# Is this a good food mix?



## toddo35 (Aug 20, 2013)

Hi everyone!

The breeder I will be getting my hedgehog from later this week sent me a list of the foods she uses in her mix, that she also sells to her customers. She told me that many customer's continue to buy her mix for the lifetime of their hedgehogs, but after looking over the nutritional info I looked up on each food, I'm not 100% sure if I want to stay on it, though I don't know too much, so I could just be paranoid about getting the healthiest possible food.

Anyways, here is the mix:
Purina indoor cat chow
Purina naturals
Purina one sensitive system
Authority weight management
Natural balance indoor
Taste of the wild 
And for the first six months of life I add purina kitten chow and purina one kitten.

Can anyone give me any tips on if this a good diet, and if not, what would be some more healthy options (I have seen a lot of controversy, so the more info I have the better).

Thanks in advance!


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## Tom (Jul 21, 2013)

I'd ditch all the Purina - the only Purina I see recommended I believe is Purina One Beyond (I think that's the name at least)

Just from a quick search some of those seem high in protein (around 40%) and contain corn and corn products which you should avoid. The Authority one also contains corn (The only Authority I see that would work okay is Authority Sensitive Solutions).

Taste of the Wild also contains over 40% protein.

(You should be specific on the flavor next time as the ingredients vary)

The only one I'd keep is the Natural Balance Indoor- you also don't need to have 8 foods in your mix as it will go to waste if you only have one hedgie since one bag will last you a long time. 3 types should be good.

Foods I'd suggest are:

Chicken Soup for the Cat Lover's Soul
Natural Balance Green Pea & Duck
Most Blue Buffalo Foods (I use Blue Buffalo Weight Control Chicken & Rice)
Solid Gold Katz-N-Flocket (Lamb)

Thinks to look for in finding a good food:
Under 35% protein is ideal
Under 15% fat
Anything with a higher amount of fiber is pretty good (~5-8%) but not as necessary as the protein and fat values
Also recommended that you find foods with different protein sources (Chicken, duck, turkey, etc) rather than picking all chicken. Adds variety to the diet.

Things to *avoid*:
Anything over 40% protein
Anything with a high amount of fat (Over 20%) - Hedgehogs gain weight fairly fast so you don't want to plump them up with super fatty foods
Anything with corn, corn byproducts (like maize, corn meal, etc)
Anything that has something other than a protein or protein meal as the first ingredient.


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## toddo35 (Aug 20, 2013)

Just a clarification, this is not a food mix I would be making. The breeder mixes these foods, and then sells the bags of her mix, so if I were to buy them, I would not be able to pick and choose which foods stay or go.

But thanks for the advice! I will probably get one bag of the breeder's mix, and then also buy a few for my own mix, and start off with hers, and gradually switch to my own.


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## Tom (Jul 21, 2013)

toddo35 said:


> Just a clarification, this is not a food mix I would be making. The breeder mixes these foods, and then sells the bags of her mix, so if I were to buy them, I would not be able to pick and choose which foods stay or go.
> 
> But thanks for the advice! I will probably get one bag of the breeder's mix, and then also buy a few for my own mix, and start off with hers, and gradually switch to my own.


I have no idea why a breeder would include so many bad foods in a mix. Regardless my recommendation would be to not buy any of her mix and transition her to a better mix. Any reputable breeder, when you get the hedgie, will give you a small bag or so of food that the hedgie has been on. If the breeder didn't then either way I'd switch to the other food- your hedgie might have an upset stomach from a change in food right away but it will pass within a couple of days usually and then he or she will be on a much healthier, safer diet.


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## toddo35 (Aug 20, 2013)

This was the first thing about the breeder that didn't seem great, though I did a lot of research and only found good reviews about her.

Maybe I will ask her more about the diet when I pick up my hedgie on Saturday.

So are you sure it would be better to completely switch over to a new food right away and deal with an upset stomach, even with the big move, rather than doing a gradual transition? I definitely want to do whatever is healthiest for the little guy.

Thanks!


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## Annie&Tibbers (Apr 16, 2013)

Transition! Poor little babies have so many stressors, moving homes, meeting new humans, the whole works, that you're already going to be worrying about so many things without adding upset tummies to the list.

I'd guess your breeder will send you home with a small bag (mine does a 1lb ziplocK) which you can use to transition over. If she doesn't, then buying the smallest bag you can to gradually switch over will hopefully reduce the impact on your new tiny friend. An extra few weeks of eating that mix aren't going to be a serious health hazard.

Edited to add: and I'm still dying of teh cutz every time that little guy stares at me from your footer, with his sprawled feet and precious little toenails!


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## Tom (Jul 21, 2013)

I assumed when you said buy a bag you means a couple pounds. And finish that- I've read people on the forum switching cold turkey and not having bad. I agree- transition if you can. But you should have some of the food from when she gave it to you -right?


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## Annie&Tibbers (Apr 16, 2013)

Little Harold doesn't get picked up until Saturday, so I think toddo doesn't quite know yet, either. I admit it, I'm only still on this thread for that little tiny face. He's going to be such an explorer, you can just tell! Low to the ground for better sniff-coverage.


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## toddo35 (Aug 20, 2013)

I'm not sure if she sends home a bag of food, I sent her an email about it (though it's the middle of the night, so I'm not expecting a reply until tomorrow). 

Another question, mostly on topic: If I'm going to be adding live mealworms to his diet, is it best to add 1 or 2 each day in his food bowl, or more or less often? Again, I know there is a lot of controversy regarding this, but any help or previous experience/success is good! And I know that once I get him I can see how he does with mealworms, and if he can eat more or less, but I'm just looking for a good, healthy starting point to go off of.

And regarding his amazing cuteness, I believe the breeder said he was 3 weeks old in that pic, though he will be 7 and a half weeks when I pick him up! I've also emailed her for more pics, because I just can't wait! 

And sorry for not being very clear, it's late and I'm in a stressing mood to make sure I have everything perfect for when I finally actually get him! Thanks for all the help!


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## Annie&Tibbers (Apr 16, 2013)

Mealworms are an awesome treat -- the first time I saw my friend eat one, I was convinced he must have a frog's tongue to make them vanish so fast! It was pretty relieving, as the previous hedgehog who overlapped with my life (ie, not mine) was utterly indifferent to them and all other treats.

When I have mealworms, my little friend gets 3-5 a night. He's a hardcore runner, and only gets them if he's being sociable. When we run out (the store with good mealworms is awkward to get to), he gets apple instead. I try really hard to get him to associate treats with good behaviour (coming out to play, tolerating nail clippings, not huffing at strangers...) so I don't leave them for free-feeding in his bowl. ...except when he's going to be alone all night, in which case I give him a dig-box as apology/entertainment.

If he was more sedentary or if he starts gaining weight, I'd cut it down to 1 per night or a few every couple of nights.


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## toddo35 (Aug 20, 2013)

I totally get what you're talking about with the first time seeing a hedgie eat a mealworm! I worked at a small pet shop for 4 years before college, and out of all the animals I ever worked with, seeing the 1 hedgehog we ever got eat a mealworm was probably the most startling!

Plus, ever since then, I have always wanted a hedgehog! And now I'm finally almost there! 

Oh, and thanks for the advice! I'll see how he does with a few a night (as treats) and vary it as needed!

Sent from Petguide.com Free App


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## Annie&Tibbers (Apr 16, 2013)

Totally forgot (again, blaming Harold's hypnotic cuteness; he's keeping me from thinking straight): if you're using freeze-dried instead of live, you need to limit intake to only a few at a time (1-2) to reduce the risk of impaction.

...and least I sound like I know what I'm talking about, that last bit of advice was 100% parroted from other people in the archives.


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## toddo35 (Aug 20, 2013)

I'd definitely be using live, as a long time reptile owner, I've seen big differences in feeding live vs freeze dried. Plus I've read the guide to insects on here! But I figure I can't over-inform myself!


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