# quill loss problem



## pammie (Aug 31, 2008)

My paco was born on the 21st march this year. i got him aged 7 weeks and the first week he was gorgeous. a week later he started quilling and his personality changed, he was very grumpy, i could sit with him for an hour and he would huff and pop the whole time. anyway about 4 weeks ago i noticed he was losing a lot of what seemed like adult quills and had very dry skin. as a precaution i treated him for mites and i have given him flaxseed oil on his food and tried vitamin e on his skin. after a week seeing no improvement and paco began to develop bald patches we took a trip to the vet. she gave me ivermectin (sp)and told me to treat him evry 2 weeks for a month and then monthly. That was 2 weeks ago and if anything he seems to be getting worse. His fur is fine, his quills around his head and sides seem fine but he has massive bald patches in the middle. i have posted on the uk forum and people are out of ideas. im wondering if anyone else can give me any advice
the first shows how normal his sides are and the second shows the bald patch ( apologies for the poo on him, i cant wash him incase i was off the treatment)


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## Guest (Aug 16, 2011)

First wanted to direct your attention to this topic from when ivermectin goes wrong:

Ivermectin Goes Wrong

Did you vet do a check for any bacteria/fungal/parasite infection such as a stool check or skin culture?

Quill loss can be bacterial and fungal and other parasites aside from mites can be the cause as well.

Sheldon shortnerdy's hedgehog ended up having a bacterial infection and it took a lot of time for them to figure that out due to the first vet not being stellar and now Sheldon is getting so much better so just curious what tests were run.


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## pammie (Aug 31, 2008)

im not sure to be honest. i went to my usual excellent vet but saw a different vet than usual she didnt seem all that good if im honest. i asked about a skin scrape but she said it wasnt needed. she took him in the back and gassed him so she could examine him properly but i dont know what happend there. yeah i know about that it wasnt injected but put on his skin.


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## Guest (Aug 16, 2011)

I would get a consult from your regular vet at the place sounds like this other one didn't much care. I don't like when they take them out of your site for something and you don't really know what.

I'm super paranoid and I always get the vision of the vet sipping coffee as the pet is contained chatting with someone and then comes back with some medical jargon speak and sends you the bill.

That's bad vets, not mine or all XD just my vision of what goes on if I am not impressed with their overall performance.


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## pammie (Aug 31, 2008)

i have another vet, they are not exotics experts but have treated my hogs befor and seem really good with them im going too try them on thursday and ask about a skin scrape. just wondering if anyone had any other ideas or advice before then. thanks for your ideas x


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## shetlandlover (May 13, 2011)

I dunno Pammie, I have been watching on the other forum too. 

Was there proof it was mites? I wonder if hedgehogs react like other animals to food allergies, if they do maybe worth looking into?

Having a skin sample taken maybe your best bet. You dont want to be treating for something its not.
Sorry I cant be a bigger help.

Give him a big cuddle, I loved meeting him.


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## JLF1995 (Jun 22, 2011)

Does your hedgehog have dandruff? If it does, take a black shirt and have your hedgehog play on it for a while untill their is a lot of dandruff on it. If you think it is mites, I heard that if you have a nice lit room, enought to see if the 'dandruff' moves, if you see the 'dandruff' move and is walking, you have mites. I had to check my poor baby girl to make sure she had no mites! :shock: :?


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## pammie (Aug 31, 2008)

he does have very dry skin and dandruff but i have never seen it move. also the quills all have the balls on the end so im not convinced its mites. none of my other hogs are showing any signs of mites either, even holly who lives below him in the stack if he had mites that bad i would have thought she would too. i have treated the others for mites just incase. i'll let you know how we get on at the vet tomorrow


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## pammie (Aug 31, 2008)

i took paco back to the vet today. we went to another vet for a second opinion. she still thinks its probably mites but has done a skin scrape to send off to the labs for analysis it cost a fortune but if it sorts pac man out it will be worth it.


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## hanhan27 (May 12, 2011)

Like already stated, quill loss can be so many different things. It makes it darn hard to figure out just what exactly is going on. I'm taking my little one to the vet today for quill loss.

My list of things to rule out that I've read can cause quill loss:
Allergies (To food, laundry detergent, Aveeno Oatmeal bath stuff, etc)
Parasites (Fecal test)
Mites
Bacterial/Fungal Infection (Skin test)

And the thing I have no clue how to rule out is hormone-related quill loss. :| I've also read posts on here from people who have a hedgehog that's almost bald, and they were never able to figure out why.

Good luck! I hope you're able to figure out what's going on with your little one. Also keep in mind that mites don't always show up in a skin scrape test, so you could possibly get a false negative result.


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## Kalandra (Aug 25, 2008)

Are they doing a culture & sensitivity test? Is there a lot of redness or pimple like spots around the base of the quills? I'm wondering if your little one has a bacterial infection causing the quill loss. I had one that had a massive bald spot like yours. He would developed tiny pus filled pimples around the base of his quills then they would just fall out. His was a staph infection that took an extra long run of baytril to clear.


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## Rainy (Jul 27, 2011)

Poor little guy. I'll keep you both in my thoughts and prayers.


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## I <3 Elliott (Sep 19, 2011)

My Hedgehog seems to be having the exact same problem... Have you found any reason why your hedgehog is losing quills yet? Mine had a skin scrape done, and its not fungus, mites or bacteria.. i guess I will have him checked for parasites, although not sure if that would make him lose quills... he loses 40+ when I handle or bath him... although he doesnt seem stressed exactly, they are just falling out. and sometimes a spot is left open with some blood, where a quill had been. Ive also noticed that his quills are turning white. He is edgier now-a-days too, and I wonder if he has pain. He is still eating and drinking, but seems to drink a lot! Maybe I should have him tested for diabetes....


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## Guest (Sep 20, 2011)

I <3 Elliott said:


> My Hedgehog seems to be having the exact same problem... Have you found any reason why your hedgehog is losing quills yet? Mine had a skin scrape done, and its not fungus, mites or bacteria.. i guess I will have him checked for parasites, although not sure if that would make him lose quills... he loses 40+ when I handle or bath him... although he doesnt seem stressed exactly, they are just falling out. and sometimes a spot is left open with some blood, where a quill had been. Ive also noticed that his quills are turning white. He is edgier now-a-days too, and I wonder if he has pain. He is still eating and drinking, but seems to drink a lot! Maybe I should have him tested for diabetes....


You hedgehog has mites more then likely and should be treated for it a skin scrape will come back negative if the mites weren't on the particular area at that time. Revolution is very safe and is good to rule out the possibility.


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## lcam85 (Nov 30, 2011)

There was no update on how the hedgehog is doing. Did you ever figure out what it was?


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## tlreeser (Jul 14, 2012)

> TWCOGAR Wrote: Revolution is very safe and is good to rule out the possibility.


You mentioned Revolution is good to use on hedgies.... What size Revolution would I need to purchase and what would be the appropriate dosage to apply/give to my hedgie? He is 3 years old and weighs in at 630 grams (I know, too heavy). Thank you.


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## eSmitty225 (Jul 20, 2012)

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-gOb4 ... G_1514.JPG

My hedgehog had been losing lots of quills too. Took him to the vet and they didn't think it was mites, but recommended I treat for mites just to be sure. Treated with revolution. She also gave me red palm oil to add to his food every day and some topical spray to help with the dry skin.

After a week, he doesn't seem to be losing as many quills now. In his bath a month ago, he lost over 150 quills (yes, I counted them). His bath tonight, he only lost a few. I see new quills coming in, but not as many as I would like to see. He's still very moody when you touch him.

I'll update again next week.


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