# Hedgie doesnt like Hedgehog food! what do i do!!



## Eviethehedgie (Aug 3, 2015)

Hey everyone so my 1 year old Hedgehog Evie wont eat her hedgehog food. When I first got her she was eating cat food and I recently took her to the vet and they suggested switching over to hedgehog food and now she will not eat her food. She tips her bowl over and dumps out all the food. Should I keep trying to get her to eat the hedgehog food or should I go purchase more cat food since she wont eat it?? What do you guys think! im worried since she hasn't been eating...


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## AnnaLK (Jan 30, 2015)

How long has she been on the hedgehog food? What cat food were you feeding her? I would switch her back to the cat food you were feeding before, depending on what it is. All hedgehog food is pretty much junk filled with fillers and other stuff not good for a hedgehog. You need a good, high quality cat food with high protein, and no corn or soy. It's best to have a mix of two or more different cat foods. There are also some stickys in the nutrition section that can give you more information on a good food to feed.


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## twobytwopets (Feb 2, 2014)

Out of curiosity, what diet was she on, and what was she switched to?
Most vets, while their intentions are in the right place, are not well informed on hegdehog nutrition. Most animals eat a species specific food. If I brought my parrot into the vet and told me she eats only dog food, he would surely want to chew me a new one. 
You are better off giving her cat food. Most hedgehog food is total junk.


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## Eviethehedgie (Aug 3, 2015)

ummm its been about two weeks now. they told me to get her on hedgehog food because she is getting chunky. I had her on Proplan Focus Adult indoor care Turkey and Rice formula. What cat food would you suggest???


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## Eviethehedgie (Aug 3, 2015)

its one of those things, ive heard horrible things from other people regarding hedgehog food but they keep telling me its better for her. She gets meal worms once a week and I had her on the Proplan Focus cat food. which she totally loved.


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## twobytwopets (Feb 2, 2014)

https://www.proplan.com/cats/products/focus-adult-11plus-indoor-care-turkey-rice-formula/

The protein on that is high. Like really high.

Here is a list of some of the recommended foods. http://www.hedgehogcentral.com/forums/12-diet-nutrition/23042-recommended-foods-list.html

Here is the beginners guide to nutrition so you have a better understanding why a food is or isn't good for them. http://www.hedgehogcentral.com/foru...3034-beginner-s-guide-hedgehog-nutrition.html

What hedgehog food are you trying to get her to eat? 
Does she have a wheel? How old is she?


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## Eviethehedgie (Aug 3, 2015)

yeah I thought so to but the lady that I got her from recommended that food. which to me is weird. but thank you. I got her Vita Prima hedgehog formula. From one of the local pet stores here in Albuquerque. She does have a wheel and she uses it non stop. She is a year and 3 months.


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## twobytwopets (Feb 2, 2014)

Ok so the vet thinks she is overweight? Is she or is she what we could describe as big boned?


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## Eviethehedgie (Aug 3, 2015)

LOL WELL they told me shes alittle heavy not anything to be worried about but just precaution so she wont get fat. but you guys are right I was skeptical when she told me to put her on hedgehog food because ive heard bad things about that food so im going to put her back on cat food with lower protein then I had before. thank you so much !


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## twobytwopets (Feb 2, 2014)

Just be prepared to have to either dig out the old cat food or buy a bag of it in case she rejects the stuff you give her, they can be picky. 
Also once you get her on one quality cat food, you ought to consider giving her a mix of cat foods. That way if a company changes the formula, discontinues the food or it becomes unavailable to you she still has familiar foods available.


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## Eviethehedgie (Aug 3, 2015)

sounds good thank you again so much !! you really helped a lot.


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## nikki (Aug 28, 2008)

If you're worried about her getting fat then just feed her a lower fat cat food. Try to keep it under 12% to keep her from gaining to much weight. I would rather try to feed a hedgehog the box the hedgehog food come in rather than the food itself...lol..the cardboard is probably better for them. Your hedgehog is smart to not want to eat it.


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## twobytwopets (Feb 2, 2014)

I double checked the ingredients in the hedgehog food. They have enough "meal" product in it, it looks like they are trying to convince us, hedgehogs and themselves that it is a meal.


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## Eviethehedgie (Aug 3, 2015)

Yeah I knew it was no good from the start. Just kind of freaked me out that the vet would suggest it you know? Since it's such crap. I got her new food today and gave it to her and she loves it 32% protein and 14% fat so its perfect !


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