# List of dangerous food



## vasogoma (Feb 25, 2012)

Found this: http://www.chins-n-hedgies.com/forums/a ... -2409.html
I bet most people have read this, but I think that it would be a great idea to make a sticky thread with a similar list as complete as possible of things we should be very careful around.


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## Christemo (Oct 5, 2011)

It's all in the wiki page on the main page, or on the forum if you search.


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## vasogoma (Feb 25, 2012)

I tried opening the wiki page and it didn't open for me neither in safari nor in chrome, I guess that is why I didn't see it. Thanks 
I still think that we should make a similar list sticky in the forum, just in case


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## Rainy (Jul 27, 2011)

Hi. There is a sticky. There are a lot of great topics in the health section under FAQ. There are really important things like small animal heimlich maneuver, toxic things, knowing when to take your baby to the vet, etc. Here is the link for the toxic things.

http://hedgehogcentral.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=33&t=40

I have a bunch of these topics printed out and kept near the hedge cage where I keep their records.


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## vasogoma (Feb 25, 2012)

Thanks a lot! And I think that is a great idea, I will do the same and print this for an emergency


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## JaimiLynne (Feb 29, 2012)

I have a question about dangerous foods. I've seen dairy products on MANY lists for dangerous foods and foods to never give your hedgehog. However I have also seen in a LOT of breeding guides that during lactation you can give her just a little big of cottage cheese to up her calcium intake and improve the health of the babies. So, are dairy products safe or unsafe for hedgies? I just want to make sure I don't give my hedgie anything unsafe for her ever.


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## Lilysmommy (Jan 7, 2009)

Some dairy products, like cottage cheese and yogurt, are okay in small amounts, as very occasional treats. The reason dairy is usually listed as a no-no is because hedgies, like most adult animals, are lactose intolerant, so too much of a dairy product can give them an upset stomach.


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## moxieberry (Nov 30, 2011)

Lilysmommy said:


> Some dairy products, like cottage cheese and yogurt, are okay in small amounts, as very occasional treats. The reason dairy is usually listed as a no-no is because hedgies, like most adult animals, are lactose intolerant, so too much of a dairy product can give them an upset stomach.


Do you know if it's actually the lactose that causes the problem? At some point I was thinking of looking further into this, but never did. The reason I ask is because 'lactose intolerance' and 'milk allergy' are often considered synonymous, but they aren't really. For instance, when I was a kid I was allergic to milk, but it wasn't the lactose; I don't remember exactly what it was, but strictly speaking I wasn't lactose intolerant. (Basically, allergy is an immune response; intolerance is a lack of the proper enzymes.) Anyway, depending on what it is that causes the dairy problem for hedgehogs, I wonder whether they would do better with goat cheese. It's often an alternative for humans, not because it actually has less lactose, but because the way the fats are constructed in goats milk make it easier to digest overall compared to cows milk. So if it's the lactose that's the problem, it probably wouldn't make a difference - but if it's not lactose-specific and just a matter of it being difficult to digest (which happens to most mammals, including humans, once they get past the phase of nursing from their mother), goat cheese would potentially be less problematic.

Just food for thought, I guess. Pun not intended.


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## JaimiLynne (Feb 29, 2012)

The goat cheese is a very interesting point. It makes a lot of sense. I'm just want to make sure I don't give her anything bad for her, but things like yogurt treats are the only ones I have found at local stores. I have also considered breeding her (just once) before she reaches one year old so that her hip bones don't fuse. I want to make sure if I do so that I am educated enough to take care of her and her babies, and that seemed to be something I read a LOT of mixed opinions on.


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## Lilysmommy (Jan 7, 2009)

JaimiLynne said:


> The goat cheese is a very interesting point. It makes a lot of sense. I'm just want to make sure I don't give her anything bad for her, but things like yogurt treats are the only ones I have found at local stores. I have also considered breeding her (just once) before she reaches one year old so that her hip bones don't fuse. I want to make sure if I do so that I am educated enough to take care of her and her babies, and that seemed to be something I read a LOT of mixed opinions on.


The biggest thing we worry about on here with breeding (besides knowing the basics of keeping mom & babies safe after birth) is having a pedigree for both parents, so you can be sure you're not breeding lines with WHS in them. Also stressed is having money available in case of emergency issues with the pregnancy or birth. But yeah, breeding with any animal is often a very heated and debated topic.


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