# Feeding mealworms.



## Juicebox (Mar 22, 2009)

Today at the vet, the doctor asked me if I fed the mealworms. I told him no, because I feed them out of the container to juicebox. He told me that where these mealworms come from its very dirty and that theres a lot of bacteria in them and that I need to feed the mealworms so that it can push out all the junk they were eating before filled with bacteria. And that if I fed the worms nutritional stuff like cricket food that they would be better filled with nutrients and it would be better for juicebox and her immune system since she has mange. Is this true?


----------



## azyrios (Feb 2, 2009)

Juicebox said:


> Today at the vet, the doctor asked me if I fed the mealworms. I told him no, because I feed them out of the container to juicebox. He told me that where these mealworms come from its very dirty and that theres a lot of bacteria in them and that I need to feed the mealworms so that it can push out all the junk they were eating before filled with bacteria. And that if I fed the worms nutritional stuff like cricket food that they would be better filled with nutrients and it would be better for juicebox and her immune system since she has mange. Is this true?


Let me try and comprehend this.

The vet asked you if you fed the mealworms yourself. You said no, you jsut feed them to juicebox as you buy them, right out of the container.

The next sentence reads:
He then said that "these mealworms" come from a very dirty place adn you should feed juicebox "the mealworms" so that it can help to clear her bowels?

But actually means:
The mealworms are living in a very dirty environment and need to be moved onto clean food so that they will become better for juicebox to eat.

The last part states that mealworms need cricket food to pump them up with nutrients.

When you buy meal worms they should be kept in oats or something like that. They will dig in the oats and eat them. Meal worms should not be kept in dirt or something gross. If you bought meal worms that are like this, they should not be fed to your hedgehog at all, and you should find a different retailer. Meal worms should be fed half of a potatoes or carrot for moisture, and it should be changed when it dries up before it gets mold on it.

Mealworms do not need a special formula to be fed unless you are "gut-loading" them as a calcium supplement.

Meal worms are not the nutritional part of your hedgehogs diet. All the nutrients she needs should be in her high quality cat food that you should be feeding her. Meal worms are treats and she should not live off of them. The chitin they carry does help clear the intestines, but what you feed them does not change their chitin structure. It is always the same molecule.

Mange on the other hand is a form of mites that imbeds itself in the animals skin or hair follicals and will cause the hedgehog to lose quills or fur. Hedgehogs can get Sarcoptic mange, which is highly contagious, and can infect humans easily.

Also "These mites dig into and through the skin, causing intense itching and crusting that can quickly become infected. Hair loss and crusting frequently appear first on elbows and ears. Skin damage can occur from the dog's intense scratching and biting and secondary skin infection is common. Dogs with chronic sarcoptic mange are often in poor condition." Explains your hedgehogs scratching and puncturing of the skin. Even though it talks about dogs, it is the same for most animals with sarcoptic mange.

You mite also want to note that: "Affected dogs need to be isolated from other dogs and their bedding, and places they have occupied must be thoroughly cleaned. Other dogs in contact with a diagnosed case should be evaluated and treated."

Since it is highly contagious that means you need to THOROUGHLY clean juiceboxes cage, liners, bedding, bowls, wheel, ramps, igloo, ect. If there is anything wood, throw it away as you cannot get the mites out of it. You should also bath juicebox with an oatmeal bath (no soap because of the wound) to help soften her skin in case of itchiness.

The ivermectin injection juicebox received is a form of mite control that is injected twice a week, it has also caused the death of a few hedgehogs because the vet did not use it properly. Revolution is a much safer version. Unfortunately the cat revolution does not help with sarcoptic mange, the dog version does, and after juicebox is done with the ivermectin injections i would see about using the topical dog revolution as a preventative measure for the future.


----------



## Juicebox (Mar 22, 2009)

Haha I just confused myself reading the sentences I wrote. Okay he told me to feed the mealworms I have a nutrient filled food so that their stomachs would be clean and bacteria-free and when Juicebox ate them they wouldnt contain any bacteria that could harm her. Make sense now? o-o And yeah, they came in like, this weird light brown powder. Like super thin oatmeal poweder or something.


----------



## azyrios (Feb 2, 2009)

if you put them on just plain old oats they should be fine. Give them a new carrot every 2 days. I just use baby carrots


----------



## Juicebox (Mar 22, 2009)

So can I just keep them in the stuff I bought them in and just put a carrot every two days?


----------



## azyrios (Feb 2, 2009)

i would get them out of whatever they are on. Powder or dirt is not good for them to be on. Put them on oats. They need the oats for food and the carrot for moisture.


----------



## Juicebox (Mar 22, 2009)

Alright ill go get that stuff tomorrow at the grocery store since everything is closed for the night.


----------



## dorasdaddy (Dec 23, 2008)

Juicebox said:


> Alright ill go get that stuff tomorrow at the grocery store since everything is closed for the night.


Everything in Miami is closed for the night?


----------



## LizardGirl (Aug 25, 2008)

Dorasdaddy, please stop trying to find flaws in everything she says.

Juicebox, the mealies will eat the wheat bran they came in. There isn't any need to "remove dangerous bacteria" that I have ever heard of. I wouldn't worry about it.


----------



## dorasdaddy (Dec 23, 2008)

sorry, meant to pm


----------



## azyrios (Feb 2, 2009)

LizardGirl said:


> Dorasdaddy, please stop trying to find flaws in everything she says.
> 
> Juicebox, the mealies will eat the wheat bran they came in. There isn't any need to "remove dangerous bacteria" that I have ever heard of. I wouldn't worry about it.


is that what the powdered brown stuff is? Wheat Bran. Sorry never heard of it, from ths description it sounded like dirt =D


----------



## Juicebox (Mar 22, 2009)

Yeah im guessing. It looks edible like a grinded oatmeal or what lizardgirl said lmao. I put a potato in there o-o, not sure if thats good too because I couldnt find any carrots. -_- And dorasdaddy, its 11pm and I have to get up at 5am for school tomorrow. The worms can wait, its not like Juicebox is in DIREEE need of a mealworm right now.


----------



## azyrios (Feb 2, 2009)

make sure the potato is cut in half. They need the moisture.


----------



## Juicebox (Mar 22, 2009)

Yeah I cut a little slice and dropped it in because there's not many worms left.


----------

