# Can hedgies eat oranges?



## Dillyhog

Last night my partner was eating oranges and right after she was playing with one of my hedgies- and he was really interested in her fingers- he even started licking the blanket in that area where they played.
I was wondering if hedgies can eat oranges?
Seems weird to me, but you never know...

Thank you in advance


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## SquiggyTheHedgie

Sorry, but anything citrus is toxic to hedgies, along with grapes :/


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## Christemo

I didn't think they were poisonous, I thought the acid caused sores in their mouth.


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## lehaley

:shock: :shock: :shock: My boyfriend attempted to feed Felix a small piece of orange the other night. I briefly googled it before he did and everything I found suggested that some hedgehogs really like it. After reading this, I'm SO glad I have an incredibly picky hedgie and he just turned up his nose at it!


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## Lilysmommy

As far as I know, while grapes are toxic to small animals and large animals (dogs and cats), citrus fruits aren't toxic. They are very acidic though, and that can hurt their mouth/gums/stomach. I remember someone posting once about pineapple and how the juice from pineapples can cause very tiny cuts even in human mouths. :shock:


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## ShutUpAndSmile

Lilysmommy said:


> I remember someone posting once about pineapple and how the juice from pineapples can cause very tiny cuts even in human mouths. :shock:


Something like that happened to me once. When I was little I ate like a whole can of chopped pineapples and my tongue hurt so bad after that. ;-;


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## Dillyhog

thanks, guys!
I wasn't sure if it was good or bad for hedgies, so I decided to not to give him any, but ask here first.
He seemed to be VERY excited about the smell on her fingers...almost as excited as for mealworms...and knowing Vanya he is not gonna come out of his grumpy state of mind for anything but mealworms or warm bath
But yesterdays reaction really surprised us...especially with a crazy blanket licking ...she(my partner, not hedgie) ate one of those tangerines and i guess that citrus oil and juice was on her fingers...not so sure, but he really reacted to a smell first, cause otherwise I would say that that's sugar from the fruit that he was attracted to.
I was asking only because we are trying to socialize him a bit to make him less scared of everything and get used to us and social activities. And the smell of orange really made him come out of his blanket and start actually interact with us.


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## nikki

Citrus fruit is NOT toxic to hedgehog, but the acid in it can give them mouth sores or upset their tummies. Grape are toxic.


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## Dillyhog

Nikki: what about honey diluted in water?
I am force feeding one of my hedgies because he doesn't drink on his own (we've been to the vet... now monitoring him... tomorrow we will do a bunch of tests).
He does not want to drink water and gets really cranky when i force some water into him.
Someone advised to dilute gatorade in water 1:4 ration, or dilute honey in water.
I have tried honey and it seems he took it a bit better than just water.
Hope honey is okay for hedgies.


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## nikki

Honey is ok for them, I would use pediatlite instead of gatorade though.


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## shawnwk1

idk about honey, but if your baby won't drink you can try syringing pediatlite. it's good for the same reasons it's good for kids and babies (boosts the electrolytes to get them hydrated more quickly).


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## Dillyhog

I just got the rehydration for babies- pedialyte- should I feed it as it is, or should I dilute in with water? The bottle said do not dilute- but that's for babies...I was just wondering.


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## shawnwk1

do not dilute it


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## HeadsandQuails

*Thank god, I found this.......
My Snoopi was sitting with my dad and I was eating oranges and she started smelling the air and she licked some oranges, so happy its not poisonous.*


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## Lilysmommy

Hedgies do like interesting smells!  

I know you're new & this is your first post, so this isn't a huge deal at all. Just for future reference, we ask people to try & pay attention to the date of a thread (this one is 4 years old!) & avoid posting on ones that are older than a few months, because it can confuse people that think it's a new thread that needs answers.


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