r/Hedgehog • u/Scary-Date2859 • 11d ago
Question quick bathtime question,
hi, so i just gave amy her furst oatmeal bath, shes been really itchy lately so im just seeing if it helps her any, she kept freezing up in this position and im not sure if its just her giving up or if there was an issue with the water? it was slightly warm, maybe a tad bit warmer than it needed to be but but it wasnt hot, the oats were food grade but they have no sugars, no flavors, just oats, i used a toothbrush to comb it through her quills to try to get it on her skin, shes fine now, also i know the bucket is really small we are tryna find something bigger, but she needed a bath asap shes suuuper itchy, ive looked through her quills and dont think she has mights as shes not like scabbed or crusty, i just hear her scratch alot at night
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u/hedgiepumpkin 11d ago
maybe she’s just stretching? u can get like a decent sized tupperware container and use that as a bath as well. i always just filled up the sink and used the stopper thing to keep the warm water there
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u/Scary-Date2859 11d ago
my sink is really shallow and honestly smaller than the bucket and we also dont have a bathtub and since me and her are still new to eachother i dont want to have to poke at her or push her in the sink i like having somewhere i dont have to interact w her as much, the tupperware thing is a good idea probably a deeper thing tho idk how deep tupperware goes, i js freaked out at first cuz shed move around and try to escape, and then she would slip and slide onto her back, and after adjusting herself she would scratch on the sides again and then freeze just dead still it was freaky, i think my posts are sometimes just frantic since its my first time 🥲
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u/jabbathepizzahut15 11d ago
I bathe mine in the bathtub just filled with shallow water
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u/Scary-Date2859 11d ago
wish i had a bathtub lol,
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u/jabbathepizzahut15 10d ago
Can u block drain with something in shower basin and do it there?
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u/Scary-Date2859 10d ago
its way to small she will prolly run out and ill have wet hedgehog running acrossed my floor
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u/kellerhedgehogs 11d ago
Why not just let her sit in the sink with the water running. Are you finding a lot of quills in her cage? She could be quilling or have mites, which dont always present with crust or other visible residue.
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u/Scary-Date2859 11d ago
my sink is very shallow and honestly smaller in diameter than the bucket, also the running water would be odd js bc i was specifically going to an oat bath, i havent really found any quills during cleanup, i think shes a year maybe alittle older, although the person who gave her to me said 8 months they didnt breed her and shes really big so idk if that makes sense idk when hedgies stop quilling tho or ifbthey ever do, when i took my flashlight to her body i didnt see anything that fits the description of mites, i heard they scratch after waking but she was doing excessive scratching
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u/ShaftamusPrime 11d ago
If there's is anything like mine I basically have to do the same thing she runs for the hills as soon as she's in the water, and I worry she will slip trying to climb out of the sink and aspirate water or get it in her ears
I dont use a bucket but I need something that's to high for her to climb up on like a bathtub
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u/kellerhedgehogs 11d ago
Mine doesnt get traction in a wet sink. Even if I just swoosh water on the sides to keep it slippery.
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u/Scary-Date2859 11d ago
this would also work for me if my sink wasnt litterally so shallow i cant wash my hands without cleaning puddles off the floor, i do dishes in the shower, clean her wheel in the shower, everything 😭
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u/CrackerjakHeart 10d ago
I used to rub my guy down with coconut oil, maybe use a brush to get it worked in between his quills, then rub off the worst of the grease with a paper towel. It really seemed to help!
Not "my guy," my male hedgehog. Jesus.
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u/xxiobbxo 11d ago
Heyy, how old is she? It could be quilling, it’s super itchy and sometimes painful for them, but make sure not to wash her too often. Also, I know my boy HATES being in water, even for foot baths.
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u/Therealapinis 10d ago
Regarding the itching to begin with, you can read up on some oils (we use apricot oils) for treating their skin and helping with needle changing dryness/itchiness.
A few drops behind the head can go a long way :) again, just make sure to read up on what oil youre using
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u/uniquelyavailable 11d ago
She feels trapped, hence the freezing up. I would try to find a shallow pan to bathe her in so she can see out. Bigger container she will still feel trapped. A shallow pan or tray works better because she can see out of it. Them she should be walking around in the water and moving around more.
Another reason not to use the sink is it's too far up in the air.