# Is kibble only okay?



## IAmTheWalrus (May 23, 2011)

Hello 

I am a new member here, and, as I am a prospective hedgehog owner, I have a few questions about diet. First, is it okay to only feed one kind of kibble instead of mixing many? I have read many views on this, and am still not sure. Second, does a hedgehog diet need to regularly include crickets, or mealworms, or is just feeding those occasionally okay?

Thanks in Advance
IATW


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## Guest (Jul 31, 2011)

It is an opinion of a lot of people to diversify the diet of the hedgehog with different high quality cat foods for more quality of life.

In my honest opinion although I do have a 4 kibble mix of three cat foods and a small kibble dog food. I don't think it is a complete necessity more then just us owners/breeders wanting to provide more variety to their lives. Imagine always eating chicken everyday of your life it gets old so having a mix gives the hedgehog a choice of which they want the most of on any give night.

I think that's a primary reasoning for it and I do think it might have some minimal effect on health, but honestly if your kibble meets the recommended guidelines it should be fine.

Insects vary by owner and breeder from what I can tell. I will tell you I give them insects each day in moderation as treats to help bonding and because the insects are a important source of their diet, they need nutrients from insects to keep them strong and healthy.

That being said it is up to the owner to ensure their weight gains/losses are in check and they remain health and active with the diet they choose.


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## hanhan27 (May 12, 2011)

TW worded that very well  I will just add that another large part of the reasoning behind a mix of different kibbles is the nutritional aspect. Different "healthy stuff" comes from lots of different sources - lamb contains different nutrients than fish, etc.

As far as insects go, it all depends on the owner's preference. I'm really squeamish, so I opt out of feeding crickets and just feed 4-7 refrigerated, not-so-wiggly mealworms a day. 

There is also a holistic approach to feeding hedgehogs, including baby foods, more live foods (insects, pinkies), home-made food (popular one is meatballs) and "mixes" that include veggies, meats, and baby foods. There are lots of great posts in the Diet and Nutrition section.


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## Lilysmommy (Jan 7, 2009)

One of the more practical reasons to having at least two foods that you're feeding - Hedgies are known to be picky, and they also don't do well with sudden food changes. Having two foods that they're used to is a good safeguard in case the formula of one food is changed, the food is recalled, or you happen to run out and can't get more right at that instant. Having one of their main foods disappear suddenly can still upset their stomach, but it's much better than having their only food suddenly change or disappear and have to panic because you can't find something they'll eat on their own. A lot of people also like having their foods with different main meats for the reasons TWCOGAR mentioned, but it's not completely necessary.

Insects are pretty important since they're insectivores. The chitin in mealworm exoskeletons and the exoskeletons of crickets both provide good fiber in their diets (especially since most cat foods don't have a high enough fiber content), and a couple vets have said that chewing them helps keep hedgie teeth clean too. Mealworms in particular are quite easy to keep, even live. They're also fattier though, so you have to monitor how many you feed versus your hedgie's weight.


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