sure if its growth or just were the quills got broken before we got him? sadly I didn't notice anything when I was first getting him but when we got in the car and were already a good hour away from the breeder I noticed it.


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## bmaditz (Jun 11, 2012)

I would definitely get it looked at by a vet. If the quills are broken off they could be extremely painful or even get infected. Does he act like it hurts when you touch it?


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## OllieTheHedgie (Aug 4, 2012)

bmaditz said:


> I would definitely get it looked at by a vet. If the quills are broken off they could be extremely painful or even get infected. Does he act like it hurts when you touch it?


I have never touched it directly but sometimes I will but my hand out and he will push his head in between my fingers and he doesn't act like it hurts. Anytime I try to touch near his face his quills go up, plus he is quilling so he is a little bit more grumpy. I have him scheduled for the vet on tuesday. It does seem like the growth there has been growing since the first week we brought him home, is that good? Should I try touching it even though he spikes up his visor when I get near his face?


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## nikki (Aug 28, 2008)

To me it looks like his quills might have been chewed on by either mom or a sibling. If that's the case then they should fall out when he quills and he should get new quills.


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## OllieTheHedgie (Aug 4, 2012)

nikki said:


> To me it looks like his quills might have been chewed on by either mom or a sibling. If that's the case then they should fall out when he quills and he should get new quills.


If that is it will they just grow then fall out and then be replaced? thanks! and if you do think he needs a vet is tuesday too long to wait? its the only day that was available.


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## nikki (Aug 28, 2008)

If they're baby quills and he hasn't quilled yet then they should fall out and be replaced with adult quills. As for the vet, if the only reason you were taking him in was for the quills then I think he's fine and doesn't need to see the vet. Are the quills stuck together? or is there any lump or any scabs around the quills? if so then yes he needs to see the vet.


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## OllieTheHedgie (Aug 4, 2012)

nikki said:


> If they're baby quills and he hasn't quilled yet then they should fall out and be replaced with adult quills. As for the vet, if the only reason you were taking him in was for the quills then I think he's fine and doesn't need to see the vet. Are the quills stuck together? or is there any lump or any scabs around the quills? if so then yes he needs to see the vet.


I noticed it looks a bit blue-ish were they are growing in there, or at least a dark color around that area, Is that a bad sign? I had to re-schedule his vet to next Tuesday so I cant get him in right away :/


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