# Make the Most of Your Treats: Gut Load!



## eskye (Oct 5, 2012)

I keep seeing people posting about feeding worms on this forum, and something has become a growing concern for me. I understand that many people on here are more on the mammal side of things, and are very squeamish around bugs, from what I've been reading. As a reptile and amphibian owner, I'm appalled at the lack of gut-loading that is going on!

For example, most posts I have been seeing have concerned just getting a tin of mealworms and feeding right out of it, or freezing their worms. I see no mention of feeding the insects.

This is bad. You are not getting the same nutritional values out of starving insects as you think that you are. These mealworms that come in to pet stores or are sent over have not eaten for at least a few days; at Petco or Petsmart probably well over a week. They have emptied their guts, and are empty of the bonus nutrition that you could be giving your hogs. With insects, half the nutrition is by feeding the insects just as well as your pet!

Here is a page on gut loading, some short info: http://www.repvet.co.za/food_dust_gutload.php

Of course it's herp focused, but that does not mean that gut-loading does not apply to animals. When you eat meat, you want your meat to have been well fed and healthy. What your prey eats is what you eat as well. It's the same for hedgehogs. Their insects must be fed prior to feeding, or at least prior to freezing if that is your method.

If you are squeamish, at least drop something like an apple slice into the tin to gut load the mealworms before you feed them. If you are a little more capable of handling insects, give your worms some oat bran bedding and fruits or veggies. This will ensure that your hedgehog will be receiving the best nutrition possible when giving treats.

Ideally, I'd like some gut-loading information (more, the importance of gut-loading) to be posted in a sticky by a mod, as well as the information I have previously provided on pinkie nutrition. These are topics that seem to be missed when mentioned in other threads, and the factors of nutrition based on what your feeder eats is just as important, or even more important, than the values of the feeder itself. I think they deserve their own thread.


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## SouthernSweet (Jul 25, 2012)

As far as reps/herps go, I know gut-loading is a major part of diet, because that is the nutrition they get 

In regards to hedgies, if I were using the mealies as part of nutrition I'd probably gut-load. However I really only give them as treats, and as far as I can tell, the mealies are kept in oat bedding for food at stores like Petsmart. If I notice the oats are eaten through, I usually replace with fresh oats. Crickets, would definitely gut-load if I bought them from Petsmart. There is a local pet store nearby that does good with its crickets, though.

Might be worth the gut-loading to see the benefits on hedgie diet. One step closer to natural food than processed kibble.

I'm glad you're bringing gut-loading up  I think I may gut-load & freeze to see how that works out.

Pinkies are probably too messy for me to put to regular use :lol: 

I've seen some Ferret groups online that focus on natural feeding rather than dry food use. Lots of videos of ferrets and raw meat


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## gogrnny1955 (Jul 6, 2011)

We have raised our own mealworms for over a year now and have always
added different vegies to the bran/oatmeal mix.
The foods that are healthy for the hedgies but they will not eat are fed to the
worms this way making sure they (the worms) and hedgies get the best we can offer.
This is in addition to suggested kibbles mentioned on the forum.
happy hedgies make happy pets :lol:


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