If the hedgehog is struggling excessively during the medication process, stop and take a short break. After giving the medication, a favorite treat such as a meal worm may be offered as a reqard. These measures allow drug administration to be as non-stressful as possible. The most common skin disease in hedgheogs is mange. This condition can be caused by both sarcoptic or psoroptic skin mites.
Diagnosis is made by skin scraping and microscopic examination of the mites.
The most effective treatment is subcutaneous injections of ivermectin at two week intervals for two to three doses. A drop of ivermectin may be applied topically to affected ear margins. Other external parasites seen in hedgehogs include fleas and ticks. Ticks may be carefully removed manually while fleas may be treated with topical flea powders. With the occurrence of any skin parasite, the environment should be thoroughly cleaned and all animals in the area should be treated.