Quill Question!

pinkpatato · Jan 31, 2013

I recently got my hedgie girl and was told that she is 6 months old. Though she is now close to 7 months old. The last few days when I've been taking her out to play I've noticed that she loses some quills... Over the last week I would say she's lost around 20 quills. Now I know this can be a very bad thing..

On the other hand, I have looked closely at each quill and they all have the ball at the end, so I'm assuming mites are not the issue. Her skin was really dry when I got her but after giving her a bath with Flax seed and Vitamin E as well as dripping Flax seed into her food a few times it seems like her skin is getting better. Also, when I move around her long quills to look at her skin, I can see what appears to be new baby quills growing (they're really tiny).

So I'm wondering if I should be freaking out and taking her to the vet ASAP, or could it be she's still quilling? How old are they when the quilling phase should be over? Are there any other suggestions or things I should be looking for? Or any other things that may be causing this to happen?

Sugargliderlove · Feb 1, 2013

From what I have read and talking to my mentor it is around 12 weeks when they stop quilling

smhufflepuff · Feb 1, 2013

Seven months seems a bit off. I've read a few accounts where people suggest hedgies might quill around 6mos... but it hasn't been my experience.

It's good you have to move her longer quills to see her skin. Also good that you see new quills growing in.

One big thing that help differentiate between it being okay and not okay is if she's starting to get any bare spots or areas where the quill cover is thinning out. If you're seeing any of that, then bring her on into a vet.

Dry skin could definitely be a contributor. Sounds like you have a plan for getting that under control. I like the flaxseed either topically or on kibbles better than the Vit e. It's less thick and sticky - seems to spread better. Hopefully, that's all that's going on and, as her skin improves, you'll notice fewer and fewer quills falling out over time.

In short, I'd keep attending to the dry skin, keep a count on how many quills are being lost per day, and watch for thinning or bald spots.

Sugargliderlove · Feb 1, 2013

I give Sonic flaxseed oil on his food 3 times a week. every Monday Wednesday and Friday he gets 1 1000mg gel cap on his food. Since I have been giving it to him which has been this week I have already noticed his skin getting better and is not as dry as it was before.

pinkpatato · Feb 13, 2013

Thanks for the reply's!! I've been giving her flaxseed oil in her food three times a week and her skin from what I can tell looks good! She has still been losing quills though. I haven't noticed any bare spots and she still looks very quilly! But I would say she looses one every day to every other day...

So I took her to the vet today. This was my first experience with a vet that works with hedgehogs, as my normal vet doesn't. And he said that her skin looks great and that loosing a few quills every now and then was normal and only to worry if the quill loss increases majorly by number and if her skin looks super dry and flaky..

I've read that when a hedgehog has dry, flaky skin and is loosing quills that's a bad thing. But I don't recall reading anywhere that its' normal for a hedgehog to loose quills except when they're quilling. I have a friend who has a hedgehog who is a few years old and she said her hedgie has only ever lost two quills her whole life.

So what do you guys think/know? Is it normal to loose a few quills every now and then? Or is my vet talking crazy?

smhufflepuff · Feb 17, 2013

One a day is just fine

I had one who would lose maybe 3-4 a day and did just fine. Another who might lose one every couple of days. Currently, Miss Bella is having a bit of an issue with quill loss (she's under vet care), but before it the problem occurred, I think she lost maybe 0-2 per day.

It's a-okay to lose a few quills every now and then.

Sugargliderlove · Feb 17, 2013

every so often I find a quill or 2 in Sonics cage. I am not too worried about it. but if he started loosing them like 5-10 a day I would take him in to the vet.