Hedgehogs are lovely little pets but sharp pokes from their quills can be uncomfortable. These quills could cause a lot of pain regardless of how experienced you may be in raising them. There comes a point when the quills feel relatively duller which can raise a lot of questions.

This article answers the question “Do Hedgehog Quills Get Softer?” by discussing whether their spines decrease in sharpness and a few possible underlying causes. We also reveal additional details about quills so you know how to handle them to maximum effect without suffering too many accidents.

Do Hedgehog Quills Get Softer?

Hedgehog quills get softer in adults compared to the extremely sharp nature of those found in babies. They may also become softer when the hedgehog is handled by their owners in familiar environments. Malnourishment can also cause softer quills which should trigger an immediate vet trip.

Hedgehog quills are a vital line of defense against potential predators who may desire to eat their softer underbellies. Decreases in sharpness can affect their ability to defend themselves, especially in the wild where they face daily struggles from larger predators.

Have you noticed your little guy’s quills showing signs of softness and falling out? It could be a sign of a diet problem and getting it sorted early can save the hedgehog’s life.

Can Hedgehogs Soften Their Quills?

There’s no natural quill softening mechanism in hedgehogs so signs to that effect could be evidence that trouble is brewing up in their bodies. As stated above, relaxation can dull the quills a bit but not to the point of appearing soft.

Do Hedgehog Quills Hurt To The Touch?

Touching hedgehog quills can be painful because they poke your hands sharply thanks to their dispersed nature. Over time, handling them may become less painful to the touch as you get more used to the quill pokes.

But accidents can always happen even at that point so you may never be completely free from painful pokes from the hedgehog’s quills.

What Are Hedgehog Quills?

Quills are hollow-like spines found on the backs of hedgehogs and act as the main defense mechanism against predators. These spines are usually found at the top of their back muscles and they may either appear protruding or relaxed depending on the little buddy’s circumstances at a specific point.

Relaxed Quills

When the hedgehog is in a safe environment with no aggressors in proximity, it typically moves the spines to Relax Mode, where they feel duller because they lie evenly spread in your palms when held. This leads to an even distribution of their weight making them less likely to poke your hand.

Defensive Quills

Hedgehogs are never short of aggressors and they typically curl into a ball during moments of agitation or nervousness. This spreads out the spines more widely ensuring sharper pain to the touch. They can be difficult to handle when in this position and you may have to wait until they get back into relaxed mode before making physical contact.

Alternatively, puncture-free hand gloves can make handling balled-up hedgehogs easier as the spikes are unable to penetrate them to reach the hands.

How Many Quills Do Hedgehogs Have?

Different species have a different number of quills but generally, hedgehogs have an average of 5000 to 7,000 quills on their backs.

Do Hedgehog Quills Come Out?

Hedgehog quills may be lost in a process called quilling but they do not intentionally come out of the body like porcupines.

Why is My Hedgehog Losing Quills?

Hedgehogs lose quills through a process called quilling where young ones shed baby quills in favor of new adult quills. Baby hedgehogs undergo their first bout of quilling when they’re 5 or 6 weeks old and the process may be repeated 2-3 times more before they reach a year old.

Mites and infections are leading causes of quill losses in hedgehogs. Stress may also trigger the loss of quills since hedgehogs do not cope too well with the psychological condition.

How Do You Tell If A Hedgehog is Quilling?

Continuous loss of spines is the most prominent sign that your hedgehog is quilling. They may become irritable since the process can be painful. A hedgehog that constantly craved physical handling may suddenly want to be left alone due to the sore skin which escalates with each physical contact.

Monitoring the hedgehog’s back can also offer clues that it is undergoing quilling because new adult quills will be sighted poking through. The higher the number of quills appearing, the higher your hedgehog’s level of discomfort.

How Long Does Quilling Last?

Quilling often occurs on and off during the first year of the hedgehog’s life. The first quilling may happen at 4-6 weeks old and last through 6-10 weeks depending on the species. Multiple rounds of quilling occur on and off for the next several months until the final episode at 1 year old.

Do Hedgehogs Itch When Quilling?

Hedgehogs experience itchy skin during quilling which can contribute to restlessness and other side effects. The result is constant scratching for long periods throughout the quilling stage contributing to its discomfort.

Do Hedgehogs Quill Change Color?

Hedgehog quills may change color several times until the final quilling process is complete. As such, it can be almost impossible to predict an adult hedgehog’s color from the color of the baby’s quills. Babies are born with a pink color and the first set of quills that develop are usually white.

However, as they lose and regrow different sets of quills, the colors may keep changing until the final set develops. It can be quite frustrating trying to predict the quill color of your hedgehogs during infancy.

Fortunately, their quill colors become more stable at 12-16 weeks old although it is not impossible for more changes to occur until the final quilling round.

Should You Trim Your Hedgehog’s Quills?

Hedgehog quills could be technically trimmed without hurting your little buddies but why would you put them through that level of stress? Trimming their quills can make these cute pets feel threatened since their last line of defense has been eliminated.

If trimming the quills is meant to make handling them better, why not learn the right techniques to minimize poking instead of putting them in perpetual fear for your selfish reasons? Besides, gloves can also be worn to eliminate poking accidents while your hedgehogs stay in their natural form.

Can You Hedgehog Regrow Lost Quills?

Hedgehogs can regrow lost quills without problems depending on their age. The quill losses are not fun especially when your hedgehogs look to be in complete discomfort. However, you can take consolation in the fact that baby hedgehogs especially are able to regrow all lost quills within a short period.

Adult hedgehogs may not be able to grow all the lost quills back at the same rate which increases the chances of bald patches on their backs. It is relatively better for them to experience quill losses at a younger age than later.

Side Effects of Quilling

Dry, flaky, and scaly skins are a popular side effect of quilling hedgehogs. It can make their skin look and feel rough especially as they continue scratching it at the least opportunity. The best solution is the application of natural coconut oil on their skin.

Oatmeal baths may also be a good option to provide soothing relief for quilling hedgehogs. Popularly known as Aveeno baths, the powerful oatmeal product is readily available online and in brick-and-mortar pharmacies or supermarkets.

Providing Aveeno baths twice weekly can be the perfect solution. Towel your little buddy after each bath and avoid rinsing them in water because the oatmeal bath ingredients need to stay on the hedgehog’s body for as long as possible.

Our hedgehogs enjoy amazing relief from skin problems after baths with the Aveeno Baby Soothing Oatmeal baths. Click the link to check it out on Amazon.

How To Differentiate Between Natural and infection-induced Quilling

During quilling, new spines pop up to replace the shed ones and the falling typically stops when the process is over. Mite or infection-induced quill losses may continue for long periods and it can take some time before replacement quills develop if any.

Are Ingrown Quills Possible in Hedgehogs?

Ingrown quills are possible in hedgehogs even if rare. Throughout their lifetimes, they may only experience them a few times. However, encapsulated quills may be more common but they eventually get reabsorbed into the body.

Can Dropped Hedgehogs Experience Quill Breaks?

A hedgehog’s quills do not break easily thanks to the built-in flexibility. They also serve as some form of padding during accidental drops to prevent injuries. Quill breaks from dropped hedgehogs are rare even if possible.

Is Quill Flexing Normal In Hedgehogs?

Quill flexing in hedgehogs is normal behavior that should not be read too much into. It typically occurs just before they make an intriguing move such as hiding under a tree in your garden.

Are Brittle Quills Normal?

Brittle quills are a sign of a problem in your little buddy. It may indicate a brewing infection or serious health conditions that require immediate attention from your vet.

Conclusion: Do Hedgehog Quills Get Softer?

Baby hedgehogs shed their sharper quills several times before they reach a year old and the replacement quills may be relatively softer. The quills of a hedgehog may appear more relaxed during handling by humans they trust.

Infections and health conditions related to malnourishment can also lead to softer quills in hedgehogs. An immediate trip to the vet should be arranged if you suspect that your hedgehog is being starved of well-balanced diets.