Hedgehog Dry Skin Solutions

You need effective hedgehog dry skin solutions if your quill-baby is constantly scratching. It's maddening to some hedgehogs and they'll scratch until they're raw! The focus of this article is not on dry skin caused by parasites, fungus, or bacteria. Those are medical issues that need treatment by a qualified veterinarian. So before proceeding with any dry skin solutions for your hedgie, please make sure that a veterinarian isn't necessary. We will be focusing on non-medical remedies that you can do to help your hedgehog's dry skin.

Having ruled out parasites, fungus, and bacteria, there are many other possibilities for your hedgehog's dry, itchy skin. Have you ever had a maddening itch that drove you absolutely insane? Or maybe a nagging, crawling sensation that was juuuusssst out of your scratch-reach? Guess what! Hedgehogs have dry skin issues like these all the time! In order to help them get relief, we need to get to the root of what's causing it to begin with. Often, this is easier said than done.

Surprisingly, nutrition can play a role in hedgehog dry skin conditions. If there isn't enough moisture in their food, it aggravates the dry skin condition that's fairly common in hedgehogs naturally. You can eliminate nutrition-related dry skin issues by feeding good quality food and supplementing with feeder insects. If you want to learn more about which feeder insects are best, you can read more here.

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It seems counter-intuitive that bathing your hedgehog could be a bad thing. Unfortunately, excessive bathing can actually cause your hedgehog's skin to dry out. Water washes away natural oils. So, if you're bathing your hedgehog too frequently (more than 2-3 times per month) or using the wrong products, it could be aggravating the situation. This is especially true if you're using a shampoo rather than a body wash. We recommend Aveeno® Baby Soothing Relief Creamy Wash as shown in the picture.

To be clear, we aren't talking about reducing the number of foot baths. It's important that their feet are kept clean, especially if they have excessive itching. If they scratch so much that they create an open wound, you don't want bacteria from their poop infecting it.

Alternate forms of bathing, like sand and diatomaceous earth (DE), can dry out skin as well. Diatomaceous earth should never be used on a regular basis for bathing. Because it's an irritant, it gets into their lungs and can cause respiratory issues. However, some veterinarians may suggest the use of DE for the treatment of mites on a short term basis. They usually only do this when the benefit outweighs the risk. We encourage you to read more about the use of DE in a sand bath here.

Just as humans have allergies and sensitivities, hedgies can too! If your hedgehog's dry skin is mainly on their belly and sides, they may have developed allergies. Contact allergies (aka skin allergies) are fairly common and are caused by many things. It could be the laundry products used to wash their fleece (assuming fleece is their bedding). If you don't use fleece, try changing their bedding to fleece. And, we recommend washing it in vinegar and water only. This may solve the dry skin mystery that has been causing your hedgehog to scratch constantly.

Wood shavings, paper shreds/pellets, and even puppy pads can cause allergies in some hedgehogs as well. There are saps, oils, and fibers that remain even after manufacturing refinement. Most of the time this isn't an issue for hedgies. But every now and again, it can be an issue for a hedgie that has sensitive skin or allergies.

Any type of bedding, including fleece, has the potential to absorb your hedgie's natural skin oils. Since they need to have some kind of bedding, you can try some of our solutions later in this article to replenish that moisture that has been lost. The picture above is a good example of a hedgie that had dry skin because she would get fleece caught up between her quills. The fleece absorbed the hedgehog's skin oils, creating dry skin and itching.

Another problem could be lack of moisture in the air. What's the humidity level in your house? If your hedgehog has dry skin over their entire body, low humidity could be the issue. Or, it may be contributing to a multi-faceted dry skin situation. Most heating and air conditioning systems suck the moisture out of a home. A hygrometer can help you determine if the air is too dry. Anything below 30% is too dry for your hedgie's skin AND yours too!

There are short term things that you can do to help soothe the itch associated with dry skin. However, in order to provide true long term relief, you need to find what's causing the dry skin by trial and error. If your hedgehog scratching is a new development, try to think of what has recently changed (if anything), and target that first. It could even be a dietary change, so you'll need to really put on your thinking cap to figure it out. Once you know the cause, you can work on trying our suggested solutions.

This is a very useful product to have in your hedgehog's first aid kit. It's not only great for wounds, but it also works wonders on soothing the itch. One word of caution though. If your hedgie is easily startled by sudden sounds, they may be frightened by the sound of the spray nozzle. Please make sure you have a good grasp on them.

If you have some oatmeal in the house, you can put some in a sock, pantyhose, or a tea steeping ball. Prepare an oatmeal-infused bath and soak your itchy ouch mouse. That should help calm the itch on a short term basis, but shouldn't be done frequently. In fact, oatmeal dries skin but soothes itching, so it's not a solution. It's strictly an itch relief for the moment.

If you find that the humidity in your home is too low, there is an inexpensive solution to solve this for your hedgie. Using a portable humidifier (like shown) would increase the moisture level in the air. Just place it near their cage or wherever they spend the majority of their time.

Caution!

For the benefit of you and your hedge-baby, you should only use distilled water in your humidifier. Regular water has minerals that mix with the mist. Once the mineral dust is in the vapor, it is breathed in, which can cause respiratory issues. Also, make sure that you clean the humidifier regularly as directed in your owner's manual. Stagnate water grows mold and mildew, which can be misted into the air causing health issues.

If you've tried everything listed to eliminate hedgehog dry skin….diet, allergies, hygiene, humidity level, bedding…and nothing helps, then they may just have naturally dry skin. Here are some of the most effective solutions to moisturize your hedgie's dry skin.

There is a great debate in the hedgehog community regarding the use of oils topically. The crux of the problem is that hedgehogs get fungal infections fairly easily. Given that many oils have the reputation of clogging pores, many hedgehog experts will adamantly say “NO!” when asked if oil can be used topically. To that we say, “Hog wash!” (all puns intended)

When evaluating oils for pore clogging properties, there are some that are non-comedogenic oils. Simply put, this means that they don't clog pores. While there has been some controversy over the “non-comedogenic” scale, it is safe to say that there isn't a definitive hedgehog study regarding whether it is effective to use topical oils, which ones, and how frequently. There are only anecdotal reports.

A note on frequency and amount….less is more. A little goes a long way and even things that are safe or great for moisturizing can be over-used and create a microbial-trapping barrier that creates a fungal nightmare. Additionally, any oil that is derived from seeds should be unrefined and cold pressed only. Chemical oil extraction presents an unnecessary hazard to your hedgehog.

When possible, it is better to treat your hedgehog's dry skin condition from the inside out. This isn't always possible because some hedgies are so finicky that any additive to their food is just going to get rejected. If you don't have one of those fickle eaters, try some of these proven oils:

• Flax seed oil
• Fish oil (likely to produce stinky poop)
• CBD oil
• Olive oil
• Vitamin E
• Fractionated Coconut oil

Use one or two drops every other day. Also, we don't recommend mixing oils or you won't be able to determine which is effective (or being rejected). Please give a particular oil at least a week to work before moving on to a different oil. If you find that your hedgehog's poop is loosening from the oil, add another day in between treatments.

It can be difficult to narrow down the cause of your hedgehog's dry skin issue. We recommend that you approach it systematically and allow several days to determine if there is improvement. You may find it helpful to write down what you've used, when, and what the results were. We've been where you're at and it isn't always easy narrowing down what it is that is making them itch and scratch. Since they can literally scratch raw spots, we suggest that you keep their nails regularly clipped and perform foot baths to keep the bacteria level down. We're sure that you'll be able to narrow down what it is that is making their skin so dry. If you need help thinking through the process, contact us and we'll be glad to assist you any way that we can.