Puppy's Spikes

[sillywoman1969]

Now that Puppy has had a bit of time to adapt to us and his new home he is now having baths which he semi-likes. Anyway I had NO idea that the spikes also shed which of course freaked me out the first time I was stroking him and one shed came off. Since then he has shed most of his spikes except for the biggest which are all crooked, pinched, and generally look damaged. He has retained a lot of old shed on these bigger spikes which I can only attribute to them being so damaged that they don't easily come off and his prior poor care. Well finally the old sheds came off these last stubborn spikes except for the largest. While he is in the water I sit there and pour water over these spikes and gently tug a bit and if it moves freely I carefully see if it will come off. I'm very very careful with him you guys but I noticed that the largest one was bleeding, not bleeding out but bleeding within the old shed. Is this normal? I'm very very very worried about this!!

But just to reiterate what I may have already said he is doing so great! He's got a pudgy little tummy now and he's shedding everywhere and seems very content and even seems to nuzzle me when I hold him!

Oh and one side note about the baths: Those of you who have raised children will know what "look" I'm talking about......I CRACKED up when Puppy in the bath for the first time looked at me with the "I'm not doing nuthin" guilty look as he did his business ;D

[prism_wolf]

Spikes can and do bleed on those tougher ones. Zair has has several where the ends break off with the shed and bleed...sometimes the spike has bled under the shed.

Use mineral oil to help his last spike along. Soak it for about 20 mins and gently massage the way you have been. For extrememly tough ones, you may need a razor blade to gently slice away the last one. Just wrap him tightly in a towel and do the best you can...

[URSULA]

I use Johnson s baby oil gel and spikes sheds with no trouble.
Patience is the key. Rub spikes with oil for two or three days and it ll shed away.
I was litte unpatient once and i tried to help one spike too soon. It started to bleed.

[Tesa]

OMG! V! I can't imagine using a razor blade! With my luck both the ig and me would end up spurting blood!

I like the oil/patience method MUCH better! ;D

[prism_wolf]

Tesa...this is for extreme retained shed. There have been several igs where the shed was retained for SO long the base of the spike was much smaller than the widest part of the spike literally choking it off, but the spike was still very much alive. The shed had to be cut off.

Every effort should be made to get it off without minor surgery!! Not knowing how badly the shed was retained, it was a last ditch option...

[sillywoman1969]

I just wanted to let yall know that Puppys spike shed finally came off his spikes. It took awhile and night massage with the mineral oil did it! In the end it slipped right off no prob! Thank you guys! Do you think with proper care his spikes will ever straighten out?, the biggest ones are so curled they point down at him.

[prism_wolf]

Good to know Puppy's spike finally came off! It's hard to say if the spike will ever be normal, but with that kind of restriction...like binding feet with geisha girls... the damage is usually permanent. Only time will tell for sure.