# Dog food



## TheSmellyHedgie (Sep 26, 2013)

Hey guys I just recently read the westcoast hedgehog's book. I read that dog food would be better for hedgehogs since both dogs and hedgehogs are omnivores while cats are carnivores so the ingredients would be better. As I read through the ingredients I noticed that the blue buffalo counterparts for dogs and cats the dog food had a lot more veggies instead of just meat. Would Blue Buffalo dog food be better than the cat food counterpart? Why dont more people use dog food (haven't seen a single post on it)? Is the protein value to low at 26%? 

Ingredients:
Deboned Chicken, Chicken Meal, Whole Ground Brown Rice, Whole Ground Barley, Oatmeal, Tomato Pomace (natural source of Lycopene), Natural Chicken Flavor, Chicken Fat (naturally preserved with Mixed Tocopherols), Whole Potatoes, Peas, Flaxseed (natural source of Omega 3 and 6 Fatty Acids), Whole Carrots, Whole Sweet Potatoes, Blueberries, Cranberries, Barley Grass, Dried Parsley, Garlic, Alfalfa Meal, Dried Kelp, Yucca Schidigera Extract, L-Carnitine, L-Lysine, Glucosamine Hydrochloride, Chondroitin Sulfate, Turmeric, Dried Chicory Root, Oil of Rosemary, Beta Carotene, Vitamin A Supplement, Thiamine Mononitrate (Vitamin B1), Riboflavin (Vitamin B2), Niacin (Vitamin B3), d-Calcium Pantothenate (Vitamin B5), Pyridoxine Hydrochloride (Vitamin B6), Biotin (Vitamin B7), Folic Acid (Vitamin B9), Vitamin B12 Supplement, Calcium Ascorbate (source of Vitamin C), Vitamin D3 Supplement, Vitamin E Supplement, Iron Amino Acid Chelate, Zinc Amino Acid Chelate, Manganese Amino Acid Chelate, Copper Amino Acid Chelate, Choline Chloride, Sodium Selenite, Calcium Iodate, Salt, Caramel, Potassium Chloride, Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Lactobacillus acidophilus, Bacillus subtilis, Enterococcus faecium.

Guaranteed Analysis:

Crude Protein (min) 26.0%
Crude Fat (min) 12.0%
Crude Fiber (max) 5.0%
Moisture (max) 10.0%
Calcium 1.0% min
Phosphorus 0.9% min
Glucosamine* (max) 400 mg/kg
Condroitin* (min) 300 mg/kg
L-Carnitine* (min) 100 mg/kg
Omega 3 Fatty Acids* 0.3% min
Omega 6 Fatty Acids* 3.0% min


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## abbys (Oct 13, 2012)

As long as the food meets the nutritional requirements, it should be just fine (26% is a bit low, but if you mix it with a higher food it will even out). The only thing to note is that dog kibble tends to be bigger and harder than cat kibble, which is why cat kibble is usually preferred. So if you go for the dog food you'll want to crush it up into smaller bits so your hedgie doesn't hurt his teeth.


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## TheSmellyHedgie (Sep 26, 2013)

Ok thanks abbys


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## TheSmellyHedgie (Sep 26, 2013)

The puppy version of the food has everything the same except that the protein vaule is 28%, might buy it instead of cat food depends on what the breeder says.


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## abbys (Oct 13, 2012)

For a baby hedgie you'll want something with a bit more protein, like around 33-34%, and then once they're grown you can reevaluate the food mix. Keep in mind that if your hedgie is particularly active, they may need to stay on a slightly higher protein/higher fat diet even once they're adults.


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## Tongue_Flicker (Jun 11, 2013)

Or you could soften it a bit by adding a little vegetable oil or soaking it in watermelon juice. Mixing it with some low protein cat food will also do the trick if ever you plan to shift your hedgie's diet to pure cat kibble only


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## TheSmellyHedgie (Sep 26, 2013)

When the hedgehog is still a baby could I just have more insects mixed into it's staple diet to increase the protein and fat contents?


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## Lilysmommy (Jan 7, 2009)

Keep in mind that oil will add more fat and watermelon juice will add more sugar - not all hedgies need those things. Water works just fine for softening kibble too. 

More insects won't hurt, though you'll want to watch poop since insects have also pretty high fiber due to the exoskeleton. Spreading them out over a longer period of time (rather than feeding 10 mealies all at once at the beginning of a snuggle session or something similar) can help prevent constipation issues too.


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## TheSmellyHedgie (Sep 26, 2013)

Thanks guys for all the responses! It really does help when experience hedgie owners inform me on what would be the best choice for the little hoglet once I get it


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## TheSmellyHedgie (Sep 26, 2013)

Softening the kibble might help, that's what I do with my huskies since they tend to scarf down the food  Would the kibble spoil? Since my dogs eat it straight away so it doesn't sit there. Could some hedgies be picky with soggy kibble?


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## Lilysmommy (Jan 7, 2009)

Yup, some hedgies won't touch dampened or soggy kibble, so it just depends! Some also won't touch crushed food, but both things are worth a try, especially if you want to give dog food a try. Dampened kibble does spoil faster, but it should still be safe - you'll just want to make sure you put it in right before their lights go out for the night & remove the remains in the morning & replace with new kibble so they don't eat it during the day. There's a similar issue with wet food, but sometimes you can't avoid using something like that, for older hedgies that have weak jaws, or hedgies with missing teeth.

Personally I'd try crushing the food first & just leaving it at that and see how it goes since it's easier & not as gross as softening the food. :lol:


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## Tongue_Flicker (Jun 11, 2013)

TheSmellyHedgie said:


> Softening the kibble might help, that's what I do with my huskies since they tend to scarf down the food  Would the kibble spoil? Since my dogs eat it straight away so it doesn't sit there. Could some hedgies be picky with soggy kibble?


Just recall the usual amount that your hedgie eats so you could prepare soaking that amount only. Soak then after a few minutes drain out the water. Keeping them covered inside the fridge also prolongs shelf life for a couple of hours. Some hedgies like it some don't but babies usually like softer foods.


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## TheSmellyHedgie (Sep 26, 2013)

Ok thanks for the input guys! If I introduce the softer food when its still a young hoglet maybe it will latch onto soft foods and prefer it over normal kibble


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## Pawrulz (3 mo ago)

You can try this online pet food website where you can shop for all kinds of pet products, food, and pet toys. And you can also buy the best health supplement for your pets.


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