# What should i use to bathe my hedgehog?



## LarryT

What should i use to bathe my hedgehog?
Thanks LarryT


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## Lilysmommy

Some people use Aveeno bath powder or body wash, they both have oatmeal in it. Or you can just use old-fashioned oatmeal, put some in a sock and swish it around in the water until it's cloudy.


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## Vortex

i use Fragrance Free Aveeno baby soothing relief with natural oatmeal


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## Hedgehog madness x

* If it is quilling the put outmeal in a sock then in the bath.. if hes not quilling the just dont use anything really but you could use a TINY bit of shampoo on his belly and that it*


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## sebian

Vortex said:


> i use Fragrance Free Aveeno baby soothing relief with natural oatmeal


That stuff is GREAT! We were using just the oatmeal bath, but alas, I'm under the school of thought that if there aren't bubbles/soap involved, then it's not cleaning properly. My hedgies didn't even notice that there was something different in the bath last night.

I usually put it like toothpaste on the toothbrush that I'll be using to clean them twice while the water is running to fill the tub up. BUT I have a big bathtub, so twice may be too much, depending on how big your tub is.


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## HedgeMom

The Aveeno Soothing Relief has mineral oil in it. Something I wouldn't put on my hedgehog (nor on my infant). Notice that there is an ingestion warning that says contact poison control. A second reason to not use it on hedgehogs. 

Rarely should a hedgehog need a bath. And definately not a scrubbing with a toothbrush. When you bathe them, you remove the protective oils that keep their skin from drying out. A foot bath when needed is enough. 

If a hedgehog truly needs a bath and wiping him down with a clean damp cloth won't work, then put a quarter cup of REGULAR oatmeal in a nylon sock, fill the sink with 2" of clean warm water and soak the sock in it. Squeeze the sock to get the essence of oatmeal working and rinse the hedgehog with that. Drain, rinse in clear warm water and dry thoroughly.


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## Herisson

Herisson LOVES to have a bath. I use a packet of Aveeno soothing bath treatment. He come out perfectly clean and you don't rinse it off. It has no fragrance and keeps the skin nice. I do not use the baby one because it has mineral oil in it. He has a rubber ducky in with him he chases around. 
I fill the tub so he can easily stand in one end and wade around on the other side. I have a kiddie plastic cup so I can pour water over his body avoiding his head. I use a soft toothbrush to gently stroke his quills with. He really likes it.

This is the one I use to avoid any confusion: http://www.drugstore.com/products/prod. ... atid=50353


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## sebian

HedgeMom said:


> Rarely should a hedgehog need a bath. And definately not a scrubbing with a toothbrush. When you bathe them, you remove the protective oils that keep their skin from drying out. A foot bath when needed is enough.


Just to clarify my opinion: They get full blown baths twice a year. I give them a once over with the toothbrush, which came to me highly recommended (as was the Aveeno wash) seeing as they don't get bathed regularly, and then get rinsed off right away and dried off very well. The water is never higher than the tops of their feet and my hedgies are more concerned with figuring out how to get out of bathtub than what's in the bathtub (which is another reason their baths are quick as well as few and far between). I am, however, super super super super cautious and ALWAYS have my eyes on the and at least one hand on them to make sure they don't put their heads anywhere near the water, be it with Aveeno soap or Aveeno oatmeal or just plain water.

Apparently, bath time, much like dinner time, is very debatable. Everyone does something different and only your best judgment and the info (especially the info from debates such as this) you get from various message boards about the subject can help you figure out what's best for YOU and YOUR hedgehog(s). If my hedgehogs DID have a habit of licking everything they came in contact with, then of course they would never be in a bathtub to begin with and I'd be searching for alternate ways of making sure that they're clean. But I know my hedgehogs and am very watchful of them, just like you will get to know your hedgehog's personality traits and be very mindful of what they're doing/going to do. That being said, I'm always keeping my eye out for better hedgehog cleaning/eating/heating/playing products, so I'm in no way swearing by the stuff, just offering my opinion as to what the verdict was from our first trial last night with an Aveeno product that was recommended to me by more than one hedgehog enthusiast. Take what you will from that information and the information posted by other experienced owners, because the best anyone can do for you is tell you of their experiences with something, be they good, bad, or indifferent.


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## FiaSpice

I use Aveno baby creamy wash unsented.


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## LizardGirl

When Inky needs a full bath, I use Aveeno Baby Soothing Relief Creamy Wash (haha, that is a long one) first for sudsing up his belly and legs, then rinse. Then I use a flaxseed oil capsule and drizzle the oil onto his back and massage it around on his skin. Another quick rinse and dry off in a towel during cuddle time.


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## Yer_Daddy

According to the aveeno oatmeal wash, you are to pat yourself dry as to not remove any of the soothing oatmeal essesences... so do you pat dry your hedgehog?


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## Lilysmommy

After Lily's bath, I wrap her in a towel while I clean the sink and such, then I move her from the towel to a dry fleece blanket. I don't really manually dry her off, just make sure she has the warm blanket to snuggle in while she dries, so she doesn't get chilled. If I do bathe her, I do it when I first get her out, so that I can keep her snuggled in the blanket for an hour or two (or three, lol) before putting her back in her cage.

The soap I use is Aveeno Skin Relief Body Wash with oatmeal, it's fragrance free. I've used it just once with Lily and she didn't seem to mind it. I was careful not to get any of the water in her face.


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## ten_ten

Im new and I don't have a hedgehog yet but I was wondering if ferrit/ rabbit shampoo is ok for a hedgehog? I ask just because I have it haha!


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## LarryT

ten_ten said:


> Im new and I don't have a hedgehog yet but I was wondering if ferrit/ rabbit shampoo is ok for a hedgehog? I ask just because I have it haha!


Welcome to HHC  
I don't know about the shampoo but my guess would be no.


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## Lilysmommy

I'm also guessing it shouldn't be used on a hedgehog, but I don't know for sure. If it has tea tree oil (or anything else) or aloe in it, though, you definitely cannot use it on a hedgie, as those are both poisonous to them.


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## ten_ten

ok thanks you two! I'll remember that while looking for things for my hedgy!~ ^_^ !


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## Immortalia

Also make sure that it's unscented. Their noses are much too sensitive to have anything that's overly scented.


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