# Rescue hedgie has tattered ear!



## Taralynxo (Oct 29, 2013)

I cannot afford vet costs at the moment in my area. I want to see if anyone can help diagnose the problem so I can start some sort of treatment. Both ears have a sort of black looking humps at the edges. It is only at the tips of her ears and she does not scratch and is not losing quills. We just rescued her from a family that seems to have lost interest and hadn't cleaned her wheel the entire two months she was within the family! We paid a good amount of money for her just to make sure she was in safe hands. We noticed the ears before purchase, but she needs help. So, we want to be the ones to give her love! If anyone could give me ideas it would be greatly appreciated!


----------



## xxkrysta (Dec 26, 2013)

Is there any way you can get a close-up picture of the humps on her ears? It makes me sad to think that someone wouldn't even clean the wheel of a beautiful baby and just lose complete interest in her.


----------



## Draenog (Feb 27, 2012)

It's usually just build-up gunk, old skin cells. You could clean it off during bath time (some vaseline might help). It could be mites too, but you'd probably see other signs when it's mites. 

To be honest though, if you can't afford the vet costs you shouldn't have a hedgehog... what if she gets sick and needs an emergency vet visit?


----------



## Taralynxo (Oct 29, 2013)

Here's a picture of her ear up close. One side. Both have similar looking effects.


----------



## nikki (Aug 28, 2008)

That's just gunk build most likely. Rub some unscented vasaline on them for a few days and the tatters should just fall off. Nothing serious and if there isn't any other symptoms of something else going on she doesn't need to see a vet right now.


----------



## xxkrysta (Dec 26, 2013)

If you can purchase it, run out to target or walmart and buy nipple cream. (You can usually find this in the baby section). It will help soften them and hopefully fall off in a few days.

Best of luck!


----------



## Taralynxo (Oct 29, 2013)

She must have been severely neglected by her old family because some her quills look like they have been cut off or broken to where they are flat instead of pointy now. I will try the vaseline or nipple cream for the next couple of days. I hope it's nothing serious because we want to help her. She's in safer hands now. Thank you for your help!


----------



## Annie&Tibbers (Apr 16, 2013)

Poor sweetie! I'm glad she's with you now.

They've already got you covered with the health-recommendations on how to fix tattered ears. I'm merely here to offer greetings, and to link to my traditional present of this awesome care book if you haven't seen it already.


----------



## Kalandra (Aug 25, 2008)

Sometimes just letting them stay in a clean environment will allow it to work itself off. You can try bag balm, nipple cream or vaseline on them, but before you use it on your hedgehog, put a little on your finger and see how your hedgehog reacts. I have had hedgehogs absolutely freak out by these items. With my most recent, just living in a clean environment (non-substrate bedding), eating good food and having a damp wash cloth rubbed over his face occasionally cleared his ears right up.


----------



## Lilysmommy (Jan 7, 2009)

Agreed with Kalandra on checking to see how she reacts to whatever you use for her ears - I tried nipple cream with Lily one time and didn't think to do that. Put some on her ears...and I suddenly had a popping, hissing, huffing, VERY upset ball of quills. She never threw a tantrum in her life like she did with the nipple cream. I thought she was having an allergic reaction to it, but I'm pretty sure she just didn't like the smell or the feel or something. :roll:


----------



## Taralynxo (Oct 29, 2013)

Kalandra said:


> Sometimes just letting them stay in a clean environment will allow it to work itself off. You can try bag balm, nipple cream or vaseline on them, but before you use it on your hedgehog, put a little on your finger and see how your hedgehog reacts. I have had hedgehogs absolutely freak out by these items. With my most recent, just living in a clean environment (non-substrate bedding), eating good food and having a damp wash cloth rubbed over his face occasionally cleared his ears right up.


We cleaned everything from the cage they gave to us, and we also threw out all the bedding that was given with it. We put her in a completely new cage with new bedding and clean toys/igloo/wheel. I've been told it could be wood fungus as well, but I don't think so because my hedgehog uses the same bedding that she was in just a different brand and his ears are fine. I hope it clears up as she is now in a much cleaner and safer environment and we keep her cage clean always. We tried the vaseline today and were able to apply it twice. My boyfriend said it's looking a bit better already. Will keep updated


----------

