You might be scratching your spikes and wondering – “do echidnas even need baths?”

While echidnas are sturdy little creatures, our sweet Amber was showing signs of bacteria on his skin that needed some extra tender love and care!

So our vets rolled out the bath mat and prepared a special medicated shampoo to help provide some relief and get to the bottom of what was causing him to have build-up on his spines.

While it looks relaxing, this spa day was about much more than just pampering our pal!

It helps to treat the bacteria, and gives our team a chance to thoroughly check his spines, fur, and overall health.

Our expert animal carers used a soft sponge and gentle medicated cleaning solution to delicately clean between his spines, around his toes, and on his soft underbelly. They also took samples for testing to find the cause of the build-up.

After his bath, Amber was carefully dried off and given tasty treats to enjoy. Amber is booked in for another medicated bath in the coming weeks, and our expert vets will be monitoring him closely.
 
Here at Perth Zoo positive animal welfare is at the heart of everything we do for the 1300 animals in our care.

That includes looking after their environment, providing a high standard of health care, feeding them a nutritionally balanced diet, and making sure our animals have rich, diverse and fulfilling lives.

For some of our animals (like Amber the Short-beaked Echidna) that includes the occasional spa treatment!

Learn more about our top-notch welfare practices and preventative health!