Why is my hedgehog constantly itchy with dry, scaly skin and ears?

I would recommend an exam at a veterinarian who sees exotic pets. Quill loss and dry skin can be a sign of mites in these little guys. The vet can check for these mites and to see if the quill loss is excessive/abnormal (some quill loss can be normal but it sounds like you are describing excessive loss) and prescribe medication if needed.

Hello! Unfortunately this is a very common thing for hedgehogs to do to themselves but there is not a single reason as to why. I will list some of the reasons and you can rule out what you can at home, a vet is needed for the others. !) itching: can be caused by parasites such as mites that can be diagnosed and treated by Shaymin's vet. Allergies can cause itching too but can not be diagnosed itself, it is what is left when everything else is ruled out. 2) Being overweight: If it is an older hedgehog that was overfed at its previous home this can be a cause as they traumatize their skin when normally moving around. 3) non healing trauma: If she was injured by another hedgehog or sharp cage decor and she won't leave it alone it can be difficult to heal without pain meds and antibiotics from her vet. 4) urine scald from a messy wheel: These guys sure love to run and they don't care if they pee or poop there first. Sometimes this can be prevented by letting her out or blocking her wheel when she first gets up until she goes potty somewhere else first but wheel cleaning often is still necessary. 5) behavior: Stress can cause this for many reasons and is very difficult to figure out sometimes. Below is some basic care information to start with and make sure her needs are being fully met. Some hedgehogs can tolerate a topical antibiotic from over the counter twice daily in small amounts but others will traumatize more because of it and will need oral meds. https://www.petcoach.co/article/african-hedgehog-husbandry-and-nutrition-housing-diet-behav/

Thanks for reaching out about Peggy and including a photo. The skin does appear a little flakey. Dermatopathies such as quill mites, skin infections, vitamin A deficiencies or other nutritional problems needs to be investigated. Monitor her for being itchy. If you continue to have problems or the condition progresses, a veterinary visit is recommended to assess and provide a diagnostic/treatment plan. Good luck.

This is probably due to an allergy, although it could also be infection or mites. First of all, in order to rule out skin parasites, you will need to treat with a high quality flea treatment, then ask the vet to perform a skin scrape - this might reveal an infection or a mite infestation. If all of those came back negative, the next step is to treat the allergy symptomatically and try to discover the cause of the allergy. Three main type of allergies are usually affecting pets: food allergies, flea and parasite related ones and environmental type (allergens coming from trees, pollens, dust etc etc). Some medications can be given by the vet in order to repair any possible skin lesions (like steroids and antibiotics). Hope this answer was helpful, but please do not hesitate to contact us again on the forum or by requesting a consultation if you have any more questions or to discuss it any further.

I would highly recommend taking baby to a vet for a good exam. Young guinea pigs can have skin mites like scabies and this needs to be addressed by a veterinarian. Certain skin mites can also be contagious to people so please monitor yourself for itching. Allergies, skin infections and fungal disease can also cause itchy skin. I hope that helps

Thanks for reaching out about Chorizo and including photos. Common causes of dermatitis in guinea pigs are fungal infections (ringworm), mites and bacterial infections. This is likely ringworm, which is possible contagious to people. A veterinary visit is recommended to assess and provide a diagnostic/treatment plan. Good luck.

In my experience the huge majority of skin issues in guinea pigs falls into two categories: mites and fungal. It's uncommon to see flaking skin and hair loss without it being one of these disorders. Ringworm would be a concern and is very common in guinea pigs. Instead of being a worm, it's actually a skin fungus, and doesn't always have the classic "ring" shape. The only way to diagnose ringworm in guinea pigs is doing a fungal culture where you collect hairs and put them on a culture medium. It can take 10-14 days to get a result, though most positives show up within the first week. If you don't want to do the testing then what you can do is treat those scabs with an over the counter anti fungal cream like clotrimazole. It is basically jock itch cream. Apply a thin layer 2 times a day. It won't hurt anything if it is not ringworm but if it is ringworm, it will help. If you are going to shampoo him I would use a medicated shampoo like this one: https://www.1800petmeds.com/Malaseb+Shampoo-prod10667.html Lather it on, let it sit for 5-10 minutes and then rinse. The contact time of the shampoo is very important! This shampoo has an antifungal agent in it as well as an antimicrobial agent. If you try the ringworm cream and shampoo and it doesn't help at all within 7-10 days then I would recommend you get a second opinion from another vet and find a vet that specializes in treating exotic pets as he may have skin mites. Skin mites in these pets will always cause itching, sometimes severe enough to lead to seizures. If he is itchy then skin mites are very likely. Skin mites need to be treated with Ivermectin injections spaced 10-14 days apart and need to be done by a vet. Usually 2-3 injections are needed to clear the mites. If your vet doesn't specialize in treating exotic mammals/pocket pets then I would suggest you find one that does. I found this vet in your area based on your zip code: http://www.acsevh.com/ I hope this helps. Best wishes!