# Would this be okay for a hedgehog to eat?



## imustbedreaming (Jan 4, 2013)

I'm getting a hedgehog soon (yay!) and I was wondering if this food brand was okay:

http://www.petco.com/product/106692/Sun ... SiteSearch

It says it's for adult hedgies, but could a baby/younger hedgehog eat it?


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## moxieberry (Nov 30, 2011)

Any hedgehog food is really better avoided. That one in particular isn't the worst out there, but the ingredients are pretty much rubbish. The fat is a little low - an average hedgehog does best at around 10-11% or so, in my experience. The protein is also higher than recommended, which isn't a problem unless you have a hedgehog that already has a weak liver/kidneys, but still something to keep in mind. The price is similar to some of the more expensive recommended cat food brands, so for the amount of money you're spending on that, you can do a lot better.

Notice the first ingredients: Poultry Meal, Blood Meal, Fish Meal, Shrimp Meal, Crab Meal, Tuna Meal

The first three are unspecific, something you should avoid. "Poultry meal" means it can be from any kind of poultry, and it's likely to be different from one batch to the next. The same with "fish meal" - any kind of fish. "Blood meal" is nasty - it's basically dried blood collected from slaughter housed, it's used as fertilizer for plants and as a cheap way to add protein to animal foods.

Go with a cat food. If you have access to PetCo, you have access to some great brands - Solid Gold, Natural Balance, Blue Buffalo, Innova, and so on. Here's a list of good choices:

http://www.volcanoviewhedgehogs.com/kib ... oduce.html


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## SouthernSweet (Jul 25, 2012)

hedgehog-specific food is not really considered "good" for hedgehogs  It is not as nutritionally complete/correct as particular cat foods.
Here is a list of good cat food by Volcano View Hedgehogs: http://www.volcanoviewhedgehogs.com/kibble--produce.html

Congrats on getting a hedgehog! And welcome to the community.


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