# veggies, good or bad??



## danilious (Dec 14, 2010)

what veggies can hedgies have and what are bad? also how should they be propered


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## Guest (Mar 26, 2012)

i think the only things ive heard that arnt a good idea are corn and gassy veggies like brocolli. 

i usually either steam mine or in the case of sweet potatoe boil them with no spices. I sometimes make purrees with them so they are easier to freeze and defrost when needed. 
some of my hedgies favorites are sweet potatoe, carrot, zuchinni,


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## Lilysmommy (Jan 7, 2009)

Here's a list of safe and unsafe veggies. viewtopic.php?f=6&t=60&st=0&sk=t&sd=a&hilit=fruit+and+veggie

For softer fruits/veggies, you can give them fresh. Make sure seeds are removed, and if they have a tough of thick skin, remove. For harder veggies, like carrots, you'll want to cook them since they pose a choking hazard when fresh. Make sure you just steam or boil them - no frying, and don't include any spices or salt.

You can also offer fruits/veggies in the form of baby food, either pureed yourself or bought at the store. I found this a great way to give Lily her fruits/veggies, since she'd eat anything if it was mixed with a meat baby food. I ended up making mixes for her with a meat, a few veggies, and a fruit or two, mixing it all together and freezing it in one-tablespoon serving ice cubes for easy defrosting.


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## moxieberry (Nov 30, 2011)

I'm copy/pasting this - I have it saved on my computer from answering this question before - so it also includes fruits.

Can eat (safe):

apple
carrot (cooked; too hard when raw, except possibly as thin salad-style shavings)
banana
melon (watermelon tends to be popular, but keep in mind it's pretty much all water/sugar; generally best used in moderation)
sweet potato
squash
peach/nectarine
plum
pear
cherries
strawberries (and other berries, though it's recommended to remove the skin from blueberries)
dandelion greens
peppers (obviously not spicy ones; green/yellow/red bell peppers are good)
asparagus
green beans
cucumber (pretty much all water, little nutritional value)
spinach
zucchini
broccoli


Cannot:

grapes/raisins
anything citrus or too acidic (includes the obvious, orange/lemon/lime/grapefruit; also pineapple, tomato, pomegranate, kiwi)
anything seasoned
certain herbs (because of potentially harmful medicinal properties; best to either do research on a particular one before offering it, or just don't bother with herbs in general)
garlic
onion


Safe, but not particularly healthy choices (use your best judgment/moderation):

peas (high sugar content)
corn (same as above, not digested well)
anything canned in salt water (small amounts if at all; there are a lot of good fresh produce options, so you might as well just avoid this entirely)
anything canned in sugar water/syrup (same as above)


**avocado (high fat content) (some people believe avocado can be toxic to hedgehogs; I haven't verified this one way or another)


Skin should be removed where applicable, to avoid possible choking (i.e. blueberries). Dried fruits/vegetables should be avoided because they're difficult to chew and digest, and especially with fruits, the drying process essentially condenses the sugar content.

Some of the things on the list should be cooked - basically anything that we would cook before eating (i.e. sweet potato) or that is especially hard (i.e. carrots). Cooking methods are steaming or boiling; pureeing after cooking is an option too.


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## danilious (Dec 14, 2010)

THANK YOU GUYS !!!!


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## Tara151 (Jan 9, 2012)

What about regular potatoes?


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## moxieberry (Nov 30, 2011)

White potatoes are also fine. They're almost exactly the same as sweet potatoes, except sweet potatoes have considerably more fiber. Personally I would use moderation with both, because they're so carb-heavy - they wouldn't be a great choice as a daily thing, whereas others on the list would be fine to offer every day. Mashed/pureed sweet potatoes are good for helping with constipation, also.


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## EtherealRose (Mar 15, 2012)

Dr. Vanderlip, a veterinarian that has published a guide about hedgehogs, does NOT recommend giving broccoli because it has been shown to cause problems in other species - "Broccoli, cauliflower, peppers, and similar vegetables cause gas production or intestinal upset in some species and are not recommended". I know for humans broccoli can cause gas build-up as well ... poor hedgie :/


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## silvercat (Oct 24, 2008)

Lilysmommy said:


> For harder veggies, like carrots, you'll want to cook them since they pose a choking hazard when fresh. Make sure you just steam or boil them - no frying, and don't include any spices or salt..


Why no frying? I've noticed this comment a couple times around the forum & wondering why? I tend to do much of my cooking for my hedgie in a frying pan with a touch of oil.


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## SquiggyTheHedgie (Jul 26, 2011)

silvercat said:


> frying pan with a touch of oil.


What kind of oil do you use? A tad of olive oil would be okay, but I don't think any other kind would be good for their digestion. If using vegetable oil, check the ingredients to make sure nothing toxic is used. However, I wouldn't recommend frying in general because of lack of nutritional value.


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## EtherealRose (Mar 15, 2012)

Frying could add extra un-needed fat for a hedgie as well. Steaming veggies will avoid that extra fat content & may save you a little money


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## silvercat (Oct 24, 2008)

SquiggyTheHedgie said:


> silvercat said:
> 
> 
> > frying pan with a touch of oil.
> ...


I use a tiny splash of olive oil. Just enough to keep the food from sticking to the pan (essentially pan searing until cooked through & not really "frying"). 
Thanks for the feedback! I'm not concerned about the cost of a drop of olive oil. I think the oil would be probably good for her skin (like adding olive oil to dog food for their coats). I was concerned there was something "huge" that I was missing about frying. Ah


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## kipluck (Jan 18, 2009)

I have a question. How NECESSARY are fruits and veg in a hedgies diet? My little girl, Tess LaRue has not liked ANYTHING offered (so far: spring mix greens, cantaloupe, cherry tomatoes, honeydew melon, carrots, guava, sugar snap peas, or apple) except her cat/hedgehog food mix and bugs.

I have had gliders for 10 years, so I prepare fresh fruits, vegetables, and protein every night for them... I just assumed I would serve the same stuff (except for kibble instead of HPW mix) to Tess. But do hedgies need that much herbivorous content? Should I be concerned with her pickiness?


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## Rainy (Jul 27, 2011)

As long as you have a decent cat food, then anything else is to add variety and enrichment to their diet. But, if your hedgehog eats nothing but cat food, they are still getting all the nutrients they need.


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## kipluck (Jan 18, 2009)

That is good to hear. She is a picky little bug!


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