# Weight gain?



## Chihirolee3 (Nov 27, 2012)

My little Pindsvin just came home on the 10th of this month. My breeder was worried the week that he hasn't hit a growth spurt yet. However the weekend before I got him, he hit it, and just filled out right before I took him home (this gave my beeder the okay to come and get him). 
I have had him for over a week now and he has doubled in size. Is this normal? 

I have not needed to change his diet since bringing him home. He eat Blue Buffalo cat food, and that what I feed my cat so I haven't had to transition him to since his breeder also uses the same food. I feed him 4oz. a night and he eats all of it. He isn't too partial to mealworms (which confuses me, as he completely ignores them as a treat). 

I have tried looking into other topics on the forum and just haven't found a decent answer to baby hedghog growth. I know all hedgies are different and diet really affects growth, but is there no "standard" like there is for humans or other animals? 

I just want to know that Pindsvin is healthy and growing properly for a hedgehog. He really likes his wheel and uses it even during "light" hours. He has a constant 5am to 8pm light cycle we've seen him use his wheel at all hours of the day, and runs most of the night.


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## abbys (Oct 13, 2012)

Is it his overall size that's doubled, or has he gotten fatter without his body growing? It's not uncommon for babies to grow quickly, and they need that extra baby nutrition, so I'm hesitant to suggest low-cal food. But if, in another couple of weeks, you notice that he's more pudge vs having a larger frame you can try mixing in a small amount lower calorie food, like one meant for older or indoor cats.


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## Chihirolee3 (Nov 27, 2012)

the Blue Buffalo cat food I feed him is "weight management" blend (so my cat doesn't gain weight). He doubled in girth but not quite in length. He was very lean a week ago and so the radical change is concerning, and I can't find much about "standard" baby hedgehog growth. 
Maybe he'll be like my husband. As a kid, he got really pudgy, and drs. thought there was something wrong with him, then he hit his growth spurt and is now a 6'5" guy who can't eat enough because he's so skinny. :lol: :lol: Maybe Pindsvin needs to grow out before he needs to grow up.


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## abbys (Oct 13, 2012)

Chihirolee3 said:


> Maybe Pindsvin needs to grow out before he needs to grow up.


That's quite possible.  When Piglet was about 3 months old I took him to his first wellness check-up at the vet. The vet's exact words were "I don't want to say 'obese' but mix in some low-cal food for a few weeks if you can," and that gave him a chance for his big boy body to catch up to his big boy tummy. :lol:


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## LizardGirl (Aug 25, 2008)

Do you know about how many grams he's been gaining each day? If I remember right, some of our faster-growing babies tend to put on 10-15 grams per day around 6-8 weeks of age. As long as he isn't feeling bloated or extra fat-squishy though, I'd guess that he's just going through a growth spurt.


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## GoodandPlenty (Feb 4, 2012)

I think LizardGirl is pointing you in the best direction, more data oriented than observation oriented.



> I have had him for over a week now and he has doubled in size


It's hard to know what this means, or to discuss.



> I feed him 4oz. a night and he eats all of it


If he's eating everything, then he may not be getting enough, despite the growth? Most people free-feed.

You mention a high level of running. That was a huge problem with Sophie, who ran, ran, and ran - but wouldn't eat enough quantity. We had to make some diet changes to stop a couple of weight drops and really ramp up fat and protein percentages. As she gets down close to 300 grams, she starts feeling a bit bony. We've pretty much got her at a balance now.

Here is some data. Start from the bottom. You will see explosive growth while still a baby; 25% weight gain her first week here. Then the growth tapers off a bit. Then some yo-yo periods that caused me a lot of grief - losing, regaining, losing, regaining, and finally coming to a steady balance. At 66 weeks, she weighs exactly the same as she did at 13 weeks - supposedly not even full grown - but seems to be in fine shape. (It's easier to follow this in my docs because I color-code the data, which makes it easier to see.
......................................................

weigh-ins (Monday afternoons) Percentage gain / loss rounded to nearest .1% (usually))

66 weeks: 318 grams (11.22 ounces) (+4) (+0.65%)
65 weeks: 314 grams (11.08 ounces) (-4) (-1.25%)
64 weeks: 318 grams (11.22 ounces) (-4) (-1.25%)
63 weeks: 322 grams (11.36 ounces) (+2) (+0.6%)
62 weeks: 320 grams (11.29 ounces) (+0) (+0.0%)
61 weeks: 320 grams (11.29 ounces) (+0) (+0.0%)
60 weeks: 320 grams (11.29 ounces) (+6) (+1.9%)
59 weeks: 314 grams (11.08 ounces) (+2) (+0.65%)
58 weeks: 312 grams (11.01 ounces) (+6) (+1.95%)
57 weeks: 306 grams (10.79 ounces) (+0) (+0.00%)
56 weeks: 306 grams (10.79 ounces) (+2) (+0.65%)
55 weeks: 304 grams (10.72 ounces) (-2) (-0.65%)
54 weeks: 306 grams (10.79 ounces) (+4) (+1.3%)
53 weeks: 302 grams (10.65 ounces) (+2) (+0.7%)
52 weeks: 300 grams (10.58 ounces) (+4) (+1.35%)
*****(One year old.)*****
51 weeks: 296 grams (10.44 ounces) (+8) (+2.8%)
50 weeks: 288 grams (10.16 ounces) (-6) (-2.0%)
49 weeks: 294 grams (10.37 ounces) (+0) (+0.0%)
48 weeks: 294 grams (10.37 ounces) (+2) (+0.7%)
47 weeks: 292 grams (10.30 ounces) (+6) (+2.1%)
46 weeks: 286 grams (10.09 ounces) (+2) (+0.7%)
45 weeks: 284 grams (10.02 ounces) (-2) (+0.7%)
****(Total loss from 336 gram level: 52 grams. -15.5%)
44 weeks: 286 grams (10.09 ounces) (-14) (-4.7%)
43 weeks: 300 grams (10.58 ounces) (-8) (-2.6%)
42 weeks: 308 grams (10.86 ounces) (+2) (+0.65%)
41 weeks: 306 grams (10.79 ounces) (+0) (+0.0%)
40 weeks: 306 grams (10.79 ounces) (-12) (-3.8%)
****(Total loss from 336 gram level: 30 grams. -8.9%)
39 weeks: 318 grams (11.22 ounces) (+0) (+0.0%)
38 weeks: 318 grams (11.22 ounces) (+8) (+2.6%)
37 weeks: 310 grams (10.94 ounces) (-6) (-1.9%)
****(Total loss from 336 gram level: 26 grams. -7.7%)
36 weeks: 316 grams (11.15 ounces) (+0) (+0.0%)
35 weeks: 316 grams (11.15 ounces) (+4) (+1.3%)
34 weeks: 312 grams (11.01 ounces) (-6) (-1.9%)
33 weeks: 318 grams (11.22 ounces) (-10) (-3.2%)
32 weeks: 328 grams (11.57 ounces) (-8) (-2.4%)
31 weeks: 336 grams (11.85 ounces) (+2) (+0.6%)
30 weeks: 334 grams (11.78 ounces) (+4) (+1.2%)
29 weeks: 330 grams (11.64 ounces) (-4) (-1.2%)
28 weeks: 334 grams (11.78 ounces) (+2) (+0.6%)
27 weeks: 332 grams (11.71 ounces) (+4) (+1.2%)
26 weeks: 328 grams (11.57 ounces) (+4) (+1.2%)
25 weeks: 324 grams (11.43 ounces) (+6) (+1.9%)
24 weeks: 318 grams (11.22 ounces) (+14) (+4.6%)
23 weeks: 304 grams (10.72 ounces) (+14) (+4.8%)
22 weeks: 290 grams (10.23 ounces) (+0) (+0.0%)
21 weeks: 290 grams (10.23 ounces) (-18) (-5.9%)
*****(Total loss from 330 gram level: 40 grams. -12.3%)
20 weeks: 308 grams (10.86 ounces) (-4) (-1.3%)
19 weeks: 312 grams (11.01 ounces) (-10) (-3.1%)
18 weeks: 322 grams (11.36 ounces) (+6) (+1.9%)
17 weeks: 316 grams (11.15 ounces) (-4) (-1.3%)
16 weeks: 320 grams (11.29 ounces) (-10) (-3.0%)
15 weeks: 330 grams (11.64 ounces) (+4) (+1.2%)
14 weeks: 326 grams (11.50 ounces) (+8) (+2.5%)
13 weeks: 318 grams (11.22 ounces) (+4) (+1.3%)
12 weeks: 314 grams (11.08 ounces) (+12) (+4%)
11 weeks: 302 grams (10.65 ounces) (+26) +(9.4%)
10 weeks: 276 grams (9.74 ounces) (+34) (+14%)
9 weeks: 242 grams (8.54 ounces) (+22) (+10%)
8 weeks: 220 grams (7.76 ounces) (+38) (+20.9%)
7 weeks: 182 grams (6.42 ounces) (+36) (+24.7%)
6 weeks: 146 grams (5.15 ounces)


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## Chihirolee3 (Nov 27, 2012)

I've upped his food to 8oz. and he eats like a horse. He is growing like crazy. I can't free feed Pindsvin because I do not want my cat to get interested. My cat would eat all day if he had his way, and then he would just be a fat cat. He flips out enough already if I give Pindsvin food, and he's already tried getting into Pindsvin's cage to get his food. I have a mesh wire cover so he can't get in, but I also want to discourage him from laying on top of the cage as well, because he wants to lay up there for the heat, and when he does that, the cage temp drops below 68 degrees. I have a baby gate blocking the library throughout the day, but my husband hates that thing, so I am training my cat not to bother my hedgehog's area at all, but I don't yet trust him to behave when I am gone.


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## GoodandPlenty (Feb 4, 2012)

Wow! 8 ounces is an enormous amount. Sophie eats so very little, that I probably don't have the best perspective for 'normal', but I'm happy to get 1/2 ounce into her per night. Her top consumption was as a baby and she barely hit an ounce per night.


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