# Opinions on Hedgehog Complete?



## lifequards (Mar 28, 2015)

Hello again!

I was wanting to switch out my hedgie's food I've been giving him to something more nutritious.

I was wondering what was other's opinions on Hedgehog Complete food by The Exotic Nutrition Pet Company?

I would preferred if someone who has actually tried it to answer, but here are the ingredients anyways:


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## MomLady (Aug 14, 2010)

This is not good. There are 2 kinds of corn and 2 kinds of soy in the first 5 ingredients. (Corn and soy are just about the 2 most GMO foods out there). Then there's cane molasses (sugar). None of this tells you the source either on the bloodmeal or the tallow. That's why most people think "hedgehog" food is crap. Your hedgie would be better off eating the box it came in.

Get something that has real food for at least the first 5 ingredients. 

There are plenty of good stickies on what you should look for in a good food.


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## SarahAlwaysWins (Dec 19, 2013)

MomLady is right. In fact, most commercial hedgehog foods are no good for hedgehogs. You definitely want a named meat (chicken, turkey, lamb, etc.) as a first or second ingredient. "Bloodmeal" as a primary ingredient doesn't sound at all healthy for a hedgehog, and I don't see any meats at all in those ingredients.

I would look for a food off of this list: http://www.hedgehogcentral.com/forums/12-diet-nutrition/23042-recommended-foods-list.html and I also recommend looking over this nutrition guide sticky: http://www.hedgehogcentral.com/forums/12-diet-nutrition/23034-beginner-s-guide-hedgehog-nutrition.html


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## lifequards (Mar 28, 2015)

I use blue buffalo for my dogs, I can get some for cats, but I want to mix dried meal worms into the meals?


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## shinydistraction (Jul 6, 2014)

You want to avoid freeze dried insects. They've been known to cause impactions. There's no moisture in them and if your hedgehog does not drink enough water to make up for how dry the mealworms are it basically plugs up your hedgies system.


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## lifequards (Mar 28, 2015)

haha... I wasn't planning on freezing them.


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## Lilysmommy (Jan 7, 2009)

Dried insects are typically freeze dried - they're dried at cold temperatures to remove all of the moisture. They're not safe for the reasons ShinyDistraction stated.  It's best to offer live, regular frozen/thawed, or canned insects to avoid impaction risks.


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## lifequards (Mar 28, 2015)

I usually give him alive but I just can't kill them for him anymore... Breaks my heart.


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## sakitnyatudisini (Apr 4, 2015)

MomLady said:


> This is not good. There are 2 kinds of corn and 2 kinds of soy in the first 5 ingredients. (Corn and soy are just about the 2 most GMO foods out there). Then there's cane molasses (sugar). None of this tells you the source either on the bloodmeal or the tallow. That's why most people think "hedgehog" food is crap. Your hedgie would be better off eating the box it came in.
> 
> Get something that has real food for at least the first 5 ingredients.
> 
> There are plenty of good stickies on what you should look for in a good food.


agreed with Momlady!!!


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## nikki (Aug 28, 2008)

You said you wanted to mix dried mealworms into the food? Not a good idea at all. Dried mealworms aren't good for hedgehogs and can cause intestinal impactions.


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## Ccino0830Emma (May 3, 2015)

Do not use food made for hedgehogs .. it sounds ridiculous I know but it usually is NOT GOOD or healthy. I bought my little guy at a pet store (he was healthy) the only issue was the food they were feeding him it was a food made for hedgehogs and the first ingredient was corn! Luckily they just got my baby in 3 days ago so he was not to hooked on it. I began switching his food right away and saw a major difference in his appearance and personality (his poop did not stink as much thank goodness!). I feed him Blue freedom indoor cat food and he loves it !


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## lifequards (Mar 28, 2015)

lifequards said:


> I usually give him alive mealworms but I just can't kill them for him anymore... Breaks my heart.


This ^


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## Lilysmommy (Jan 7, 2009)

Usually hedgehogs can kill the mealworms for themselves. But if it bothers you that much, canned is a better option than dried mealworms. They retain more moisture & aren't going to cause impactions (unless your hedgie eats a ton at once & has trouble digesting the exoskeleton).


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## lifequards (Mar 28, 2015)

My hedgehog won't eat them unless they are dead. He is very skittish to quick movements.


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## Lilysmommy (Jan 7, 2009)

Ahhh, a failed hunter! :lol: Hedgies that are afraid of their food or bad at hunting insects make me giggle. Lily did okay with mealworms, but live crickets scared her, and the one time I tried to feed her a mealworm beetle, it grabbed her nose & that was the end of that. She wanted nothing to do with them after that, dead or alive! Guess I can't blame her, but it was still a bit funny.

But yeah, I would check out canned ones!  You can freeze half of the can after opening so they don't go bad before you use them. They'll be much safer for him, & you won't have to kill them yourself. They do smell pretty bad, though, just to warn you!


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## nikki (Aug 28, 2008)

If you keep the mealworms in the fridge and feed them to her without letting them warm up they won't move much, if at all. Maybe she'll be better with them that way


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## lifequards (Mar 28, 2015)

He is very skittish. He lived in a home with a bunch of children. I'm working on making him comfortable around my 6 year old nephew right now haha.

I don't care if they smell bad. My dogs are hunters and like to bring in squirrels and bunnies inside the house.


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