# Curious about weight



## mommacude (Apr 15, 2014)

My hedgehog was born on 3/1 so he's a little over 9 weeks old.

We feed him a mixture that we got from the breeder:
*Our home made blend of high protein kibble mixed with dehydrated fruit bits , insects, larvae, mealworms, bee pollen, calcium, vitamins and coconut oil. 
*I give him mealworms for treats (usually 3-4 a day) and sometimes bits of baby food meat sticks.

Usually we give him about 2 tbsp of food at night but if his bowl is empty in the morning I give him more

I'm wanting to make sure I'm not feeding him too much. I saw that they weigh 9-19 ounces full grown. I don't know how much he weighed when I got him because I didn't weigh him.

But, on 5/1 he weighed 9.2 ounces and on 5/5 he weighed 9.4 ounces.

Is it normal for them to gain that much at this age? Should I just split 1TBSP 2x a day or just not give him any in the morning? Or, is he a healthy weight.

He doesn't look fat and can roll into a ball just fine. I just want to be sure I'm on the right track. The breeder said about 2TBSp a day is fine and to be careful not to feed too much because they will sometimes over eat, but I've read here that for babies you want to be sure they get enough.

Thanks in advance.

This would be in grams:
260.816 on May 1

266.486 on May 5


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## Draenog (Feb 27, 2012)

That's not such a big difference. It might even be just poop. :lol: If you weigh them before they poop or after they poop it can make a difference up until a couple of grams, it's totally normal!
Most hedgehogs don't overeat, so I would just free feed him if I were you. If he eats more than 2 tbsp, give him more. He is growing as well so he needs it - not sure how fat your mix is, but if you see him getting fat you want to cut back on the levels of fat in the food first and not on the amount of food itself.


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## mommacude (Apr 15, 2014)

Draenog said:


> That's not such a big difference. It might even be just poop. :lol: If you weigh them before they poop or after they poop it can make a difference up until a couple of grams, it's totally normal!
> Most hedgehogs don't overeat, so I would just free feed him if I were you. If he eats more than 2 tbsp, give him more. He is growing as well so he needs it - not sure how fat your mix is, but if you see him getting fat you want to cut back on the levels of fat in the food first and not on the amount of food itself.


Thanks!! He's just so darn cute. I really am enjoying him. My husband says I'm obsessed. I've started a mealworm farm for him and I'm always buying him things. My son was supposed to do all the care for him but it hasn't really worked out that way because I like to baby him too.


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## Tamsyn (Mar 6, 2014)

I looked up the food you're using, and it says it has 40% protein. Kimberly's book recommends a maximum of 35%, so that makes me a bit skeptical of its suitability as a long-term diet. I also don't like it when the ingredients are listed that vaguely. What "high quality" kibble is used? But that could just be me.


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## mommacude (Apr 15, 2014)

Tamsyn said:


> I looked up the food you're using, and it says it has 40% protein. Kimberly's book recommends a maximum of 35%, so that makes me a bit skeptical of its suitability as a long-term diet. I also don't like it when the ingredients are listed that vaguely. What "high quality" kibble is used? But that could just be me.


That's a good question. Does 5% more make that much difference though? I don't know. . . I have a few months to decide because I have a bag that's 3.5 pounds. Thanks for your feedback.


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## Lilysmommy (Jan 7, 2009)

It's a little on the high side. It's not super awful, but to be safe, personally I'd mix it with a second food that's around 30% protein, so the mix's protein is around 35%. The main issue with kibble that's high in protein is that it can be hard on the kidneys because they're in charge of processing the protein, but they need water to do so. The kibble doesn't give any water along with the protein, so if the animal doesn't drink enough, it can possibly cause issues. That's why wet food is usually better for dogs & cats, because the added moisture helps process protein - especially with cats, which often don't drink much water (because with a natural diet, they'd get most of the moisture needed from their prey). 

Sorry if that was a longer explanation than necessary. :lol: The other plus to mixing a second food in is having it as a back up in case you forget to order more from the breeder before you run out, or if the breeder is having any issues that prevent them from replying to orders or getting them sent out (which has happened before with a different breeder). Not saying it will happen, but life likes to be surprising, so it's always good to have some backup, just in case!

Also, it might be worth asking what the high quality food is, if they're willing to tell you. I know I'd want to know, just to be sure, since sometimes people will call a food high quality when it's really not - especially for foods like Iams & Science Diet, which have a better reputation than their ingredients deserve.


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## mommacude (Apr 15, 2014)

Thanks. So let me ask this: If I'm planning on feeding live mealworms anyway, would it make sense to transition him to just cat food with mealworms as treats every day and occasional fruits and veggies? I thought it seemed a little high and when she showed me mom and dad she did mention that they're both a little heavier than they should be. 

I will definitely read up here on what brand of cat food is best and I know there are instructions for switching. In reality, I'd rather not mess with ordering food anyway and even if I don't use up everything she sent me home with I'd rather be sure he's on the best food than wait 6 months for him to finish what I have. It's only $15 worth of food after all.


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## Lilysmommy (Jan 7, 2009)

That sounds like a good plan to me.


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## mommacude (Apr 15, 2014)

I'm heading off to get cat food. It's so complicated! I'm reading and confused about the % of protein vs. the all meat vs. meat and grain varieties. I always thought mostly meat was best (we feed our dog Blue Buffalo) but is that going to be too much protein?


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## mommacude (Apr 15, 2014)

The Blue Buffalo I looked at has 38%. I guess I'll have to read the labels. He's getting pudgy and I want him to be healthy.


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## DesireeM81 (Jun 14, 2014)

I just bought a new food since she ran out of the food from her breeder to mix. Right now I am using Natural Balance Green Pea and Chicken. 

Natural Balance Limited Ingredient Diets Green Pea & Chicken Formula Dry Cat Food

Ingredients:

Peas, Chicken Meal, Chicken, Pea Protein, Chicken Fat (preserved with mixed tocopherols), Flaxseed, Natural Flavor, Choline Chloride, Methionine, Taurine, Natural Tocopherols, Zinc Proteinate, Vitamin E Supplement, Niacin, Manganese Proteinate, Copper Proteinate, Zinc Sulfate, Manganese Sulfate, Copper Sulfate, Thiamine Mononitrate, Vitamin A Supplement, Biotin, Potassium Iodide, Calcium Pantothenate, Riboflavin, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride (Vitamin B-6), Vitamin B-12 Supplement, Manganous Oxide, Sodium Selenite, Vitamin D-3 Supplement, Folic Acid 
Guaranteed Analysis:

Crude Protein (min.) 30.0%, Crude Fat (min.) 12.0%, Crude Fiber (max.) 8.0%, Moisture (max.) 10.0%, Taurine (Min) 0.1%, Omega-3 Fatty Acids* (min.) 0.5%, Omega-6 Fatty Acids* (min.) 3.0%

And I just bought Blue Buffalo to mix. 

Blue Buffalo Indoor Health Adult Chicken & Brown Rice Cat Food Dry (Forgot to add this)

Deboned Chicken, Chicken Meal, Whole Ground Barley, Oatmeal, Whole Ground Brown Rice, Fish Meal (natural source of Omega 3 Fatty Acids), Chicken Fat (naturally preserved with Mixed Tocopherols), Dried Cellulose, Natural Chicken Flavor, Whole Potatoes, Peas, Whole Carrots, Whole Sweet Potatoes, Cranberries, Blueberries, Flaxseed (natural source of Omega 3 and 6 Fatty Acids), Barley Grass, Dried Parsley, Alfalfa Meal, Dried Kelp, Taurine, Yucca Schidigera Extract, L-Carnitine, L-Lysine, Turmeric, Dried Chicory Root, Oil of Rosemary, Beta Carotene, Vitamin A Supplement, Thiamine Mononitrate (Vitamin B1), Riboflavin (Vitamin B2), Niacin (Vitamin B3), d-Calcium Pantothenate (Vitamin B5), Pyridoxine Hydrochloride (Vitamin B6), Biotin (Vitamin B7), Folic Acid (Vitamin B9), Vitamin B12 Supplement, Calcium Ascorbate (source of Vitamin C), Vitamin D3 Supplement, Vitamin E Supplement, Iron Amino Acid Chelate, Zinc Amino Acid Chelate, Manganese Amino Acid Chelate, Copper Amino Acid Chelate, Choline Chloride, Sodium Selenite, Calcium Iodate, Salt, Caramel, Potassium Chloride, Calcium Carbonate, Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Lactobacillus acidophilus, Bacillus subtilis, Enterococcus faecium.

Crude Protein (min) 32%
Crude Fat (min) 15%
Crude Fiber (max) 4%
Moisture (max) 10%

Sorry that is a lot of information. :roll: She is a pretty avid runner and still a baby so I'm not worried about the fat just yet. There is another Blue Buffalo that has lower fat in it. Just check the ingredients, first few should be a protein source, chicken, turkey, duck, salmon, even peas is okay. Stay away from corn and artificial coloring. I like the moisture and fiber of both foods as well. Hope that helps if you see this before you buy!


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## mommacude (Apr 15, 2014)

Thank you so much!! I'm going to take your lead and get the same thing. Winston is already a little heavy even though he's only 4 months old. But, I like the idea of mixing. So, do you mix these together evenly and then take that and mix it with your existing food? I know you have to introduce gradually; my concern is introducing two new foods at once.


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## DesireeM81 (Jun 14, 2014)

On Sunday, I will have had Penny for three weeks. So what I did was found a food she would eat. The first two she wouldn't touch, the NB she liked. 

Then I mixed in a ratio of 100 old and 10 new (counting the kibbles), the next day I added 110 old and 35 new, then 100 old and 35 new the next day. From there I subtracted 10 of old and added 10 of the new each day, keeping the kibble count at 135. This was just a number that worked with me. 

Because of her non acceptance of her first two foods, I was running out of the breeder food faster than I anticipated so I had to switch her over to her new food in two weeks rather than the standard three. Her poop and appetite remained the same. If it hadn't I would have gone out and bought the same food her breeder had her to make it easier for her and I would have gone slowly. Tonight is the last night her breeder food will be available to her. Then after a few days, I am going to mix in her new food (the blue buffalo) the same way I did the first time. 

So keep the food you have now and mix it with the one food you buy her until she is switched over, about three weeks. Then I would wait a couple days to make sure she is eating her new food properly and then begin adding the second mix. 

After Penny is good on her mix I will count the kibbles like I do every day but it doesn't have to be a perfect mix. I keep my food in a tupperware container and I will eventually just mix them together and keep half in the freezer to prevent it from going stale. 

Man I type to much. :lol: Hope that helps.


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## mommacude (Apr 15, 2014)

Thank you so much!! Which do you suggest I add first? Does it matter?


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## mommacude (Apr 15, 2014)

They only have the blue Buffalo I'm going to start with that. Do you take out the dark pieces I know some people do


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## DesireeM81 (Jun 14, 2014)

I haven't start her on the BB yet. I will feed it to her when I can watch, if she has a problem then yes, if not then I'll leave it.


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