# Treat list...?



## ReneeNoelle (Oct 10, 2009)

Is there an up to date list of treats (common foods rather than mealworms etc.) that those of you with lots of experience can provide? I've had Marshmallow for almost a month now and she's settled in nicely. She eats her food, is becoming more active, sleeping less, playing more, wheeling and shoving her stuffed hedgehog around.  I'd like to start to give her treats but I don't have insects handy just now. Are there other common place human foods that are safe? I have parrots and so many of our foods are bad for them that I'm paranoid to give Mallow anything in ignorance that might harm her. She is just wonderful! Gentle, sweet, curious and cute. I'm dying to give her treats and see how she reacts. Thanks everyone!


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## LizardGirl (Aug 25, 2008)

Here is my treat list, hope this helps!

Treats

Here is a partial list of acceptable treats to offer:
- Meats: (baked, boiled, browned or roasted) beef, chicken, duck, lamb, turkey
- Fish: most are fine except they can make your hedgie smell quite fishy
- Fruits: apple, banana, cantaloupe, cherry, cranberries, honeydew, papaya, peaches, pear, pumpkin, raspberries, squash, strawberry, watermelon, blueberries, kiwi
- Veggies: asparagus, broccoli, carrot, cilantro, corn, cucumber, green beans, green pepper, peas, spinach, sweet potato, turnip, zucchini
- Eggs: scrambled or hard boiled, no salt or pepper
- Baby food: all flavors should be fine, Gerber Baby meat sticks are very popular
- Wet cat food: choose one without by-products or unhealthy preservatives
- Cottage cheese: hedgies are lactose intolerant, but some like this in very small amounts.
- Insects: as covered on the previous page

Some treats that are unacceptable to offer are:
- Anything citrus: oranges, lemons, limes, grapefruit, etc.
- Pineapple: the acid causes tiny abrasions in the mouth, which are painful.
- Most dried fruits: these can be choked on, and can get caught in the roof of the mouth.
- Raisins: besides the fact that they are dried fruit, grapes and raisins are toxic even in very small amounts.
- Avocados: toxicity unknown.
-Onions, garlic, chives: these contain poisonous sulfur compounds that are dangerous in large amounts.
- Human junk food: these are high in fat, salt, preservatives, and many other things bad for hedgies.
- Chocolate: same as for human junk food.
- Peanuts and other legumes: these can get caught in the roof of the mouth and are easily choked on.
- Pits and seeds: these can be toxic (depending on the fruit) and are a choking hazard.

Make sure every treat is unsalted and unseasoned. Veggies are fine raw or steamed. Make sure whatever you try is cut into pea-sized pieces, too large can be a choking hazard or get stuck in the roof of your hedgie's mouth. Lunch meat is not a good idea because of how processed it is. They are often smoked, salted, preserved, and are high in fat. Don't overfeed vegetables, they are very watery and can cause stomach upsets and loose poop.
It's best to try only one new treat at a time. This is important to avoid stomach upsets (which are common with new foods) and to narrow down what it was if your hedgie had any problems with something offered. If you offer too many things at once, you won't be able to tell which it is that is causing the problem. As for how much to feed each night, about one teaspoon-full is a good size.
A lot of hedgies are not very open to trying new foods. Keep offering the treat for several nights, or wait a while and try again. Sometimes what they refused one night they will devour the next. Try putting the treat in his food dish with his normal kibble. Warming up the treat a bit can also make it smell more appetizing. Remember that some hedgies will just refuse to try new things. As long as he is getting a good mix of high quality foods you shouldn't need to worry.
If you open up a jar of baby food, you can freeze the remaining into ice cubes that way they stay fresh longer. This is especially helpful if your hedgie only eats a tiny bit and you don't want to waste half the jar. If you have fruits or veggies you want to save, this works well for them also.


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## LarryT (May 12, 2009)

LizardGirl said:


> Here is my treat list, hope this helps!
> 
> Treats
> 
> ...


This should be the new list/stickie


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## ReneeNoelle (Oct 10, 2009)

Thank you so much!! This is a great resource!


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## LizardGirl (Aug 25, 2008)

Glad it helped.


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## Pipkin (Aug 26, 2009)

This was extremely helpful LG  

Im always looking at foods and wondering if they're okay for an occasional treat. Now i know what is and not. 

Although i think i have a fussy hedgie because he doesnt like any fruit i've given him, he likes baby food and scrambled egg and chicken but nothing else i've given him.


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## azechman (Nov 10, 2009)

I kept searching treat and it kept telling me it was too common but I didn't know what to type in instead :lol: 
This is veryyy thorough and helpful!
Thanks


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## krbshappy71 (Jul 17, 2009)

> This should be the new list/stickie


I agree! Or an additional one so people can cross-reference and see what others have tried.

Thanks for taking the time to type this up.


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## JennyBeans (Jan 14, 2010)

This is a great list with many thing I would never have thought to try.


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## spastic_jedi (Nov 11, 2009)

what about Celery? cut really really small with the stringy bits taken off... since celery is mostly water... im just wondering because moose is VERY fond of it but i've only given him a couple of tiny pieces since i've owned him... but whenever he does get his little piece of it he is very happy


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## ap0226 (May 11, 2010)

I made stir-fry today & I have a habit of wiping my hands on my shirt while cooking. Well, I took Keoki out for some playtime, he was on my tummy when he started attacking my shirt. After I took him off, I realized there was onion there. I read they're toxic to hedgehogs..will he be okay?


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## CoxMD (Apr 30, 2010)

Would unsweetened applesauce in a treat-sized amount be ok?

ap0226-> I'm sure your hedgie will be fine.


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## Puffers315 (Apr 19, 2010)

ap0226 said:


> I made stir-fry today & I have a habit of wiping my hands on my shirt while cooking. Well, I took Keoki out for some playtime, he was on my tummy when he started attacking my shirt. After I took him off, I realized there was onion there. I read they're toxic to hedgehogs..will he be okay?


From the front page



> -Onions, garlic, chives: these contain poisonous sulfur compounds that are dangerous in large amounts.


Large Amounts, so I'd say you're fine since it was more just residue.


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