# I thought this was a good food....HELP



## omgitsbleigh (Sep 5, 2016)

When we got Sirius and Bilbo, the breeder said they use 4 Health (a tractor supply only brand.)

They gave us a month supply for each boy and we picked up a small bag of 4 health to start mixing in (because I'm not 100% sure which type they used) so that we could do it gradually over the next month...

Well, I just read the beginner's guide to hedgehog nutrition and now I'm worried that it's not the best we can be doing for them!!! At first glance (before we got the boys and I was looking at just the analysis of it) it looked great... But looking closer at the ingredients and I see cellulose is an apparent no-no....

Could someone please look this over and let me know!

4health Grain-Free Indoor Cat Formula for Adult Cats provides optimal nutrition for indoor adult cats with a formulation that helps maintain a healthy digestive system. The omega-6 and omega-3 fatty acids in this Grain-Free food can help promote shiny coats and healthy skin. 

No corn, no wheat, no soy 
Guaranteed probiotics 
Chicken is the #1 ingredient 
A blend of Omega-6 & Omega-3 Fatty Acids for skin and coat 
Taurine for heart and eye health 
Fiber blend to help control hairballs

*Ingredients:*
Chicken, Chicken Meal, Garbanzo Beans, Peas, Turkey Meal, Powdered Cellulose, Lentils, Chicken Fat (Preserved with Mixed Tocopherols), Natural Flavor, Fish Meal, Flaxseed, Sodium Bisulfate, Choline Chloride, DL-methionine, Taurine, Dried Chicory Root, L-Carnitine, Tomatoes, Blueberries, Cranberries, Dried Lactobacillus Acidophilus Fermentation Product, Dried Bifidobacterium Animalis Fermentation Product, Zinc Proteinate, Vitamin E Supplement, Niacin, Manganese Proteinate, Copper Proteinate, Zinc Sulfate, Manganese Sulfate, Copper Sulfate, Thiamine Mononitrate (Vitamin B1), Vitamin A Supplement, Biotin, Potassium Iodide, Calcium Pantothenate, Riboflavin (Vitamin B2), Pyridoxine Hydrochloride (Vitamin B6), Vitamin B12 Supplement, Manganous Oxide, Sodium Selenite, Vitamin D Supplement, Folic Acid. *Guaranteed Analysis:*
Crude Protein (min.) 32.0%
Crude Fat (min.) 13.0%
Crude Fiber (max.) 8.0%
Moisture (max.) 10.0%
Zinc (min.) 150 mg/kg
Selenium (min.) 0.3 mg/kg
Vitamin E (min.) 150 IU/kg
Taurine (min.) 0.10%
L-Carnitine* (min.) 30 mg/kg
Omega-6 Fatty Acids* (min.) 2.4%
Omega-3 Fatty Acids* (min.) 0.4%
Total Microorganisms* not less than 1,000,000 CFU/lb (Lactobacillus acidophilus, Bifidobacterium animalis)
*Not recognized as an essential nutrient by the AAFCO Cat Food Nutrient Profiles.
*Caloric Content:*
Metabolizable Energy (ME) 3,350 kcal/kg (313 kcal/cup).


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## FinnickHog (Dec 1, 2014)

Yeah that powdered cellulose makes it an automatic no in my books. There's also a lot of legumes in there. Most of the vegetable content is coming from beans, peas, and lentils, which would increase the protein, but when they're that high I like some variety. That's just personal preference though. It also has natural flavor which could be anything. I'd start gradually switching.


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## omgitsbleigh (Sep 5, 2016)

FinnickHog said:


> Yeah that powdered cellulose makes it an automatic no in my books. There's also a lot of legumes in there. Most of the vegetable content is coming from beans, peas, and lentils, which would increase the protein, but when they're that high I like some variety. That's just personal preference though. It also has natural flavor which could be anything. I'd start gradually switching.


Thank you. That's what I was worried about.      Definitely going to be going to look for a new food!


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## omgitsbleigh (Sep 5, 2016)

FinnickHog said:


> Yeah that powdered cellulose makes it an automatic no in my books. There's also a lot of legumes in there. Most of the vegetable content is coming from beans, peas, and lentils, which would increase the protein, but when they're that high I like some variety. That's just personal preference though. It also has natural flavor which could be anything. I'd start gradually switching.


Alright, so I've been searching for the past hour and man does my head hurt! I also found the updated (May 2016) recommended food thread... When looking up some of your favorite foods, I can't find anything with fat content under 20%! Do you have specific types of each brand that you use? I'm so lost, but I want our boys to eat the best!


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## FinnickHog (Dec 1, 2014)

I can go through and find some if you'd like. Which brands are you leaning towards?


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## omgitsbleigh (Sep 5, 2016)

FinnickHog said:


> I can go through and find some if you'd like. Which brands are you leaning towards?


Really any. I'm looking to bring a list of good foods with me shopping and see where I can find at least one of them.


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## FinnickHog (Dec 1, 2014)

This list should all be specific foods below 20% fat and safe:

Halo Spot's Stew Grain Free Healthy Weight (any flavor)
I and Love and You Naked Essentials (any flavor)
Merrick Limited Ingredient (any flavor)
Now Fresh Grain Free Senior Cat
Simply Nourish Indoor Cat Food Turkey and Oatmeal or Duck and Oatmeal
Solid Gold Katz-N-Flocken, Winged Tiger, Moon Shadow, Fit as a Fiddle, Furrever Young
Wellness Complete Health Healthy Weight
Blue Buffalo Indoor Health
Fromm Four Star Salmon, Chicken a la Veg, Duck a la Veg, Salmon a la Veg
Go! Sensitivity and Shine (any flavor)
Halo Spot's Stew (any flavor), Sensitive Cat (any flavor)
Solid Gold Nature's Harmony, Moonlight Prowl

You should be able to find Blue Buffalo, Halo, and Merrick fairly easily at pet stores. The others can be a little regional or a special order kind of thing. Are you located in the USA? If so, all of those should be relatively accessible. I don't think grocery stores or places like Walmart carry any of the better brands.

Out of that list, I personally really like the Halo brand, the I and Love and You brand, and the Solid Gold brand, so I would naturally lean towards those. 

When my hoggy was eating kibble he was on a mix of Halo Spot's Stew Wholesome Chicken, Halo Spot's Stew Indoor Cat Wild Salmon, Wellness Complete Health Healthy Weight, and Acana Grasslands. The Halo foods are mid-range fat, the Wellness is lower fat, and the Acana is higher fat. I mixed them so it all evened out to about 18% fat, which is good for him because he's so active.

I hope that helps!


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