# Sticky  Treat List (Safe Fruits and Veggies)



## LizardGirl

Text:

"
*Treats*

*Here is a list of some acceptable treats to offer:*
Unseasoned meats: (baked, boiled, browned or roasted) beef, chicken, duck, lamb, turkey, fish, etc.
Fruits: apple, banana, blackberries, blueberries, cantaloupe, cherry, cranberries, honeydew, kiwi, papaya, peach, pear, plum, pumpkin, raspberries, squash, strawberry, watermelon
Veggies: asparagus, bell peppers, broccoli, carrot, celery, cilantro, corn, cucumber, green beans, green pepper, peas, spinach, sprouts, sweet potato, turnip, zucchini, leafy greens
Unseasoned eggs: scrambled, hard boiled, etc. (it's recommended they be cooked)
Baby food: all flavors should be fine, Gerber Baby meat sticks and sweet potatoes are popular
Wet cat food: choose one without by-products or unhealthy preservatives and feed in moderation, they are usually very high in protein and fat
Cottage cheese and non-sugary yogurt: hedgies are lactose intolerant, but some like this in very small amounts.
Insects: as covered on the previous page

*Some treats that are unacceptable to offer are:*
Anything citrus: oranges, lemons, limes, grapefruit, pineapple, etc.
Most dried fruits: these can be choked on, and can get caught in the roof of the mouth or stuck in the teeth
Raisins: besides the fact that they are dried fruit, grapes and raisins are toxic even in very small amounts.
Avocados: toxicity unknown
Onions, garlic, chives: these contain poisonous sulfur compounds that are dangerous in large amounts - it's safest to avoid them
Rhubarb leaves: they're not good for dogs, so it's safe to guess they aren't good for hedgies either
Human junk food: these are high in fat, salt, preservatives, and many other things bad for hedgies.
Chocolate: same as for human junk food.
Peanuts and other legumes: these can get caught in the roof of the mouth and are easily choked on.
Pits and seeds: these can be toxic (depending on the fruit) and are a choking hazard. Hedgies are not rodents, they aren't made to gnaw open seeds.

Make sure every treat is unsalted and unseasoned. Veggies are fine fresh or steamed. Make sure whatever you offer is cut into pea-sized pieces, too large can be a choking hazard or get stuck in the roof of your hedgie's mouth. Lunch meat is not a good idea because of how processed it is. They are often smoked, salted, or preserved, and are high in fat. Don't overfeed fruits or vegetables, they are very watery and can cause stomach upsets and loose poop.
It's best to try only one new treat at a time. This is important to avoid stomach upsets (which are common with new foods) and to narrow down what it was if your hedgie had any problems with something offered. If you offer too many things at once, you won't be able to tell which it is that is causing the problem.
A lot of hedgies are not very open to trying new foods. Keep offering the treat for several nights, or wait a while and try again. Sometimes what they refused one night they will devour the next. Try putting the treat in his food dish with his normal kibble. Warming up the treat a bit can also make it smell more appetizing. Remember that some hedgies will just refuse to try new things. As long as he is getting a good mix of high quality foods you shouldn't need to worry.
If you open up a jar of baby food or wet cat food, you can freeze the remaining into ice cubes that way it stays fresh longer. This is especially helpful if your hedgie only eats a tiny bit and you don't want to waste half the jar/can. If you have fruits or veggies you want to save, this works well for them as well."

Some good notes on additional considerations for acidic fruits and sugar:


moxieberry said:


> 1. "Anything citrus" can more broadly be taken as "anything acidic". Tomatoes, therefore, are also something to avoid, because of the acidity level. Pomegranates, which I've seen one or two people ask about before, would also fall under this category - they are probably one of the most acidic fruits out there, possibly moreso than pineapple; definitely moreso than pineapple when the pineapple is ripe and sweet.
> 
> 2. Fruits (and some vegetables) that are on the "acceptable" list should still be considered in terms of the sugar content. Some of them are fine in small amounts but could cause an upset stomach (loose/runny poops) if given in larger amounts, or if given daily. The same thing can be caused by too much of fruits/vegetables with a very high water content, and the ones that are mostly made of water aren't going to have much nutrients in them either. Examples: watermelon (a lot of water/sugar); cucumber (all water, almost no nutrients); cherries (high sugar content).
> 
> In general, for anyone wanting to supplement kibble with fruits/vegetables: vegetables are much better for use as a daily addition to the diet (more nutritional value, less sugar), whereas most fruits are better used as treats or as something that's offered a few times a week, rather than daily. It can depend on the specific fruit/vegetable, though. (Peas, for instance, are rather high in sugar as well, and would be better used every few days, or only as a small part of a daily diet. On the other hand, pumpkin is great and high in fiber, and would work well if used daily.)


*Additional safe treats:*

*Additional treats to avoid:*
Raw Potatoes (assumed dangerous, they are dangerous to dogs)

Feel free to add or ask about others that aren't listed here! I'll try to update this first post as more foods are discussed to reflect as many as we know are safe or not.


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## moxieberry

Love this! Now it just needs to be a sticky! 

I have two small things to add:

1. "Anything citrus" can more broadly be taken as "anything acidic". Tomatoes, therefore, are also something to avoid, because of the acidity level. Pomegranates, which I've seen one or two people ask about before, would also fall under this category - they are probably one of the most acidic fruits out there, possibly moreso than pineapple; definitely moreso than pineapple when the pineapple is ripe and sweet.

2. Fruits (and some vegetables) that are on the "acceptable" list should still be considered in terms of the sugar content. Some of them are fine in small amounts but could cause an upset stomach (loose/runny poops) if given in larger amounts, or if given daily. The same thing can be caused by too much of fruits/vegetables with a very high water content, and the ones that are mostly made of water aren't going to have much nutrients in them either. Examples: watermelon (a lot of water/sugar); cucumber (all water, almost no nutrients); cherries (high sugar content).

In general, for anyone wanting to supplement kibble with fruits/vegetables: vegetables are much better for use as a daily addition to the diet (more nutritional value, less sugar), whereas most fruits are better used as treats or as something that's offered a few times a week, rather than daily. It can depend on the specific fruit/vegetable, though. (Peas, for instance, are rather high in sugar as well, and would be better used every few days, or only as a small part of a daily diet. On the other hand, pumpkin is great and high in fiber, and would work well if used daily.)

Again, thanks for the great thread LG!


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## LizardGirl

Thanks for the input! I'll integrate some quotes from your post into the main one to be sure people see them.


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## connorshogs

Do you mind if I print this for my customers packets? If not it's ok just wanted to ask because u spent your time doing this


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## LizardGirl

Nope, don't mind, but if you'd like to say it it's an excerpt from my book and provide a link to it (link in my sig) I'd appreciate it.


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## Quinn

Great! I was actually wondering about tomatoes the other day. I dedcided not to give it because of the acidity and good thing I didn't. I also agree that it should be a sticky.


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## JulieAnne

I'm sure I already know the answer to this but, what about no-butter/unsalted popcorn? I was eating some the other day (although it did have SOME butter on it...) and Prim was trying to take me down for it lol. I gave her one TINY piece but haven't given her anymore.


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## SpiritWolves1

Love this!! Thanks for posting!

What about sea foods? Which are okay and which aren't? We eat a lot of sea foods and meats so what are the safe ones? And also what about freeze dried chicken and shrips?? I seen them in Walmart and was wondering if you can re hydrate them???


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## moxieberry

Any fish is fine, also "meaty" (crustacean) shellfish like lobster, crab, and shrimp/prawns. Mollusk-type shellfish (clams, mussels, oysters, etc) are fine in theory but the meat of them is more chewy, so a hedgehog might not do well with that - they should be cut into small pieces but be cautious until you know your hedgie doesn't have any problems with that. Same thing with squid and octopus. As with other meats, any seafood should be cooked and unseasoned. Smoked fish (such as smoked salmon/"lox") is too salty.


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## LizardGirl

JulieAnne said:


> I'm sure I already know the answer to this but, what about no-butter/unsalted popcorn? I was eating some the other day (although it did have SOME butter on it...) and Prim was trying to take me down for it lol. I gave her one TINY piece but haven't given her anymore.


Plain, unsalted popcorn would be totally safe.  I would be careful not to feed any of the annoying little kernel flakes, though.

And, just saw moxieberry replied about the seafood, so I won't reiterate.


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## momIImany

Double check the chicken treats from Wal-mart. They are made in China. I wouldn't feed any of my animals anything made in China. Too many dogs and cats lost their lives to foods produced in China and sold through Wal-mart.


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## moxieberry

Anything freeze-dried, mealworms or otherwise, can be fine but can also cause constipation for some hedgehogs if they eat too much. Depends on the individual. Fresh is always better. Plenty of the more reputable pet food companies make dehydrated or jerky treats, in my opinion it's better to go with a company that you trust and know the source of the ingredients (particularly meat) is good. That's personal preference, though.  With dehydrated or freeze-dried meat treats, there shouldn't be any problems, other than too much dehydrated food potentially being hard for some hedgehogs to process.

It wasn't asked, but since I mentioned jerky along with the dehydrated/freeze-dried, I might as well mention: treat them similar to mollusks. Small pieces and make sure the hedgie doesn't have a problem with the chewy texture, since jerky might be hard to tear pieces off. Jerky can be soaked in water for a little while to soften it if that seems to be a problem.

A lot of things designed as treats for cats or dogs, including jerky ones, are fairly high in sodium. They're fine in small amounts, but there are definitely better options. Consider that most bags of treats give a certain number per day (can vary based on the size of the animal), and then consider the size of a hedgehog, and use common sense.


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## AnnabellasMomma

When i got preston they gave me some food from what he was already eatting, we live beside a natural pet food store so what are the main factors about the car food that i should be looking for?


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## LizardGirl

Go ahead and flip through some past threads in the Diet and Nutrition forum, there are a lot of discussions about what constitutes a good or bad food. There is also a section in my book (link in my sig) discussing what to look for and what to avoid - this thread is just for treats, though.


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## JulieAnne

I know turkey and chicken is ok but what about ham? I know a lot of people think "pig meat" is gross or too fatty or something so I was wondering if that's why it's not listed? Or is it covered under "etc" lol. Trying to get rid of the left over frozen ham from Thanksgiving lol


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## moxieberry

Ham/pork is fine, but it is high in fat, so just be mindful of that.


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## JulieAnne

Thank you. I just thought it would be a yummy treat won't give it to her very often.. I'm tired of looking at it in my freezer lol.


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## Alis

Hi, I was wondering where the first info in this page came from (like the book reference).

What's wrong with grapes?, Ive never had a problem and Drs Quesenberry and carpenter list it as a safe treat in the book Ferrets, Rabbits and Rodents.

Just saw the Cited text, NVM


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## moxieberry

Grapes can cause renal failure, namely in dogs, so they aren't considered safe for hedgehogs. For dogs it's "large amounts", and not necessarily every dog will react that way, but they're definitely considered dangerous and off limits for dogs. Even one grape for a hedgehog could theoretically be a "large amount" given their small size. Since the exact toxic component hasn't been identified, and therefore it's also unknown whether only dogs are affected in this way, grapes are on the "unsafe" list for hedgehogs.


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## LizardGirl

There are hedgehogs who have gotten renal failure from grapes, as moxieberry mentioned. The page is from the book linked to in my signature.


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## Alis

I'll Stick to mealworms then xD poor thing she did love her grapes (has had 3 in all her life )


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## Ablair4611

Hey everyone, I'm new to this forum thing so if I'm doing this wrong I apologize. I have a quick question, my mother bought my hedgie some "Ferret Bites" which are banana/raisin flavored. I've read different things saying raisins are toxic and then other sites that just say they are a choking hazard? Wondering if anybody could clear this up for me? And whether or not I can give those treats?


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## LizardGirl

Welcome! I wouldn't feed them, yes, raisins can be a choking/chewing hazard (really chewy and sticky for a tiny hedgehog mouth) but the main problem is that they have caused renal failure in hedgehogs the same they can do in dogs. Better safe than sorry!


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## Lilysmommy

Grapes are considered to be a dangerous food because they're toxic for dogs, so we advise to avoid them with hedgehogs as well. I'd suggest extending that to raisins too, since they're just dried grapes. So the treats having raisin paste in the ingredients would keep me from feeding them, but...to be honest, the ingredients in general would keep me from feeding them to anything, especially ferrets. There's nothing at all nutritious in them, and your hedgie would be better off with some healthier treats like insects or plain cooked chicken or turkey.  Can your mom return the treats at all?


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## Alex

Quick question about giving them insects and stuff as treats!

How much of any given insect would you recommend giving them a day, assuming they are being given as treats? I just learned today that Hannibell likes wax worms, but I'm not sure how many would be too many for her.


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## LizardGirl

Alex said:


> Quick question about giving them insects and stuff as treats!
> 
> How much of any given insect would you recommend giving them a day, assuming they are being given as treats? I just learned today that Hannibell likes wax worms, but I'm not sure how many would be too many for her.


It really depends on how much weight she can stand to gain. Waxworms are pretty much as fatty as they come, at more than 60% fat on a dry matter basis. Mealworms are also very fatty. Crickets, while not terribly nutritious, aren't as fatty, and any of the variety of feeder roaches aren't as fatty and are a great, low-fat, highly nutritious addition to the diet. Insects like crickets, darkling beetles (the beetles mealies turn into) and roaches can pretty much be fed as much as you want without having a huge effect on weight. I personally like to aim for around 1/4th of the food fed each night being insects. Just be careful and limit how many mealworms and waxworms you feed a hedgehog that's already a good weight, I usually reserve waxworms to just ones that need to deliberately gain weight, feed mealies regularly to my more petite guys, and then feed them more sparingly as an occasional treat to the others that are already a good weight. Any that are overweight never get mealies or waxworms.


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## Alex

Thanks so much...that information was more than helpful. My only concern is that I know Hedgies need (or should at least have) at least a few insects in their diet, and wax worms are the only ones she will eat. Do you have any suggestions as to how to get her to eat other insects that wouldn't be as fatty? She's on the underweight side of things (not unhealty, she's just not as big as most hedgies usually are), and runs on her wheel constantly during the night, so I don't think her getting overweight is much of a concern as long as I don't feed her tons of them, but all the same, I'd like to be able to give her a variety, and she won't eat any of the others. What would you suggest?


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## LizardGirl

What have you tried, and have you left them in her cage overnight (versus just offering during the day) or tried putting them in her food dish instead of a separate treat dish? Did you try live or dead? If live, what did you gut load with? There are a lot of little things hedgies can like or dislike, so you can try live bugs gutloaded on a variety of things (try berries - that's how some of mine decided roach guts were yummy, though any fruit or veggie will do), you can try freezing them and then offering the dead thawed bugs, you can try offering dried bugs (just not as many, or if you do potentially soak them in water to rehydrate them a bit). Some hedgies need to have them mixed into their food before they understand they're for eating. Definitely see if you can try some different flavors, mealies, mealie beetles, roaches, crickets, even the canned grasshoppers or snails from Fluker's, in addition to the waxworms. For judging how much weight she could stand to gain, I go by "squish" on the belly, since an overhead view or judging by whether they can roll into a ball has been totally inaccurate in my experience. If she starts getting a little squishy, I'd cut back. But if she's active and just runs it all off, there's no reason not to give her fattier bugs more often!


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## Alex

I've tried mealies, both live and dried, I've tried different sizes and live and dried crickets, but haven't been able to bring myself to try roaches yet. I have left them in her food dish overnight as well as offered them during the day, and still, the only thing she goes for are wax worms; I almost wonder if it's a texture thing for her now, as she seems to like food on the softer side anyway.

Now I feel kind of ignorant though...I don't know how to go about gut loading the worms; I thought you could only do that if you were breeding them yourself? And the canned grasshoppers and snails, is there anything you have to do to them before giving them to her, or can you just give them to her right out of the can?

As far as her 'squish' goes, she's completely fine..she gets her bellyrubs all the time, so I'm always feeling for if she gets a little squishier..determining whether or not she can ball up could be more difficult because she just simply doesn't haha. She's not a skiddish hedgie at all, and hardly ever even huffs at anyone, either, so the only times she balls up are now and then when she's sleeping, but she did it just the other day without a problem, so I don't think her weight is much of an issue.  I will keep an eye out for it though.

One last question for you; are you able to breed wax worms like you can breed mealies, and how do you go about gutloading them?

Thank you again for all the information, this is above and beyond helpful, I can't thank you enough.


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## LizardGirl

No problem, I'm glad I can help! She's probably taken to the waxworms because they're so fatty, along with it being the texture - think of her eating them being like a human eating one of those soft, circle sugar cookies with the cake of frosting and sprinkles on top. I imagine that's what they're like to hedgies.  For gut loading, you can gut load any bugs you're offering live - what I usually do (for ones I don't raise myself) is feed them apple/carrot/whatever we have on hand for 2-3 days before feeding them off, to make sure they have good food in their bellies and not whatever unknown crap they were eating before - or, just to fill them up if they had nothing in them at all. The canned bugs you can feed straight out of the can, and I'm pretty sure you're supposed to refrigerate the can once it's opened. I've never used one but I've heard they don't smell great! To hedgies that might be a completely different story though. I've contemplated trying offering snails, we'll see if I ever fork over the money for those overpriced cans.  She may like them because they're softer. 

For raising waxworms, they're one I've been thinking of getting started, it's just deciding whether they're worth the effort - mealworms are the easiest feeder to produce ever, waxworms (which turn into moths) are picky, delicate little creatures that are a bit higher maintenance. If you look up "how to raise waxworms" I'm sure you can find some tutorials and see if it'd be worth it to you. Since you'd be raising them yourself, you wouldn't have to worry about gut loading them since they'd always have good food in them.


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## Alex

Okay, so you just put whatever piece of food in their little container and that's it? I wasn't sure if there was a certain way to go about it haha.

I'll definitely look into the cans, and maybe I'll try gutloading some mealies and seeing if she'll eat them then..I think I might look into trying to raise some waxworms to make sure Hannibell's not getting just the junk that they feed at waxworm farms or whatever. Hopefully she'll start taking to other insects as well, I'd like for her to have more of a variety. 

I just keep coming up with more questions for you, I'm sorry, lol, but here's one more, and I promise I'm done. When feeding the 'live' type of insect, say regular live worms or crickets or whatever; if one of the 'live' ones dies, is it still safe to feed it to the hedgie? (as opposed to feeding them frozen or freeze dried one), does that make any sense?


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## LizardGirl

Yep, you just toss a piece of fruit/veggie in their container and they'll eat it if they're hungry.  

That does make sense! I honestly debate over this myself, especially when I have perfectly good full grown roaches that die, that I hate to waste. Unfortunately I usually say that unless they've died very recently and are "fresh", it's best not to feed them. As soon as they die their insides start rotting, and if you aren't sure how long it's been it's probably best to be safe and just toss them.


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## Alex

Glad to know I'm not the only one, haha..but that's good to hear, because I've just been tossing them if they're dead and I wasn't sure if it was a waste or not.

Thanks again for all the info!


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## shirohedgie

Hi I am a new Hedgie mom. I got a handsome albino hedgie named Sebastian.
Question as treats I have been giving him
Dried Meal worms (he loves them)
Friskies Wet Chicken dinner food (i checked the label)
I have given him raisins but he don't care for them he picks them out
But he like dried banana if i break them up for him
he likes apples and bannanas
is it okay for him to eat spiders, on crawled past him the other day and he ate it? it was just a small house spider but wasn't sure if that safe?

One thing I didn't see on there is Parsley? is it okay to give him?


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## Lilysmommy

Hey there! 

As I said on the food list question as well, I would switch to live mealworms over dried - there's less chance of impaction or constipation problems from live ones. Friskies isn't a good brand at all, so I wouldn't offer anything from them. Friskies, Whiskas, Fancy Feast, they're all bad foods.

Don't give him raisins anymore - grapes are toxic to dogs and potentially dangerous to hedgehogs, so we don't recommend feeding either grapes or raisins, to be safe. I commented on the dried banana in the other thread as well - I'd avoid those and stick with fresh, especially if he already likes that.

Try to keep him from eating wild insects. Sometimes it can be hard, and usually the occasional accident won't cause problems, but wild insects could be exposed to pesticides, parasites, and spiders could be toxic. Hedgehogs are pretty hardy, but accidents do happen, and personally, I like to err on the safe side.

There's a thread about herbs, but I'm on the wrong computer and don't have it bookmarked here...But basically, herbs in general don't make the best treats because many of them have medicinal properties and some can have quite strong effects. The dosages for humans are pretty small for some of these herbs, so they'd be almost nothing for hedgehogs - so giving them even a little bit could be an overdose.


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## Vivalahedgielution

Well, as many others, my hedgie is picky. Doesn't really like carrots... barely tolerates a bite. Doesn't like green lettuce. Doesn't like asparagus. Seems to like bananas ok. Will try apple tomorrow.

I am trying to increase the fiber in his diet a bit. I can't tell if he is straining to poop because he does get it out in a quick fashion and it isn't too strange of a color and consistency is what I assume to be more or less normal. How can I tell? He looks... concentrated? But He doesn't seem to be in pain, just like he is really pushing. The really hard push leads me to believe he might need a little more fiber.

His current kibble is at 7-8% fiber and I give him mealies regularly. (Maybe too many?). Should I keep encouraging veggies to see if he'll eat them for added fiber? How do I tell if he is constipated? How much fiber is too much? I'd assume his stools would be runny if I was giving him too much.

Also, if I am just giving him mealies as treats (primarily) and supplementing with fruits and veggies on a regular to daily basis, how many mealies is too many to give? right now I give him about 3 a day :S. Maybe this is too many? I'm never sure with this whole fat vs. fiber vs. protein vs. phosphorus vs. whatever else food stuff. haha :lol: I just want to be sure that he is getting all he needs but not too much.


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## fionas_mommy

Vivalahedgielution said:


> Well, as many others, my hedgie is picky. Doesn't really like carrots... barely tolerates a bite. Doesn't like green lettuce. Doesn't like asparagus. Seems to like bananas ok. Will try apple tomorrow.


Cant really help you there with the fiber...Fiona has NO trouble going. trust me :roll: butttt, if your hedgie likes bananas (and apples) gerber makes a banana apple baby food. Fiona doesnt really take well to fresh veggies/fruits, but I really wanted to incorporate them into her food. Well, she LOVES the gerber stuff haha its real cheap and can be frozen to save for later. she was stubborn at first so i rubbed a little on her mouth so she'd lick it off. now she cant get enough. just a suggestion  good luck with the "concentrated" pooping lol


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## Vivalahedgielution

hmmm but wouldn't the added sugar antagonize the situation? :/ I eat a ton of fresh veggies and fruits, so I don't mind sharing. hehe But I think I will get some on hand I.C.O.E.


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## Lexis6011

What types of liquids can you let your hedgehog drink other than water?


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## Lilysmommy

Fruit juices from fruits you've squeezed/juiced yourself (or veggies, if you have a juicer that does those) would probably not be terrible, but there's really no point - the added sugar from fruit juice wouldn't be great for their teeth anyway. I think the only time I've seen someone mentioning adding something to their hedgie's water is adding honey or just a bit of something sweet to the water to encourage a sick hedgie to drink, or if the water source has changed and they're not drinking as much. Animals do just fine drinking water.


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## Twiggy22

what about cabbage? i havent seen that, is it safe?


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## Victoria Rose

I have a question? when cooking things for her like scrambled eggs what should it be cooked in? oil butter coconut oil?????


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## Lilysmommy

You don't really need to use anything - like for scrambled eggs, you can just put them in a bowl in the microwave & that'll cook them without needing anything and without them sticking to a pan (I think). If you do think you need to though, a tiny amount of vegetable or coconut oil probably wouldn't hurt, would just add a little more fat to the treat.


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## Victoria Rose

Thank you!!! would you by any chance know how often it I safe to give my Luna mealworms?


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## Kelcey

When I took Shamus to the vet. The doc was telling me treats his hedgehogs liked. Watermelon, crickets, RAISENS. I said (probably too quickly) " I thought they weren't suppose to have raisens." he looked at me like I was crazy and I told him they are chewy and can get stuck and possibly toxic. Apparently he never heard that and said he only gave them one every once in a while. He also mentioned hedgehog food, but didn't push it.


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## Skittles

I know baby foods are ok, in fact it's one of my favorite treats as I can syringe feed it to her for a bonding time. Anyhow I noticed most of the fruit ones have lemon juice in them, I know lemon isn't ok but I've also read that most gerber baby food is ok. If you read the ingredients on them there is lemon juice, tomato sauce (in the savoury ones)etc. can be found in a lot of them? Do you feed those, I'm especially interested in the ones with lemon juice


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## LizardGirl

As long as you'd assume it wouldn't have a distinctly lemon flavor, that should be just fine. Some foods have lemon juice in them to maintain color/texture or as a "preservative" of sorts, but shouldn't have so much that it would cause any problems.


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## cwoon

Are mango's good or bad for Delilah?


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## littlegelato22

Is chopped basil okay?


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## cwoon

Thanks for this - so helpful! Are Gerbers Graduate Blueberry Puffs and okay treat?


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## Lilysmommy

cwoon said:


> Are mango's good or bad for Delilah?


I've seen others mention feeding them, so I would guess they're safe.



littlegelato22 said:


> Is chopped basil okay?


I wouldn't give herbs - some of them have medicinal properties that could be overdosed. At any rate, they have pretty strong scents most of the time, which could be a bit shocking for a sensitive hedgie nose.



cwoon said:


> Thanks for this - so helpful! Are Gerbers Graduate Blueberry Puffs and okay treat?


Not a suggestion I've seen before! But looking at the ingredients, nothing's jumping out at me as anything bad...the worst thing would be sugar being the fourth ingredient, but still better than a lot of dog/cat treats. Could always give them a try and see.


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## Emmanuel Vandell

JulieAnne said:


> I'm sure I already know the answer to this but, what about no-butter/unsalted popcorn? I was eating some the other day (although it did have SOME butter on it...) and Prim was trying to take me down for it lol. I gave her one TINY piece but haven't given her anymore.


Once the same happened with me .I also had to share a little part of popcorn with my cute hedgehog Binny .But i was not sure at that time about whether i have to share it with my Binny or not.But now i will remain careful because i dont wana take risk for Binny's health.
Thanks dear!


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## 3tid0rpha

I've seen that beef is not suggested for hedgehogs. I wasn't sure why, but I figured better safe than sorry. It's included in that list, though, so I was just wondering what people's experience with it said.


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## Olaf&Elsa'sMomma

*Ultra Bites 8 in 1 for hedgehogs*

I recently found 8 in 1 Ultra Bites for Hedgehogs Fruit and Veggie Treat.

From reading this, is this a safe choice? Im a little confused about what I can and cannot feed him as Ive read elsewhere that this isnt safe and then it is ok.


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## Lilysmommy

No, they're not good. My mom tried to get them for Lily once. They have seeds and raisins in them, both dangerous for hedgehogs, and there's not really anything good in them. You'd be better off trying something from the list of safe treats here.


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## snickeson

This may be a stupid question, but do crunchy vegetable such as asparagus need to be cooked?


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## DesireeM81

If you don't cook it, I would definitely cut them in the kibble sized pieces to avoid choking. But a good steam wouldn't hurt. Just make sure that it is not hot when offered to the hedgehog.


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## mdcoolcat

My breeder said don't feed apple, peach, cherry...


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## Lilysmommy

Did they give any reason?


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## mdcoolcat

Nope, it's on her care sheet.


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## hedgiehome

mdcoolcat said:


> Nope, it's on her care sheet.


Which breeder did you have? My hedgie and I are also in the Seattle area


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## Sky

When is a good age to start introducing new foods? My girl will be 2 months old when she comes home next week. After she settles in a bit, can I start trying some of the treats on the list or should I wait until she's a little older for any reason?


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## sc2001

Wait a week or so for her to settle in. Make sure her poop is normal before introducing new food. Poop is a good indicator of how well your hedgie is reacting to the new food so you will need normal poop to start. 

Introduce your hedgie to new foods one by one. Don't give more than one type of new treat at a time because if your hedgie has a bad reaction, you won't know which food caused it. 

Good luck!


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## HedgiesJuliet+Jasper

What is better to feed a hedgehog normal hedgehog food or cat food?


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## Dalex65

Love the list..Thank you so much.


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## Lilysmommy

A mix of two or more good quality cat foods is best to feed hedgehogs, HedgiesJuliet+Jasper.


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## HedgiesJuliet+Jasper

Ok, and do they have to eat meal worms? I have tried feeding them but they have no interest and curl up if they see them.


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## Alaska1103

This is soo incredibly helpful. Recently I've been trying to help Alaska lose some weight


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## Shnoot

I tried peach recently but cut off the skin because I know that peach skin is actually toxic to humans if too much is ingested, so I figured it wouldn't be good for hedgies. apple skin might be a choking hazard, and cherries and peach may be just too sugary.


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## boost319

Is unflavored, original oatmeal okay? Made with water, not milk.


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## jjc2727

do you think Kaytee banana flavoured yogurt dips are good for them? I bought them at Walmart and says its for small animals but doesn't have a specific list. ive read that a littlw amount is good for cleaning out the bacterial system or something like that


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## hedgehog-Charlie

Can I give my hedgehog suager snap peas fresh .I'm new to the group


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## baby_hedgie

so glad I found this! I have had my hedgie a little over a month and al he was tried (for treats) is apples which he seems to enjoy! Can't wait to have him try all these other fruits and veggies!


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## Hazel-the-hedgie

Hello, I have been having a hard time figuring out which fruits/veggies and how often to give it to her. (like every day mixed in with her dry cat food and dry meal worms?) All I have tried to give her so far has been cucumber (with her cat food and Mealies).

thanks


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## Caitycat48

Hello! I was just wondering if Raspberries, Strawberries, Blueberries and other fruits like those are safe to feed to hedgehogs?


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## nikki

If you read the list on the first page of this thread you'll see what fruits are safe to feed.


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## ThumbTack

Newbie Hedgie Mom or 4 days 

Thank you all for all the posts on Hedgehog Central...If I would have just listened to you all instead of the the lady at the pet store, my ThumbTack would have never had a terrible last couple days of almost starving....He is all good now, because of my gut instinct, but I learned everything I know from here...I appreciate you all and I'm know Tack does too!


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## BenjaminRiley

Can I feed hedgehog some milk? B]


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## Draenog

BenjaminRiley said:


> Can I feed hedgehog some milk? B]


No. They are lactose intolerant.


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## BenjaminRiley

Draenog said:


> No. They are lactose intolerant.


Thanks!


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## milaanderson

jjc2727 said:


> do you think Kaytee banana flavoured yogurt dips are good for them? I bought them at Walmart and says its for small animals but doesn't have a specific list. ive read that a littlw amount is good for cleaning out the bacterial system or something like that


It's okay to feed them yogurt but occasionally. 1tbsp or less is ideal.


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## Hedgiesaurusrex

LizardGirl said:


> Text:
> 
> "
> *Treats*
> 
> *Here is a list of some acceptable treats to offer:*
> Unseasoned meats: (baked, boiled, browned or roasted) beef, chicken, duck, lamb, turkey, fish, etc.
> Fruits: apple, banana, blackberries, blueberries, cantaloupe, cherry, cranberries, honeydew, kiwi, papaya, peach, pear, plum, pumpkin, raspberries, squash, strawberry, watermelon
> Veggies: asparagus, bell peppers, broccoli, carrot, celery, cilantro, corn, cucumber, green beans, green pepper, peas, spinach, sprouts, sweet potato, turnip, zucchini, leafy greens
> Unseasoned eggs: scrambled, hard boiled, etc. (it's recommended they be cooked)
> Baby food: all flavors should be fine, Gerber Baby meat sticks and sweet potatoes are popular
> Wet cat food: choose one without by-products or unhealthy preservatives and feed in moderation, they are usually very high in protein and fat
> Cottage cheese and non-sugary yogurt: hedgies are lactose intolerant, but some like this in very small amounts.
> Insects: as covered on the previous page
> 
> *Some treats that are unacceptable to offer are:*
> Anything citrus: oranges, lemons, limes, grapefruit, pineapple, etc.
> Most dried fruits: these can be choked on, and can get caught in the roof of the mouth or stuck in the teeth
> Raisins: besides the fact that they are dried fruit, grapes and raisins are toxic even in very small amounts.
> Avocados: toxicity unknown
> Onions, garlic, chives: these contain poisonous sulfur compounds that are dangerous in large amounts - it's safest to avoid them
> Rhubarb leaves: they're not good for dogs, so it's safe to guess they aren't good for hedgies either
> Human junk food: these are high in fat, salt, preservatives, and many other things bad for hedgies.
> Chocolate: same as for human junk food.
> Peanuts and other legumes: these can get caught in the roof of the mouth and are easily choked on.
> Pits and seeds: these can be toxic (depending on the fruit) and are a choking hazard. Hedgies are not rodents, they aren't made to gnaw open seeds.
> 
> Make sure every treat is unsalted and unseasoned. Veggies are fine fresh or steamed. Make sure whatever you offer is cut into pea-sized pieces, too large can be a choking hazard or get stuck in the roof of your hedgie's mouth. Lunch meat is not a good idea because of how processed it is. They are often smoked, salted, or preserved, and are high in fat. Don't overfeed fruits or vegetables, they are very watery and can cause stomach upsets and loose poop.
> It's best to try only one new treat at a time. This is important to avoid stomach upsets (which are common with new foods) and to narrow down what it was if your hedgie had any problems with something offered. If you offer too many things at once, you won't be able to tell which it is that is causing the problem.
> A lot of hedgies are not very open to trying new foods. Keep offering the treat for several nights, or wait a while and try again. Sometimes what they refused one night they will devour the next. Try putting the treat in his food dish with his normal kibble. Warming up the treat a bit can also make it smell more appetizing. Remember that some hedgies will just refuse to try new things. As long as he is getting a good mix of high quality foods you shouldn't need to worry.
> If you open up a jar of baby food or wet cat food, you can freeze the remaining into ice cubes that way it stays fresh longer. This is especially helpful if your hedgie only eats a tiny bit and you don't want to waste half the jar/can. If you have fruits or veggies you want to save, this works well for them as well."
> 
> Some good notes on additional considerations for acidic fruits and sugar:
> 
> *Additional safe treats:*
> 
> *Additional treats to avoid:*
> Raw Potatoes (assumed dangerous, they are dangerous to dogs)
> 
> Feel free to add or ask about others that aren't listed here! I'll try to update this first post as more foods are discussed to reflect as many as we know are safe or not.


Thanks so much for the help!

I was acually wondering about tomatos the other day but i decided not to risk it. On that note I have a quick question for u. So before i read this website i had no idea about citrus being toxic to hedgies and i decided to give my hedgie one... and well she loved it! She was fine after eating it and her poop was same as normal but i want to know what the symptoms would be if it really did effect her.


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## ClaireP

Thanks for sharing! That was really helpful


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## Stereotaxis

Thanks for taking time and sharing.


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