AvoDerm-Hedgemom

[LoriL]

Hedgemom, I guess this is mostly for you. :)

I'm still trying to best deal with Lucy's dry skin. She's been to the vet twice now for skin scrapings and no mites or infections. He says it's just dry skin. She's not itching or scratching, but leaving a trail of white flakes behind. The only way I've been able to control it is if I give her an oatmeal bath, toothbrush in the bath, and then use Vitamin E oil drops constantly on her skin.

So, I'm thinking now that it maybe a deficiency in her diet? Someone had mentioned a possible food allergy, but visiting this page:
Allergies for hedgehogs and people (http://www.hedgies.com/allergies.htm)
it just doesn't sound like it.

I've been going back, searching in the forums for other foods to add to my mix. I'm currently using:
Natural Balance Reduced Calorie Cat Formula (http://www.naturalbalanceinc.com/catformulas/RedCalCat.html)
Chicken Soup for the Cat Lover's Soul Lite (http://www.chickensoupforthepetloverssoul.com/products/cats/dry_food/adult_cat_light_formula/)
Blue Buffalo Spa Select Lite Cats (http://www.bluebuff.com/products/cats_lite.shtml)

I was thinking about adding:
Natural Balance Venison & Green Pea Formula (http://www.naturalbalanceinc.com/catformulas/VenCat.html)

And possibly the AvoDerm that you had mentioned in a post.

Would the AvoDerm be beneficial to her skin? Their website talks about it being beneficial to a dog's skin and coat. Also, what formula do you feed? I would have to order it online since it looks like there are no stores in this area that carry it. But, I'm thinking that she must be lacking something for her skin to be this bad.

Oh, I also started a humidifier to see if that would help with the skin problem.

[HedgeMom]

Hedgemom, I guess this is mostly for you. :)

I'm still trying to best deal with Lucy's dry skin. She's been to the vet twice now for skin scrapings and no mites or infections. He says it's just dry skin. She's not itching or scratching, but leaving a trail of white flakes behind. The only way I've been able to control it is if I give her an oatmeal bath, toothbrush in the bath, and then use Vitamin E oil drops constantly on her skin.

So, I'm thinking now that it maybe a deficiency in her diet? Someone had mentioned a possible food allergy, but visiting this page:
Allergies for hedgehogs and people (http://www.hedgies.com/allergies.htm)
it just doesn't sound like it.

I've been going back, searching in the forums for other foods to add to my mix. I'm currently using:
Natural Balance Reduced Calorie Cat Formula (http://www.naturalbalanceinc.com/catformulas/RedCalCat.html)
Chicken Soup for the Cat Lover's Soul Lite (http://www.chickensoupforthepetloverssoul.com/products/cats/dry_food/adult_cat_light_formula/)
Blue Buffalo Spa Select Lite Cats (http://www.bluebuff.com/products/cats_lite.shtml)

I was thinking about adding:
Natural Balance Venison & Green Pea Formula (http://www.naturalbalanceinc.com/catformulas/VenCat.html)

And possibly the AvoDerm that you had mentioned in a post.

Would the AvoDerm be beneficial to her skin? Their website talks about it being beneficial to a dog's skin and coat. Also, what formula do you feed? I would have to order it online since it looks like there are no stores in this area that carry it. But, I'm thinking that she must be lacking something for her skin to be this bad.

Oh, I also started a humidifier to see if that would help with the skin problem.

If there are no health issues, the food MAY be beneficial IF there is a vitamin deficiency that is causing the problem.

But it may be as simple as... your house is too dry. A/C and forced air heat is very drying. Radiant heat is less drying but is still not all that humid. Even heating systems with humidifiers are drying. Add to that the fact that many of us keep heating pads or heat sources near/under the hedgehog in the summer with the dehumidifier running (which is what an A/C is) and poof, the skin falls off.

Several things can be done to remedy this. Diet is first. Make sure it's healthy and as balanced as possible. Add some fish to the diet, such as the dark part of a salmon filet. Lock in moisture after a bath. This means an oil bath. Fill a margarine tub or tupperware tub of an appropriate size (as deep as the hedgehog is round when balled) with warm water. Take your oil of choice (olive oil, vegetable oil, soybean oil, flax oil) and float a large dollop on the surface. Take the clean wet hedgehog and dunk her into the margarine bowl. Let her ball up and submerge. QUICKLY invert the bowl and hedgehog over the sink, onto your hand. This coats said hedgehog top and bottom with oily water. Do not rub. Wipe her face and wrap her in a warm towel and let her dry naturally. Do not blow dry (very drying).

Lastly, add some moisture to the air in her room. This can be in the form of a damp towel hanging over the edge of her cage where she can't reach it or even putting in a cool mist humidifier and bring the humidity in the room up some.

Sure hope this helps.

[hemi_mygirl]

On the same note as the humidifier, I find just putting a bowl of water in the room really helps. I use it for both Hemi's skin, and my habit of getting a bleeding nose when it's dry. Since placing a margarine container sized bowl of water in my room, I've noticed a huge improvement in Hemi's skin, and my little "problem".

:)

[LoriL]

Thanks to both of you for your suggestions!

I'm working on helping her out! I'm also looking for another vet to see if there is another problem. I found one 30 miles away, so I'm going to take her to see her.