# New Diet for a Sensitive Hedgie... Help!



## shan (Oct 20, 2010)

Hello,

I am a new hedgie owner of 2.5 weeks. The breeder originally had Clive on a diet of 3 different cat foods and 1 hedgehog food. The breeder kept Clive for an extra week due to soft stool. She discovered that it was his diet. So she put him on a combination of a cat food and a hedgehog food. This fixed his soft stool troubles. I have kept him on the same diet that the breeder sent him home on:

Cat food: Max Cat Adult Roasted Chicken Flavour
http://www.thenutrocompany.com/max-cat/adult-cat-food-chicken.aspx

Hedgehog Food: Sunseed Sunscription Vita Hedgehog Formula 
http://www.petco.com/product/106692...Hedgehog-Adult-Food.aspx?CoreCat=OnSiteSearch

I fill Clive's dish with a mixture of the two foods. Clive will eat ALL of the Cat food from his dish on the first night - leaving all of the hedgehog formula in his dish. I told the breeder this, She said that she usually leaves the dish of hedgehog formula in his cage and Clive will be so hungry that he will eat it the next night. That seems a little harsh to me. On the nights that I leave the hedgehog formula in the dish, he eats less than usual.

I want to switch him over to a new diet, but I am uncertain where to start. I have read numerous threads on the site in regards to food... but I am feeling overwhelmed. What would you recommed for a hedgie with a sensitive digestive system? Is the cat food ok for him? He seems to love it 

Thanks for the help! This site is invaluable to a new hedgie owner!


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## Puffers315 (Apr 19, 2010)

viewtopic.php?f=6&t=15

The link above is the recommended cat food list for hedgehogs, not sure if you have found it but I know sometimes I was having problems finding it, though I think its tacked up in the thread. All these foods have been approved for hedgehog use.

If it was me and the hedgehog as you say is a little sensitive to various foods (they all can but I would assume just like humans, some may be more so than most), I would pick out a food, start with the double meat ones, introduce it to his diet to see if he's going to like it, eat it, and of course see if its not going to horribly upset his stomach. Like with any hog, slowly introduce it, give him only a few pieces the first night and see if he eats them, if he does, then slowly increase the # of kibbles per night, while decreasing one of the other foods.

The Sunseed is basically garbage health wise, so I'd slowly remove that first. If everything goes well, find a second food, and then start replacing the Max Cat with it, again slowly. Might take ya a month, but in the end he'll be on a much better mix.


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## shan (Oct 20, 2010)

Thanks,

I did read the list of recommended cat foods, there are so many, which combination is best? Will any 2 or 3 do? Is there a popular combination?

I totally agree with the Hedgehog food being crap. That is why I want to switch.


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## Nancy (Aug 22, 2008)

Max cat isn't a great food but I'd keep him on it for now as you research other foods. Sunseed is adequate in a mix of good foods but if he won't eat it, there is no point in keeping it. Keeping it in his cage until he gets hungry enough as the breeder suggested is horrible. It's not like it's a good food anyway, so why starve him to make him eat it. 

Since he has a sensitive tummy you are probably better to go with a medium quality food. Avoid Wellness as it can cause tummy upsets in many hedgehogs. 

I know there are a few people on here who have hedgehogs with sensitive digestion so they can recommend a food. 

The sensitivity may be because he is young and keeping him on the Max cat for another month or so before introducing a new food will give him time to grow a bit a possibly be able to tolerate new foods better. 

Did the breeder tell you what the 3 foods he had been on were?


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## shan (Oct 20, 2010)

Nancy said:


> Did the breeder tell you what the 3 foods he had been on were?


 She didn't say, but below is a link to her site where she sells pre-mixed bags of the food she feeds them. Maybe someone could identify it by the picture??

http://helenshedgehogs.webs.com/apps/webstore/products/show/1562326


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## Hedgieonboard (Nov 15, 2009)

I looked at the picture but I couldn't enlarge it enough to make out the details of the food that might identify it. I'd try calling her or getting a hold of her to see what the foods the hedgie was being feed while with her.


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## shan (Oct 20, 2010)

Thanks for trying to enlarge the picture... I figured it was a long shot 

I just heard back from Clive's breeder. I was told:"_The mix he was originally on was 1/4 max cat, 1/2 cup purina one chicken and rice, and 1/2 cup purina indoor cat. " _

( I think she means 1/4 cup Max Cat)

The above mix is what upset his digestive system. His current diet is Max Cat and Sunseed Hedgehog food.

Any thoughts on what to try now?

Thanks for your help


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## tie-dye hedgie (Dec 19, 2009)

Blue Buffalo, Solid Gold, and Chicken Soup for the Cat Lover's Soul are good choices. Just remember to add the new kibble very slowly, so there won't be upset tummy issues and to stick around or below 30% protein and around or below 15% fat. Also, once he is eating the new food(s) regularly, I'd start to remove the Sunseed. I looked up the ingredients and nutritional facts about Max cat food and found the corn is the #2 ingredient and it's about 32% protein and 17% fat, so maybe take that away too and stick with the Blue Buffalo, Solid Gold, and CSFTCLS. Others will come along and offer their opinions hopefully soon.


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## susanaproenca (Aug 14, 2010)

I have Natural Balance Green Pea and Duck in Col. Mustard's mix and she loves it. I also have Wellness Healthy Weight and Harmony Farms Chicken and Brown Rice (this one isn't in the food list here) and so far I've been very satisfied with my choices.


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## shan (Oct 20, 2010)

Thanks for the suggestions everyone!



tie-dye hedgie said:


> Blue Buffalo, Solid Gold, and Chicken Soup for the Cat Lover's Soul are good choices.





susanaproenca said:


> I have Natural Balance Green Pea and Duck in Col. Mustard's mix and she loves it. I also have Wellness Healthy Weight and Harmony Farms Chicken and Brown Rice (this one isn't in the food list here) and so far I've been very satisfied with my choices.


Are these foods ok for a sensitive tummy?

Thanks again


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## susanaproenca (Aug 14, 2010)

Wellness is very rich and I've heard a lot of hedgehogs have upset stomach when eating it, but it's fine for my hedgehog.

Whatever you decide to get, make sure you introduce it to her diet VERY slowly, like 1-2 of the new kibble the first night, increase it with another 1-2 kibble the following night, etc.


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## shan (Oct 20, 2010)

I will definitely be introducing his new diet very gradually as recommended.

Does anyone else have some food suggestions for a sensitive tummy?

Here's what previously upset Clive's tummy:

purina one chicken and rice, and purina indoor cat 

I am going shopping tomorrow, any (more) help would be great!


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