Okay, I got my first hedgehog on Tuesday, and have been getting him adjusted to his new home, but as of today he has been itching a lot. I know it might be just him itching but he has itched the same spot several times in the last hour, and I am just trying to make sure it's not mites. He has also been really huffy today, and for the last 2 days he was quiet and just played with his wheel. Should I be concerned or not?
How would I know if my hedgehog got mite?
- Thread starter Rehvenge
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smhufflepuff
super-duper hedgiepig
Gosh, it can be hard to say what's going on... especially with a new hedgie.
Level of concern? If my hedgie were doing what yours is, I'd be concerned enough to take a good look at him and monitor the situation, but I wouldn't be so concerned as to run to a vet right away. Certainly, if I saw more evidence of a problem, I'd be making a call... but not quite yet.
The scratching could be mites, dry skin, anxiety, a little boo-boo, a quill that's out of place... If there's one spot in particular that he's going after, take a look at it. Look between the quills at his skin and see if you can see anything that looks out of the ordinary - like a funny-looking quill, broken skin, a dry patch of skin... And, certainly, if you see any small things moving, that would be a giant clue it's mites; however, mites are small and not always seen by the naked eye. It's okay to part his quills with your fingers to look right at his skin... he may huff at you... and that's fine.
The quiet --> huffiness could be a few things too.
Give us a little more of a picture: How old is he? What kind of bedding was he on before he came to you and what kind of bedding is he on now?
Level of concern? If my hedgie were doing what yours is, I'd be concerned enough to take a good look at him and monitor the situation, but I wouldn't be so concerned as to run to a vet right away. Certainly, if I saw more evidence of a problem, I'd be making a call... but not quite yet.
The scratching could be mites, dry skin, anxiety, a little boo-boo, a quill that's out of place... If there's one spot in particular that he's going after, take a look at it. Look between the quills at his skin and see if you can see anything that looks out of the ordinary - like a funny-looking quill, broken skin, a dry patch of skin... And, certainly, if you see any small things moving, that would be a giant clue it's mites; however, mites are small and not always seen by the naked eye. It's okay to part his quills with your fingers to look right at his skin... he may huff at you... and that's fine.
The quiet --> huffiness could be a few things too.
Give us a little more of a picture: How old is he? What kind of bedding was he on before he came to you and what kind of bedding is he on now?
The pet shop had him in Aspin bedding, which is what they recommended to me. (I have been told that wood chips carry mites but I don't know if this is true) he is about 7 or 8 weeks, the pet shop didn't tell me the exact date, they just said he was about 6 or 7 weeks old. Which was almost a week ago.
smhufflepuff
super-duper hedgiepig
It is true that wood chips can harbor mites. The other thing is they can be a bit rough and dusty... little particles can irritate hedgie. Since yours is scratching, I'd move to put him on something like fleece that won't irritate him. That may solve the problem all by itself or just be one step in solving it.
The other major thing to consider at that age is quilling. Right around this age, they lose their "little kid" quills and grow their adult ones. That can be associated with dry skin too. And both of those things (quilling and dry skin) can cause an ordinarily happy hedgie to become rather huffy... imagine having all these new quills poking through all at once. Kind of like teething for baby humans, but all over their backs
Ouch!!!
How are his quills looking? Any being lost? If you rifle through his quills, do you see new ones coming in (they'll look like very, very short quills just poking through the skin). Does his quill coat look pretty consistent or are you seeing any patches where there seem to be less quills than others?
The other major thing to consider at that age is quilling. Right around this age, they lose their "little kid" quills and grow their adult ones. That can be associated with dry skin too. And both of those things (quilling and dry skin) can cause an ordinarily happy hedgie to become rather huffy... imagine having all these new quills poking through all at once. Kind of like teething for baby humans, but all over their backs
Ouch!!!How are his quills looking? Any being lost? If you rifle through his quills, do you see new ones coming in (they'll look like very, very short quills just poking through the skin). Does his quill coat look pretty consistent or are you seeing any patches where there seem to be less quills than others?
