# Quill loss, no visible sores, maggots in habitat.



## KiTkzio (Aug 17, 2012)

When I was cleaning out my Hedgehogs (Wembley) habitat, I was horrified to find 2 tiny maggots in there. I noticed a few more fallen quills than usual too. I freaked, uber cleaned EVERYTHING in there, gave Wembley a bath and looked him over. I couldn't find any open skin on him. I've kept a very close eye on him, I see no more maggots or anything in his cage. But he continues to lose quills. He doesn't seem to be losing from any specific spot though. I can't get him into the vet for a couple more days... but, has anyone else experienced this? I feel like such a horrible parent.


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## Tabi (Jun 24, 2012)

How old is he? Pictures? And how often do you fully clean your cage?


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## MurE (Aug 29, 2011)

If he's young he may be quilling. If he's not young, he may have mites. Is there any wood or wood products in the cage? Mites tend to live inside of the wood products and lay eggs. Mites would require vet care/medication for mites.

Typical house flies lay their eggs on food, animal poops, moist rotting material, etc and the eggs hatch in 24 hours. It takes about 4 days for the maggots to reach full size, then 2 days to pupate. So it would not take very long for maggots to appear in his cage once the fly has laid the eggs. The curious thing is that there are only two of them. Did he eat the rest of them? 

You should probably clean the cage more frequently (ex. once per week) or clean out the litter pan more frequently. Also, make sure the food is finished each night so that it does not stay out for longer than 1 day at a time.


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## KiTkzio (Aug 17, 2012)

We didn't get an age when we got him. But he was full grown. We have had him for over a year and a half. I saved him from a horrible pet store. I think he's inbred or something... he's got 2 deformed feet and it looks like someone took a hole punch to one of his ears. Or maybe he was in a fight and healed before I got him? Idk, the pet store wasn't really willing to give info. I wish I could have afforded to take all of them home. There were about 10 hedgies in one tank, only one shelter and no toys or wheels. 

Anyhoo...
I usually fully clean his habitat every 2 weeks, and dump the litter pan once a week or more often, as needed. I knew they could get mites, but from the research I did, it seemed like a contamination thing from hedgie to hedgie. Or being outside. He's strictly indoors. His shelter was a hollowed out log kind of thing. I tossed that when I bleached (and thoroughly rinsed!) everything. We got him a new plastic igloo thing that he doesn't seem to like at all. He's choosing to bring his washcloth (which he uses as a blanket, so cute!) outside of the igloo to sleep. 

We free feed him. So whenever he gets low on food, we fill his big bowl up. But I suppose I should switch to portions. I got the afternoon off work tomorrow to take him to the vet. I'll keep you posted. Thanks!!!!


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## Lilysmommy (Jan 7, 2009)

Ugh, that pet store. :? I'm glad you got him out of there, the poor hedgies. The hole in his ear is likely from a fight, the feet could be from birth defect, genetic issues, or being attacked as a baby.

What kind of bedding do you use? Mites that our hedgies get usually come from wood, and can be introduced by wood bedding. Having any wood items in the cage, such as houses, toys, etc. can also harbor mites once introduced, since they can burrow into the wood. Most of us on here prefer using fleece/fabric liners, since it eliminates the risk of mites, it's usually cleaner (no shavings or loose bedding getting everywhere), and there's no risk of splinters or shavings getting caught in private parts, such as a male's penile sheath (has happened on several occasions to hedgies, to sometimes horrible results). Shavings can also pose a risk of drying out skin or allergies. With fleece or fabric liners, the biggest cons are having to wash them (some people may not want to wash them in their washing machine), having to keep an eye out for long hairs (they can wrap around legs and cut off circulation), and they may need to be changed more often. But for most people, the pros outweigh the cons, especially as compared to the cons of shavings or loose bedding.

If you and the vet find out he has mites or decide to treat him for them just in case, make sure you get him treated with Revolution only, not Ivermectin. Ivermectin works through paralysis and is easy to overdose, which can quickly kill the hedgehog. Revolution is much harder to overdose and much safer to use.

If he doesn't like the igloo, part of the problem might be that it's not dark enough, especially after having a log to sleep in. You can try covering the igloo and see if that makes him accept it. Otherwise, I wouldn't fuss over it too much, he may just need time to get used to it. 

Free feeding is good and what most of us do on here!  The only suggestion I'd make is to put less in the bowl - you want to be changing the food every night so that the food is staying fresh and not getting stale or going bad. Something a lot of people do is count, weigh, or measure out food, see how much their hedgehog eats, and then put just a bit more in each night. That way you're not wasting too much food by throwing away a ton of leftovers, but your hedgehog has a bit of extra in case of an extra hungry night.


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## KiTkzio (Aug 17, 2012)

I made my own fleece liners with a tube frame and everything. After changing it twice, I gave up. I'm too much of a germaphobe (or specifically, a poopaphobe) to wash those in my washer. I've been using disposable puppy pee pads. It works great and I buy in bulk so it's not too expensive. I was warned about wood shaving splinters when I got him. Thankfully, I haven't made that mistake. Although, that pet store used them... grrr... 

I will change how I feed him and see what the vet says tomorrow. Thanks!


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## Lilysmommy (Jan 7, 2009)

Glad to hear there's no shavings! Good luck with the vet visit and definitely let us know how it goes.


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## shawnwk1 (Jul 8, 2011)

what kind of food are you feeding him? veggies and wet cat food (cans or packets) have a potential to attract flies a lot easier and quicker than dry food. if you do the veggies or wet cat food i'd only give it to him when he first wakes up and only leave it in for a couple hours or best yet only feed those in his playpen so you never have easy to spoil food in his cage. 

the litter pan really should be cleaned daily with the wheel and spot cleaning loose poops laying around since he's walking through those the most. and the rest of the cage bleached or cleaned with vinegar at least once a week. it doesn't take long to do so really shouldn't be an issue to do it weekly. as already said flies also lay their eggs on poop so leaving that in there is asking for more problems. 

last thing is that puppy pads really are not good for hedgies. they are made with chemicals to attract the dog to the pad. these chemicals are dangerous and potentially deadly to hedgies. idk how much damage the chemicals can cause by the hedgie breathing them in, but their respiratory systems are really sensitive. perhaps the most dangerous with the chemicals in them would be if he decided to chew on the puppy pads one night which has been done by hedgies before. they also are made with plastic which if injested can cause a blockage pretty easy.


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## Viki (Jul 10, 2012)

This happened to my first hedgie but I only found 1 maggot. I cleaned her cage once a week, did a quick daily clean and her dishes were washed daily. I cleaned out her cage and never had that problem again. Bean was a very sick hedgehog. I don't think the pet store took good care of her plus she was very small. We have a family friend who is a vet, Bean visited her many times so mites were not the issue. 
Good luck!


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## cunningham33 (Aug 21, 2012)

Viki said:


> This happened to my first hedgie but I only found 1 maggot. I cleaned her cage once a week, did a quick daily clean and her dishes were washed daily. I cleaned out her cage and never had that problem again. Bean was a very sick hedgehog. I don't think the pet store took good care of her plus she was very small. We have a family friend who is a vet, Bean visited her many times so mites were not the issue.
> Good luck!


I believe cleaning everything around it would solve the problem, just exactly in the way Viki did it..


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