# Is my hedgehog short of fiber? what should i do?



## cheetod (Mar 9, 2009)

Hi i consulted a local vet and found out that small animals like rabbits and hamsters needs fiber in their meal and was told to feed them those special grass or hay, can a hedgehog eat that too? Is it recomended? or is there any other alternatives?


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## Zalea (Sep 12, 2008)

Hedgies do not eat grass or hay. They are also unlike rabbits and hamsters in most ways--totally different diet requirements. They also definitely don't chew on stuff like the others would need to do.
Most of the fiber comes from the kibble mix. Chicken soup for the cat lover's soul light has 8% fiber. Most other foods have about 4%. With 2-3 foods mixed together, they usually get the amount of fiber needed. If you're worried that your hedgie isn't getting enough and would like to give more, you can add infant rice cereal as a powder onto the kibble, or you can add some Grape Nuts into the mix. 
What have you been feeding your hedgie?


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## basmati (Feb 13, 2009)

I wonder about this as well. Chitin in the wild seems to be their source of fibre, so since I've started a mealworm farm, I give the little bits of exoskeleton that comes off of the pupae turning into a beatle. I put it on the treat plate, along with the beatle or mealworm, and it is gobbled up. I read about this in one of the threads (I think it was Pixie).

I wonder if chitin powder can be bought by itself, for it is found in some 'hedgehog food'. If this is available, it may be a more natural souce of fibre, than fibre for human consumption. Just a thought...


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## azyrios (Feb 2, 2009)

You can take all the exo-skeletons you find from the meal worms and grind them up and sprinkle it on his food, that might help.


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## basmati (Feb 13, 2009)

I thought about doing this as well, but from reading the farming mealworm thread, the mealworms need to be able to eat their older exoskeletons to be healthy. The farm needs to be strirred once in a while. Please let me know if this in incorrect, otherwise, I have another source of homegrown chitin I'll add.


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