Quills & Skin

[Sonica]

I have rescued my hedgie and have some concerns as this is all new to me.

I had her at the vet to have her nails clipped and they also looked for mites. As she had some bald spots on her front part of her body and her skin was dry and scalely looking. They told me nothing was found.

Once I got her home I gave her a bath with aveeno oatmeal baby shampoo (like said on here). I don't notice her scracthing unusually or more, but I do notice that she is losing quils (at least 5 a day and more if I handle her). I just also noticed that I think she is experiencing quill growth as I do see small stubs of new quills and she (what I think) has got a boil or pimple like bump that has popped on it's own from an ingrown quill? (don't know what to put on it or do with it) She has had a very stressed life living in a bad situation with no shelter. She now has her own room and a large cage. What should i do? Can the vet not have seen the mites? How do i treat the popped pimple on her back?

PS She should be at least a yr old if not a bit more

Help! Help!

 

[Melissa]

New quill growth is always good. If she is about a year old, she can be going through her one year quilling. I dont know how to treat the ingrown quill, call your vet and ask how to treat it. They might even prescribe antibiotics to prevent infection.
It is also very possible that she may not have tested for mites because they can lay dormant until times of stress and then attack their host. I think, however, with new quill growth that it might not be mites. If you feel the need though you can see if your vet will give you revolution and you can use it as a just in case. Every new baby that has come through my home has received a treatment of revolution with or with out a positive test.