# Nose



## PTHNTP (Jan 20, 2014)

I was just wondering if the hedgie's nose should typically be wet or dry. I know in dogs, a dry nose can be a sign that the dog is sick and I was wondering if it's the same with hedgehogs. Peri has a dry and cold nose and I was trying to do research on it but some websites are saying its normal and others are saying it isn't. I was also wondering, if it isn't normal and she might be sick, should I take her to the vets or should I leave it and keep and eye on it?


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## DesireeM81 (Jun 14, 2014)

They are supposed to be wet but not runny or snotty. How dry is it?


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## PTHNTP (Jan 20, 2014)

Quite dry. It's hard to explain but I usually run my finger along my nose and it catches on her nose because of the dryness. Do you think she's sick?


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## PTHNTP (Jan 20, 2014)

PTH said:


> Quite dry. It's hard to explain but I usually run my finger along my nose and it catches on her nose because of the dryness. Do you think she's sick?


run my finger along her nose*


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## Melanie G. (May 29, 2014)

Their noses can be dry at times, but not to that point. Is she acting different than usual?


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## PTHNTP (Jan 20, 2014)

Not really, just her normal grumpy self. My family and I went to North Carolina for a week so we got our neighbours to watch her, and when we came back, she had a brown mark on her nose. My first thought was that it was blood, because blood dries brown. But after thinking, I did feed her apples so she could have licked her mouth after and left fruit on there. I'll try and post a picture of it sometime soon.


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## PTHNTP (Jan 20, 2014)

Here are some pictures


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## PTHNTP (Jan 20, 2014)

And another


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## PTHNTP (Jan 20, 2014)

Shes kind of half in this picture, sorry!:grin:


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## Melanie G. (May 29, 2014)

Her actual nose and nostrils looks fine as far as I can tell. But I've never seen a hedgie snout look like that. Have you tried bathing her and gently washing the area with a toothbrush to see if it will come off? I have no idea what it could be.


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## AlexLovesOlive (Jul 7, 2014)

That looks like blood to me...Or it could be poop from her wheel. Olive gets poop on her from her wheel


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## PTHNTP (Jan 20, 2014)

I'll try that now. My cousin's visiting an she's training to be a vet, so she had a look and thought it was blood, I asked her if I should wash it and she said no. But it's been a few days so if it is a wound, it should have closed a bit by now.


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## PTHNTP (Jan 20, 2014)

After the bath


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## PTHNTP (Jan 20, 2014)

And another


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## Melanie G. (May 29, 2014)

Is her nose area usually that colour? It looks like it lightened up a bit after the bath. Was it blood? Can you see an area that got injured?


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## PTHNTP (Jan 20, 2014)

Her mask is liver and her nose usually isn't that colour. It definitely lightened up, but I think the colour was too vibrant to be blood. I think it was just poo or food residue. I didn't see any area where she could have been injured so I'm hoping it wasn't blood.


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## AlexLovesOlive (Jul 7, 2014)

Have you checked in her mouth? She didn't break a tooth and lick blood onto her face did she? Or bite her tongue on and them lick her snout?


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## PTHNTP (Jan 20, 2014)

Nothing seems wrong, she's eating and drinking as normal and when she yawns her mouth looks fine.


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## Melanie G. (May 29, 2014)

How old is she?


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## PTHNTP (Jan 20, 2014)

She's 1 year and 9 weeks.


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## Melanie G. (May 29, 2014)

Is it possible that her colour is changing naturally?


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## PTHNTP (Jan 20, 2014)

I didn't even know their colour could do that! You learn something new everyday! But no, I don't think she could be doing that because when I went to wash it off of her nose, most of it came off. Unless when they do change colour, they secrete colored liquids, then yes that is a possibility.


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## PTHNTP (Jan 20, 2014)

If you have any tips about colour changing, please share them with me.


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## Melanie G. (May 29, 2014)

I know there quills can lighten or darken as they age, I'm not sure about their mask. If its coming off than obviously I was wrong.
I think there is a sticky in the forum on colouring that talks about colour changes.


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## Lilysmommy (Jan 7, 2009)

What was on her nose just looks like either dried food or poop to me. If it's coming off, it's nothing to worry about. Quills don't change color much (as far as I know) once hedgehogs are done with their quilling periods. However, mask and nose color can fade as they get older, usually once they're over a year old. But that's not what's going on here - she just had something on her nose that was washed off in the bath.


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## PTHNTP (Jan 20, 2014)

Thanks, I was worried she might have a rash but it's all gone now. And her nose is getting more wet than it was before. It's not snotty but it's fairly moist so I'm glad she's okay. Grumpy but still herself.


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