# kibble mix



## bobble (Apr 30, 2016)

so I would say that my hedgie has a pretty decent mix of kibble. Its made up of 4 different types (3 cat & 1 dog). All are within the protein/fat range. The mix averages out (roughly) at 31 % protein and 12 % fat.

however it dawned on me earlier that all 4 are poultry based (3 chicken & 1 turkey). Also when I give him meat as a treat its usually chicken or turkey as well. He is currently eating a wet cat food that's a 'hotpot' (cant remember the exact ingredients, but didn't contain chicken) but he only gets a cube once a week or so

so got me thinking, should I consider changing one to incorporate a different protein source? Or is it okay?


----------



## FinnickHog (Dec 1, 2014)

Sorry, I saw this earlier and then totally forgot to reply!

That mix is just fine the way it is. However, if you want to do some switching around you could definitely incorporate more protein sources other than poultry. Don't feel pressured to switch, because what you have should be just fine, but if you DO want to try more variety, go for it!

I would swap out one chicken one and try something like salmon, or another fish, if you can find it. Some hedgehogs get stinky poop from fish, but it's a great source of Omega-3s, which is why I like to use it. You could also try something rabbit based if you can find it. Rabbit is naturally quite oily, which is good for hedgehog skin and quills. Other decent options are quail and game bird mixes. They're still technically "poultry" but their meat is a bit different.

The Chicken Soup, Spot's Stew, I and Love and You, Fromm, and Solid Gold brands all have foods that should fit in your mix that aren't poultry.


----------



## bobble (Apr 30, 2016)

thanks for the reply 

Just thought it would be better to have some variety .... Must be a bit boring otherwise. I had been avoiding fish because of the smelly poop problem.

well I'm from the UK, so those brands aren't really readily available. I currently use lilys kitchen crunchy chicken nibbles cat food as one of my kibbles. I have had a look at their range. They do a crunchy nibbles fish cat food one as well, maybe that? 
they also do a range of dog kibbles, that I've had a look at. The ones that aren't chicken based include salmon & trout, lamb or duck & venison. Don't know if any of those would be any good? I already use a dog food, which I do break up, so I don't mind doing that if the dog ones sound better.


----------



## FinnickHog (Dec 1, 2014)

Can you contact the supplier's website for a sample package of the Lily's Kitchen fish one? A lot of Canadian companies will send a small bag for free so you can try it first, and then you'd know if stinky poops were an issue before buying a whole bag.

The lamb or the duck and venison should be good too. Finn used to get duck and venison in his mix. As long as the protein and fat are good, those would work well and you wouldn't have to worry about fish smell. If you don't mind breaking kibble, I'd go for the duck and venison since it adds another two protein sources.


----------



## bobble (Apr 30, 2016)

I probably could do, yes I will try that if my other options are no good.

could you please take a look at the info for the duck and venison one? And just double-check for me that its okay ingredient wise (just incase one of the other is ingredients is a no go) and nutritionally? Its grain free and doesn't use any fillers or artificial additives (apparently) it does also contain salmon as well actually.

I'll include a link, so its up to you, id be very grateful though 

http://www.lilyskitchen.co.uk/produ...em/wild-woodland-walk-grainfree-food-for-dogs


----------



## FinnickHog (Dec 1, 2014)

It looks good to me! I don't love all the "Botanical Herbs" they've added because sometimes herbs actually do have medicinal properties, but having a quick look at them, the milk thistle is the only one that concerns me, and in such a small dose it should be fine. It's possible to "overdose" on herbal supplements but since they're right at the bottom a minuscule amount of milk thistle was probably added to help keep the liver healthy. The biggest concern is that it can be passed to babies through breastmilk, which really isn't a problem in this case :lol:.

I say go for it!


----------



## bobble (Apr 30, 2016)

yeh, thats why i wanted some else to check as there were a lot of herbs listed. I sort of assumed they would be in small amounts. Rather small amounts of herbs than loads of fillers and grains and what not.
haha, well the milk thing really wouldn't be a problem anyway as my hedgehogs male


----------



## FinnickHog (Dec 1, 2014)

Exactly, so he's not going to be breastfeeding any time soon :lol:.


----------



## bobble (Apr 30, 2016)

thanks for the advice  I'll swap my lily kitchen chicken kibble for the duck and venison one then. I'm nearly out of the chicken one anyways. So once it runs out, ill change it.

could I get a little more advice? theres a wet dog food by lilys kitchen I would like to try. Obviously this would be used as a treat, not a staple. But would this be okay? I just like the sound of it really
http://www.lilyskitchen.co.uk/products/dog/wet-dog-food/item/foragers-feast-with-apples-blueberries


----------



## twobytwopets (Feb 2, 2014)

15% is game, but what is it?


----------



## FinnickHog (Dec 1, 2014)

The game is unnamed, which worries me a bit. It will change from batch to batch depending on what kind of game comes into the factory. One day it could be pheasant, the next it could be rabbit, or elk, or moose. Or wild boar. It's likely also the scraps from game meat, like the bits nobody else wants to eat. That helps keep prices down.

If you don't mind the risk of extreme variance from can to can it could be a neat addition, since your little guy would get to try a lot of new meats. It wouldn't be a problem if it's just as a treat, but it's ultimately up to you about how you feel about feeding your hedgehog unknown game meat.

Here's the Encyclopedia Britannica entry for game meat to give you an idea of what all could be in there: https://www.britannica.com/topic/game-meat

Nothing in the game category is bad for a hedgie, and eating the leftover bits isn't a huge deal since that's what most chicken meal is anyway, so it won't hurt him if it's an occasional treat.

Now I'm going to calculate the DMB for protein and fat with my new calculator, because I can! :lol:

So it's 36% protein, 23% fat, and 2% fiber when you remove all the water.

I personally would consider buying a can and giving him 5 grams or so on a spoon every so often to see what he thinks. It could definitely be a good bribery or reward treat if you have to trim his nails.


----------



## bobble (Apr 30, 2016)

the fact that the game was unnamed is what worried me. It does say in the description 'we only use real meat: No rendered animal parts, carcasses or derivatives' which made me feel better about it, then confused  

I'm not so worried that the game would be different from can to can. 1 can would last quite a while (I would freeze it in portions) 

I do get confused about nutrition from wet to dry as well, so thanks for doing that as well  it would only be used as a treat anyways. 

I just want to give him lots of variety with his food, so always looking for things I can try give him


----------



## bobble (Apr 30, 2016)

just a quick question, hopefully someone can answer... What's the deal with pork? Just you never really see it as an ingredient in cat or dog food. And I've never seen it recommended as a treat it anything for hedgehogs.

Just curious more than anything. I have never fed my hedgie pork btw and don't really plan to as its not really something I eat that often, so don't usually have any to offer.


----------



## FinnickHog (Dec 1, 2014)

Pork causes pancreatitis in dogs, so that's why it's never used in dog food. It also has a high risk of parasites, so it has to be thoroughly cooked and inspected, which increases production costs. It's also fairly high in fat. I'm guessing that's why cat foods avoid it.


----------



## bobble (Apr 30, 2016)

oh right, thanks for the info  as I said i just wondered really. How about for hedgehogs though? Or is it one of those no one really knows, so its just best to avoid? 

sorry for all the questions, I just like to know these things, for no reason really, other than I find it quite interesting.


----------



## FinnickHog (Dec 1, 2014)

No worries at all. I know all this random stuff because it interests me :lol:.

I can't find any actual studies on hedgehogs and pork. I'm guessing their opportunities to eat pig in the wild are really slim, so I can't imagine there being any added benefit to feeding it. I have no idea if it's bad for them, though. I wish more people with access to labs and tests were willing to look into pet hedgehogs. Sometimes we don't have much to work with.


----------



## bobble (Apr 30, 2016)

I did do a quick google before I asked about it, but the only info I could find was that it is harder to digest than other meats and can be quite fatty/salty.

good point, never really thought about how they would meet in the wild. Although I have read somewhere about people feeding their hedgies wild boar? Is that not similar to pork? Or am I just being thick?  

it would makes things alot easier for us all, if there was information on such things available.


----------



## bobble (Apr 30, 2016)

in saying that, just dawned on me, that boar is technically classed as game I suppose. So would be easier to digest I guess. So yeh, I was just being a bit thick I guess


----------



## twobytwopets (Feb 2, 2014)

Am I the only one having mental images of hedgehogs chasing down a wild hog? 
OK on a serious note... we don't usually see the meat in food, but we do see their fat added into foods.


----------

