# How long til quills grow back?



## surfingthehedges (Aug 8, 2011)

So Sonic is still getting over his battle with mites. While he is not losing more then 2 or 3 quills a night (some nights none!) I was still concerned over small patches of yellow gunk on his quill base and took him back to the vet. Our vet figures it may just be a small amount of mites that have somehow survived and given me a second round of revolution to give him (He now has 2 more doses left, for a total of 6 doses since the start). 

His skin is looking better, no more HUGE flakes of dry skin, but still dry and decently flaky although now I can actually see skin and not just white flecks everywhere. What has me more concerned however is that his whole body is fairly thin of quills. While he has no true, totally bald spots he is very very thin areas mostly near his lower back. Quills are growing back in but I only spot about 5-7 new growths a night, is this normal?

His activity level is good, wheeling, eating, pooping fine. His personality hasn't really changed at all either. He is currently eating a mix of Purina One Chicken and Rice, Before Grain Chicken (about a 1/4 of this as it has a higher protein and fat), Purina indoor cat chow (he doesn't generally eat much of this, and picks around it :roll: ) and a bit of Spikes Delight I had from when I got him and first weened him onto this mix. He refuses to eat a mealworm or cricket no matter what I try so there are none of these in his diet, but he does get plain meat in small bits of whatever we have for dinner. 

I am starting to wonder if the continued dry skin and very slow quill regeneration is from diet or the laundry detergent? We use unscented and I always set it to do an extra rinse but maybe? Or am I just being crazy and 5-7 new quills (the very tiny, just poking through, not halfway in quills) a night is ok?

Thank you for your time


----------

