# Why does high quality food have to be fed?



## Desperodo (Dec 12, 2010)

Everyone on here says to feed high quality cat food, but why? I've owned cats and dogs my entire life. Up to now, I've owned 21 dogs and 8 cats. None of them have EVER ate high quality food. They've all lived on foods like Alpo, Pedigree, IAMS, etc. All of my pets have lived long, healthy lives. I've rarely had to take my pets to the vet. All of my animals have lived long lives. My oldest dog was 16, a German Shepherd. My youngest one was 8, she was a collie who got leukemia. Like I said, they hardly ever needed to go to the vet. My youngest cat died at 11 from a heart condition he was born with. My oldest is currently 19. I have friends who feed there dogs expensive food, all three of there dogs have had most of there teeth removed. My dogs won't eat there food if it's put infront of them.


----------



## Guest (Jul 9, 2011)

A hedgehog is significantly smaller then any dog or cat aside from the tea cut dog. That being said lesser quality cat foods have bi-products and high fat and low protein factors which can effect a small animal like a hedgehog much faster. While the current cat food lists many experienced owners and breeders have put together is the best, it is still cat food as they have not gotten to the point of the right food for a hedgehog but what most breeders and owners here are feeding their hedgehogs has shown a better quality in life overall.

I am not trying to in anyway insult you, but our of concern for hedgehogs and care its best to get them the approved foods at the higher price to sustain their needs. Remember these creatures are insectivores and as of yet the world has not found a diet that is more recommended at this time then the cat foods which the experience of breeders and owners have compiled.

I am in no way a dedicated expert nor can I say anything I have typed is 100%, but this is the reasoning I have gotten for the experienced people on this community board


----------



## Immortalia (Jan 24, 2009)

The main reason would be the ingredients. Most good quality foods have meats within first 5 and the least amount of fillers like corn, which animals can't digest anyways. 

I think it's more of how society has evolved to see pets as a loved one and would want to feed them the best possible foods. Foods with corn can't be digested, food with animal by-products(leftover beaks, feet, feathers etc etc) is disgusting because you have no idea how that "trash to humans" have been processed. Foods with chemicals like bht(if memory serves) et al can possibly cause cancer. And most of these are found in lower end foods.

But in the end, it really just comes down to personal preference and ease. Technically, it'd be healthier for all pets to be fed fresh homemade food daily. Quite honestly, the healthiest dogs I've ever seen were fed raw and the owner didn't believe in yearly vaccines as she thought it was too many chemicals. And she's never had a dog die of anything but old age related problems, not even cancer.


----------



## Desperodo (Dec 12, 2010)

5 of my dogs have been under 1.5 pounds. 

Everyone keeps saying that animals can't digest corn, however I've never had this problem with any of my animals.


----------



## Guest (Jul 9, 2011)

In the end no one here can change your mind if that's how you see it, but many people come on this forum and a lot of times the hedgehogs problem is the poor food such as bi-products or high fat per serving percent. We're not here to say that how you've been with your Dogs and Cats is wrong or right, but when it comes to hedgehogs the listed things have been found through sometimes heart-wrenching experiences by longer term breeders and owners each day we learn a bit more to better care for these little quilled creatures 

Again I am not trying to offend, but as far as the corn you can search anywhere not even humans can properly digest corn.


----------



## MissC (Nov 15, 2010)

You're under 18 and have owned 21 dogs? Wow!

I see it as the same as humans: some live seemingly healthy lives on a diet of McDonalds. Personally, I think a human who lives on junk feels like they live on junk. They nay live to a ripe old age but how do they feel? I would never want to chance feeding junk to a pet just to save a few bucks. You just don't know how they feel and how the junk may be affecting them.


----------



## CanadienHedgie (Feb 4, 2011)

The way I see it, if I put a chicken beak and foot on one plate, and a steak on the other and told you to pick one, which would you pick?

They are animals, and they cannot tell you how they feel. Yes, I understand that all of your pets have lived long lives. I feed all of my animals high quality foods and a homemade food. I'd love to feed a homemade food to my hedgie as well, but I haven't figured out how to make a good one while knowing the protein content, so that it's not too high. 

I know if I go to 7 11 and buy there nachos and cheese (which is tons of corn), I feel like complete crap after I eat them, and I say "never again". So I'm not going to put my pets through that. 

If I wouldn't eat it, why should they? "Because they are animals"? Animals feel emotion, pain, discomfort just like we do. Trust me. I had a German Shepherd cross, and he had a stomach problem. We went through 6 months of trying to find a food that he was okay with, in the end, there was NO pet foods we could feed him. You couldn't even lightly tap his stomach area or he'd let out a cry/scream noise. He saw 6 different vets, and they couldn't find a food that didn't cause him pain. We figured out it was the food because they put him on an IV for quite a while, and he was much better. But what kind of life is that? We put him on a 100% rabbit meat diet, and he improved greatly. I had a beagle who would throw up anytime she ate table scraps. My boyfriend had a retriever who gets sick from chicken and beef. Just saying...

When I was younger, I fed my mini dachshund a TON of dog food. I assumed he'd stop eating when he got full, so I just let him eat and eat and eat. Everyone knows what it feels like to be completely bloated, it sucks. He was visibly way fatter then usual. Ever since that day, that dogs hated me.


----------



## Nancy (Aug 22, 2008)

Feed a cheap food and the pet eats 2-3 times more than they should and poops 2-3 times more. Feed a good quality food and they don't need to eat as much because they aren't pooping most of it back out. 

I got a rescue gal in just over a week ago. She came with no name cat food. She ate a ton of it and pooped like crazy. In the past 4 days, I started adding in some of my gangs food. Not only is she eating half the amount, she is pooping far less than she did and she doesn't smell as bad. It's only logical. :roll:


----------



## Nebular (Dec 28, 2010)

I won't bother to re-hash the stuff that's already been mentioned. A lot of the lower-quality foods are just empty filler (like corn meal). It will fill their stomachs and keep them from starving, but a lot of it is garbage that they're not drawing any nutrition from and, as Nancy said, are expelling much more of it as waste. Over time, they're getting less of what they need which could cause malnutrition, sickness, and premature death.

Hedgehog don't eat massive quantities of food (I've had Norman for 7.5 months now and I think I've got through just a little more than 1 bag now), so it's not like you'll be breaking the bank by investing a little more on higher quality foods over their lifetime. They'll be better nourished, and your little buddy will hopefully live a more healthy and longer life.


----------



## CoxMD (Apr 30, 2010)

I feed the higher quality foods because -in my opinion- higher quality= better nutrition= healthier hedgehog. There's really no need to worry about the cost (in most people's cases) because a small sized bag will honestly last your hedgie for months. I like the chicken feet versus steak analogy. I'd rather eat steak!


----------



## roxannewheeler3 (Jul 11, 2011)

Are vet changed ares from the cat food o hedgehog food as he was 735g and after two weks hes 648g now They cat food was way to fatty for him and my other two hedgehogs are on the good cat food $25 a bag but they are small and are 420g so my hedgehog vet says to give frush food in the day and hard food at night


----------



## roxannewheeler3 (Jul 11, 2011)

Are vet changed ares from the cat food o hedgehog food as he was 735g and after two weks hes 648g now They cat food was way to fatty for him and my other two hedgehogs are on the good cat food $25 a bag but they are small and are 420g so my hedgehog vet says to give frush food in the day and hard food at night


----------



## Lilysmommy (Jan 7, 2009)

roxannewheeler3 said:


> Are vet changed ares from the cat food o hedgehog food as he was 735g and after two weks hes 648g now They cat food was way to fatty for him and my other two hedgehogs are on the good cat food $25 a bag but they are small and are 420g so my hedgehog vet says to give frush food in the day and hard food at night


Most hedgehog foods aren't good for hedgehogs, and some are downright dangerous. What hedgehog food did you switch your hedgehog to? You can still feed him cat food, there are lower fat ones available. Usually the indoor or weight control diets will have lower fat that is good for big hogs.


----------



## roxannewheeler3 (Jul 11, 2011)

Lilysmommy said:


> roxannewheeler3 said:
> 
> 
> > Are vet changed ares from the cat food o hedgehog food as he was 735g and after two weks hes 648g now They cat food was way to fatty for him and my other two hedgehogs are on the good cat food $25 a bag but they are small and are 420g so my hedgehog vet says to give frush food in the day and hard food at night
> ...


They were on (purina pro plan) now the (hedgehog food vita exotics sunseed) what should i do on food as i need to go get them some more food tomorrow? Cat food what brand? he was 735g and now 650g and hes fat


----------



## Guest (Jul 13, 2011)

roxannewheeler3 said:


> Lilysmommy said:
> 
> 
> > roxannewheeler3 said:
> ...


Purina is a bad choice of cat food

Choose one from this list:

viewtopic.php?f=6&t=15


----------



## roxannewheeler3 (Jul 11, 2011)

grr the breader that i got them from said that purina was the best! thanks so much i never want to hurt them with food.


----------



## CanadienHedgie (Feb 4, 2011)

The only food from Purina that's okay is Purina One Beyond.


----------



## moorea (Jun 25, 2011)

roxannewheeler3 said:


> grr the breader that i got them from said that purina was the best! thanks so much i never want to hurt them with food.


My breeder was feeding the purina as well. I am glad I hit the forum before he got here (we picked him up this past Saturday) We decided to go with Innova Reduced Fat Cat food! I am adding Purina to the Innova until the it runs out to get him used to the change!

As for cheap foods... I've had many dogs over the years (and I am well over 18....) In my youth I fed cheap foods, when switching to much higher quality foods, there has been a noticable difference in the dogs weight, energy and health in general. I had a dog that I was feeding a high quality food to. He had skin problems and upgrading to a higher quality food cured it totally!

I dont like eating junk, so I will not feed any of my pets low quality!


----------

