HELP!! Bald Spot!!!

[Breigh]

Today was the first time I've really taken Harley out, as I wanted to leave him alone for the first day to get accustomed to his new cage.

As he was huffing and moving his quills about I noticed a split in his quills on his head. When he'd stick his quills up it looked like someone shaved a mohawk along the top of his head straight back from his nose. The quills just parted.

I got my husband to try to hold him so I could get a pic, this looks worrying!!!

http://static.flickr.com/94/239271765_37b04ef23e_o.jpg

Also, I've noticed that he has something on his ear, it looks as though he got in a fight with another hedgie and they bit his ear. It seems to be healed now but it's left a scab or a scar, not sure which yet.

You can see it if you look at his ear in this pic:

http://static.flickr.com/84/239271658_44b646f6f8_o.jpg

Please help me, I'm so new at this and that bald spot really has me worried!!

[Breigh]

Oh my goodness, I just did a different search (for 'bald spot' rather than 'quill loss') and found the answer. What a relief!!

It looks like my little dude just has one of those reverse mohawks and a bit of a chewed up ear hehe Guess those babies are bound to fight.

I'm SO relieved!!

It does seem as though he has a bit of dry skin though. What can I do for that?

Please remember I am Europe so I need a universal kind of method, brand names from the states are most likely unavailable here :)

Thanks and sorry to ask in such a panic when the answer was actually here on the forum.

btw, isn't he CUTE?!

[Nancy]

:laugh: You aren't the only one who has panic'd about the bald spot. Some people own their hedgehog for months before they notice it.

Oh, and the little bump under his chin is normal also. :laugh:

He is adorable. :hearts: What do the cats and dog think of him?

[nicole1719]

wow Harley is adorable!! For dryskin everyone has told me it helps to put a bit of flaxseed oil on their food (a few drops every few days). You can buy it in capsules. I have seen similar stuff (wasn't looking for flaxseed) in NL, so shouldn't be a problem. Also, putting a few drops of vitamin E oil on their backs apparently helps, and I definitely saw this in NL.

I'm sure the experts will tell you about an oatmeal bath as well!!

GOod luck! I panicked when I first saw Thistle's bald spot too!

[Breigh]

I'm so glad I'm not alone in the bald spot panic! I'm going to lock this away in my brain for the first thing to tell new owners with questions. hehe Don't think your hedgie is DISEASED when you see it!

The cats really aren't fussed with Harley at all. If anything they are just interested in his food and I've caught my cat Spencer a few times trying to stick his paw through the cage and into Harley's food dish.

Like all cats, they LIVE to eat.

My dog, on the other hand, doesn't know WHAT to do with himself. He is all over me every minute I am holding Harley and is super alert and pushy trying to see what this new creature is. He was much worse yesterday and I figured I'd let him take a little sniff, to which Harley promptly huffed up and scared the bejesus out of the dog!

Now he is still just as nosy but doesn't get QUITE so close hehe

[Reggie]

I was scared too when I saw My Reggie's Bald spot. Until I read on here tahtit was normal.

[herbiesmom]

For snow's skin when he was quilling and itchy, I poked a hole in vitamin E capsules and put a few drops on his back. It worked really well. He was more comfortable the same day.