# Food for weight gain



## nuttylover (Jun 5, 2015)

Hello!  My hedgie is 11 months already and he is an avid runner. He lost a few grams (51 grams to be exact) during the past month because of his running. I was wondering what type of food I can give him to make him gain some weight? He is on Royal Canin Kitten Cat Food, and every night I give him 5 mealworms and 1/2 teaspoon of apple.

Thank you


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## Lilysmommy (Jan 7, 2009)

I double checked & noticed you're from the Phillipines. I was going to suggest a better quality food, but I'm guessing Royal Canin is one of the better brands available there? I know other owners in your area have had a difficult time finding good foods that are available to you. 

If you can look around & see if there are other higher quality foods with a bit higher fat (something around 18-20%, maybe), you could mix it with the RC & see if that helps. You can also up his amount of mealworms (just go slowly & watch for any signs that he might be having trouble digesting the exoskeletons), and if you can get waxworms, they are even higher in fat & would make a good treat for him. 

A side-note, but I wouldn't offer him apple every night. It's best to limit fruit to a few times a week due to the sugar content, and it'd be a good idea to vary his extra food/treats each night if you can. I know many hedgies are picky, but sometimes they'll try new things once it's been offered a few times. Because he has trouble keeping weight on, a better treat for him would be plain cooked or raw meat (make sure raw meat comes from a trustworthy source, otherwise cook it to avoid parasite & bacterial risks), especially meats that are higher in fat (pork, beef, etc.).


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## nuttylover (Jun 5, 2015)

Thank you so much for the advice  I tried looking for a better catfood with higher percentage of fat but to no success  Also, is it alright to increase his intake of dried mealworms? The pet stores here no longer sell the live or canned ones. I was just thinking of giving him pumpkin to help with his bowel movement. I'll definitely try giving him some beef and some eggs and other fruits. Once again thank you. Really appreciate it


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## Lilysmommy (Jan 7, 2009)

Hm...dried mealworms are more risky. Any chance you could order in a supply of canned ones? I'm not sure if there are websites that would ship to you without ridiculous shipping prices, but might be worth checking. If not, maybe you could try rehydrating the dried mealworms by putting them in some water before feeding. Will probably end up being gross, but also worth a try. :lol: If they're rehydrated, I would think that would help make them safer.

Also, I don't know if you're on any of the hedgehog Facebook groups, but I know there's one for Philippine owners, with a couple of great people (who I believe are also breeders). They might be able to help if they've found any other good sources for good quality food, and may be able to help with other things as well.


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## nuttylover (Jun 5, 2015)

Uh-oh he likes his mealworms crunchy :lol: but I'll try wetting them so he wouldn't have any bowel problems. 

I tried searching for groups in FB but I found none that are really active  do you know any? 

Thank you so much I really appreciate all the advice


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## Lilysmommy (Jan 7, 2009)

I found the one I was talking about!  I forgot that I bookmarked it last time I found it so I could refer new Philippine forum users to it. I'm not in the group, so I'm not sure how active it is, but I hope it'll be useful! https://www.facebook.com/groups/PinoyHedgieLove/


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## nuttylover (Jun 5, 2015)

Thank you so much


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## nuttylover (Jun 5, 2015)

Hello again!  I want to thank you once more for all the advice. Just one last question. I went to the pet store today to look for some organic meat for my hedgie. And I found the brand Orijen. It's freeze dried made with chicken, turkey, chicken and turkey liver, and flounder. The analyses are: protein 45%, fat 35%, fiber 1%, and moisture 2%. Is it alright to give it to him for him to gain some weight?  Thank you again!


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## Lilysmommy (Jan 7, 2009)

Orijen is the best brand available in many people's eyes.  The protein is pretty high for hedgehogs - it's generally recommended they have 35% or less protein. However, since it's freeze-dried, you should probably soak that in water as well before offering & see if he'll eat it. The dangers with protein is when it's dry, because it's hard for the kidneys to process it, especially if the animal doesn't drink enough water. So soaking the food in water should help eliminate that risk. I would definitely give it a try & see if he likes it! And I'm always happy to help.


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## nuttylover (Jun 5, 2015)

Wow! Thank you so much


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## nuttylover (Jun 5, 2015)

Update:

He LOVES the Orijen! He gobbled them up immediately. Thanks for giving the advice regarding moistening it


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## Lilysmommy (Jan 7, 2009)

That's awesome, I'm glad he likes it so much!  Orijen is one of the most recommended foods on my raw feeding (for dogs/cats) group as an alternative for raw feeding. I'm so glad you guys have it available to you there!


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