# Can hedgehogs eat soy products?



## friendofelves (Apr 25, 2009)

My apologizes if this is listed somewhere, I've searched all the food lists I can find and I haven't seen soy products on any of them. I'm a vegan so I eat soy products frequently (mock meats and "cheezes", soy milk, tofu, tempeh, etc.) are these hedgie safe? Naturally none of them have dairy and as long as they don't have other unsafe ingredients, is there a problem? Thanks!


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## Toe (Jan 2, 2009)

As a treat I doubt it would hurt, but are you planning to make it a major part of a hedgie's diet?


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## friendofelves (Apr 25, 2009)

Toe said:


> As a treat I doubt it would hurt, but are you planning to make it a major part of a hedgie's diet?


I'm certainly not planning on making it a major part of the diet, I just wanted to know for reference. Thanks


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## HedgeMom (Nov 7, 2008)

Soy in and of itself is safe to feed as a treat (with the exception of soy nuts, which pose a choking hazard). What I would be leery of is the amount of sodium in prepared vegan products. Mock meats and cheese are often very high sodium to make up for the lack of flavor. Sodium isn't healthy in those amounts for hedgehogs. I dry fry my tofu before marinating so it would be fine after it's cooked and before it's marinated.

One other thing. There is literally NO medical information on hedgehogs and soy. There are quite a few breeds of dogs who cannot have soy because it inhibits natural thyroid function in them. We don't know if this possibility exists in hedgehogs so it's best to limit it to the occasional treat. Also, soy should never be used as a sole protein source as it's not fully digestible by most animals.

Lastly, because I am driven by OCD* to say it, PLEASE do not try to make your hedgehog a vegetarian. They are an omnivore and require a balanced diet of meats, vegetables and grains. No, you do not need to feed insects and the hedgehog will live quite well without them if you have an aversion to feeding them. But the rest of the diet needs to be followed for the best health of the animal.


*I once met a person who tried to make their snake eat vegan so I'm a bit gun-shy.


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## Toe (Jan 2, 2009)

^ That's exactly why I asked. It makes me sick when I see people forcing obligate carnivores like cats & dogs into a vegetarian diet. If that's your lifestyle, fine, but don't force it onto animals that are built to eat meat. _That_ is cruelty to animals.


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## friendofelves (Apr 25, 2009)

HedgeMom said:


> Soy in and of itself is safe to feed as a treat (with the exception of soy nuts, which pose a choking hazard). What I would be leery of is the amount of sodium in prepared vegan products. Mock meats and cheese are often very high sodium to make up for the lack of flavor. Sodium isn't healthy in those amounts for hedgehogs. I dry fry my tofu before marinating so it would be fine after it's cooked and before it's marinated.
> 
> One other thing. There is literally NO medical information on hedgehogs and soy. There are quite a few breeds of dogs who cannot have soy because it inhibits natural thyroid function in them. We don't know if this possibility exists in hedgehogs so it's best to limit it to the occasional treat. Also, soy should never be used as a sole protein source as it's not fully digestible by most animals.
> 
> ...


I'm not really comfortable with feeding live bugs, but I'm not going to make my hedgehog vegetarian, don't worry. I'm aware you can buy dried bugs? And I have cats, not vegetarian and the hedgehog will just eat their food (it's the correct kind.)

I'm not really planning on giving my hedgie soy all that often, I was just wondering for future reference. If any soy is given, it will be an occasional treat. Soy isn't even my sole protein source, I wouldn't dream of doing that to a hedgehog.

Thanks


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## Toe (Jan 2, 2009)

Yeah, you can get freeze-dried mealworms from most pet stores. Look in the reptiles section. 

Note that these should only be given as treats. Dried insects don't have the same enzymes in them that causes live insects to break down when eaten. There's one story posted online of a poor hedgie who was fed dried insects as his main diet. They basically clogged his digestive tract and killed him.


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## Immortalia (Jan 24, 2009)

They also come in "canned" which is softer than freeze dried, however, it does spoil quickly and you need to keep it in the fridge.


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## Coloraturable (Jun 23, 2015)

After reading this, I offered Tiffany a shelled and peeled boiled edamame. He gobbled it right up! I think soy beans are a close second to peeled blueberries for his favorite treat ^^


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## Artemis-Ichiro (Jan 22, 2016)

Coloraturable said:


> After reading this, I offered Tiffany a shelled and peeled boiled edamame. He gobbled it right up! I think soy beans are a close second to peeled blueberries for his favorite treat ^^


This thread is from 2009, please do not bring back dead threads.


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## MaryAndrews (May 24, 2016)

Yes.


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## Artemis-Ichiro (Jan 22, 2016)

MaryAndrews said:


> Yes.


Please check the dates before posting on a thread, this thread is from 2009.


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