# Wet food problem! Help!



## Lyssab320 (Jan 2, 2013)

I'm feeding my 6 month old hedgie felidae chicken meal and rice cat and kitten formula! And she loves it! The place I got her from said she is supposed to be eating wet food 2x a week! The wet food they told me to get her and that I was giving her was a no no on the commercial food list so I stopped feeding it to her immediately! I tried various wet cat foods and many she didn't like or care to even try and the one she liked gave her diarrhea. So now we cook plain chicken for her or if we are having some meat she eats that but lately she's been picky with the chicken and won't eat it! What should I be feeding her? Any other replacements for her wet food? She only seems to love her dry food!


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## Hoppin Hedgehogs (Apr 3, 2011)

Dry Cat foods is all she should be eating, wet foods will give her the runs, 

dry cat foods 
Chicken Soup for the cat lovers soul adult light formula 
Natural Balance Green pea and duck 

these foods are excellent brands to feed your hedgehog, where are you located ? Canada or the US


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## Lyssab320 (Jan 2, 2013)

The US... I work at Petco so I have an understanding about nutrition for dogs and cats but we don't get training on hedgehogs lol she seems to love the dry food she is already on.


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## Lilysmommy (Jan 7, 2009)

Wet food isn't bad as long as it has the right percentages for protein/fat (which you have to adjust for dry matter basis) and good ingredients. She doesn't absolutely need it though, it's just fine if she only wants her dry food. Some people do feed wet food part-time, give it as a treat, or feed it as the main diet (usually for older hedgehogs that have trouble crunching up dry food, or hedgehogs missing teeth).

That said, you can offer treats in addition to the dry food - if she doesn't like wet food, she may like to try veggies, fruits, etc. Here's a list of safe treats - viewtopic.php?f=6&t=19408 She doesn't need them, but they'd be nice for some variety and you might both enjoy it if she likes them.  Another thing I found that Lily went absolutely bonkers over was Wellness Healthy Indulgence packets - little metal packets of meat chunks in gravy. The ingredients are great, the protein/fat was fine (for treats, at least), and she would wake out of a dead sleep and come out of her igloo if she smelled them. :lol:


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## Lyssab320 (Jan 2, 2013)

I have tried the various fruits and veggies with her and she doesn't like them or care to try them either... She's a picky little thing! But I will try those wellness packets, we do sell them at Petco. She has to have her food warm and won't eat it if its cold.


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## abbys (Oct 13, 2012)

Lyssab320 said:


> She has to have her food warm and won't eat it if its cold.


Such a little princess!! :lol:


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## GoodandPlenty (Feb 4, 2012)

> Dry Cat foods is all she should be eating, wet foods will give her the runs,


I've not had this issue.

I feed Gerber and Beechnut baby foods, chicken and turkey, rotating brands and meats. She loves, loves, loves them - maybe as much as mealies. I feed in part as a treat. I also, as needed, use it as way to add kibble that she needs, but won't eat. Keeping weight on her is sometimes an issue. She will put in more exercise than her food will fuel, and is resistant to eating enough. Grinding up some high-protein, high-fat kibble and mixing it into her baby food is a cheat that works with her. (The kibble thickens the baby food a bit much, so I thin it back down with a few drops of water.)

I've been able to cut her way down from what was needed for a while - down to 4 or 6 grams, which is very small dollop. The jars say to use in 2 - 3 days. Because it is refrigerated 23 hours, 55 minutes a day, I feed for six days and then scrap the jar. I don't know what the upper limit really should be on using a jar . . . just kind of guessing that 6 days should be okay.

I don't know how these foods should be rated as far as 'hedgehog nutritional rating' (? - somebody might venture an opinion on that), but the meats should be first rate. It's not junk food. Her kibbles are her main food. I only worry about a lot of soft food causing or contributing to teeth issues. She gets it everyday, but isn't getting a lot.


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