# hedgehog anointing my hair's scent but..



## KodaBear (Jul 5, 2015)

hi all! today i discovered that my hedgehog, koda, likes to anoint with my hair's scent. i was lying down watching him explore around and he came close to my ear and started licking my hair like crazy. it took a while to untangle him and make sure he didn't eat any of my hair but my concern is that i use head and shoulders shampoo (it has pyrithione zinc). the last time i washed my hair with the shampoo was a day before this post is made (so it's day 2 hair). i'm concerned my hedgie might have gotten some of the chemicals in his mouth or something. my hair doesn't smell like the shampoo at all but i'm worried that there might be residues. what should i do? should i worry or will he be ok?


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## Flamepool (Apr 11, 2015)

He should be perfectly fine. When hedgies anoint, they don't really swallow their spit, they just rub it all over themselves. As long as you are washing the soap out of your hair well, he should be fine. The only real way it could hurt him would be if he straight up ate that soap.


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## Lilysmommy (Jan 7, 2009)

I would discourage him from playing in or annointing with your hair, but not just due to the shampoo. I'm not sure if that would hurt him or not, but long hair can easily wrap around a hedgehog's feet & legs and cut off circulation. If I remember right, there's also been at least one case of a male hedgie having a hair wrapped around his penis. If you do want to let him continue, make sure you check him very carefully for stray hairs before you put him back in his cage.


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