# My hedgie only likes to eat Innova Evo



## keeplayer (Jul 30, 2011)

I recently acquired a 6 week old hedgie and started him on my cats food which is the Innova Evo turkey formula. He has been on this now for several weeks and according to this site and others is too high in protein and fat (probably calories too). My problem is this: he won't eat anything else! I tried Wellness Indoor formula and he didn't like it very much (shape related maybe?) and it gave him diarrhea so badly he had blood in his stool, even though I had just started to add it to his diet. I put him back on the Innova and stools were normal within a day. I just bought Natural Planet Organics cat food and he won't eat it. How bad is the Evo for him to stay on? He also eats mealworms and freeze dried chicken. Thanks


----------



## Lilysmommy (Jan 7, 2009)

The fat content isn't so bad, since he's still a baby. 15-20% fat is a good amount for babies, since they can use it for growing. However, if this is what you're using - http://www.evopet.com/products/default. ... ga&id=1500 - the protein is definitely much too high! You really want to shoot for around 30% and it's not something that you can be too relaxed about. Too high of protein can cause kidney issues, causing kidney failure and death. I would definitely suggest that you keep looking for a different food to switch him to. It can be hard since they like to be picky, as you're experiencing, but it's important. Wellness is known to cause diarrhea/loose stools for many hedgehogs, thought to be caused by how rich it is. There's a cat food list in this section of the forum that can give you ideas for more brands to look for. Some popular ones on the forum are Blue Buffalo, Natural Balance, Chicken Soup, Innova (but not EVO), and Solid Gold. Since it is such a toss-up on whether they'll like a food, before you start buying new ones, you can ask at the pet store whether they'll let you return opened bags of food if he doesn't like them. I know Petco, Petsmart, and Pet Supplies Plus all do, so it's worth asking about.


----------



## hanhan27 (May 12, 2011)

I just wanted to confirm the Wellness thing. My hedgie has had soft stools ever since she started eating it regularly. I'm going to slowly start switching it out for something different.

You could also try posting in the For Trade section - maybe someone would be willing to trade you a ziploc bag of a cat food they have for a ziploc bag of something you have tried that your hedgie doesn't like. That way you could try something new without the hassle of going to the store twice to buy and return a new kind.


----------



## TeddysMommy (Apr 24, 2011)

Before I got Teddy I read up on Wellness, the reason it gives diarrhea is that it is so rich and flavorful... Have you tried Blue Buffalo Basics Turkey & Potato? It is made for sensitive tummies and it's the only thing my hedgehog eats  I hope you check it out


----------



## keeplayer (Jul 30, 2011)

Thank you all so much for the advice, I have started mixing Remy's Evo with Natural Planet Organics cat food. He seems to like it after the first couple days of rebellion... =) He had soft stool the first time he ate a few pieces but now back to normal (a bit more in quantity perhaps due to the peas in it?). Are yellow peas ok for him? They are the 3rd ingredient. The food is 30% protein, 14% fat and 6% fiber so seems good. Thanks


----------

