# Best Type of Buffalo Blue?



## HappinessInQuills (Dec 28, 2013)

Hi! I'm going to be a new hedgie mum soon, and I was unsure of the best type of Buffalo Blue Adult cat food to feed my hedgie? There are over twenty different types of Buffalo Blue dry cat food according to their website, and I have no idea which kind would be the best for my hedgehog (that I have not acquired yet) so any type of help with this brand would be appreciated. Thanks in advance!


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## abbys (Oct 13, 2012)

The best way to go is to use a mix - that way in case one food is lacking somewhere nutritionally, the other food can make up for it. Also, if a food gets recalled or something you won't have to worry about introducing a new food to your hedgie all at once, which can hurt their digestive system. These are great threads on figuring out which foods to buy, what percentages of fat, protein, and fiber you want, and how to read labels: http://www.hedgehogcentral.com/foru...3034-beginner-s-guide-hedgehog-nutrition.html

http://www.hedgehogcentral.com/forums/12-diet-nutrition/23042-recommended-foods-list.html

I use a mix of:

Blue Buffalo Indoor, chicken & brown rice

Blue Buffalo Basics, Duck and potato

Natural Balance, rabbit and salmon.

Before you bring your baby home, read this book (free to download). It's a must-read for new owners and a wealth of information!


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## ceopet (Sep 20, 2013)

Do both the blue buffalo's look the same? I have been wanting to try their senior chicken and brown rice or their freedom weight controll but from the picture on the bag they look the same as the wilderness that I feed :-/ So I don't know how I would know if she is eating it lol


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## abbys (Oct 13, 2012)

Unfortunately, yeah, the Indoor and the Basics kibble look identical. :/ 

I've heard some people use different, smaller bowls for each food in order to track which one the hedgie eats, but I'm not sure how well that actually works.


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## ceopet (Sep 20, 2013)

To answer your question they have many that are good
Indoor cat 
Senior Chicken and brown rice
Wilderness wieght controll
Freedom weight control 
The Duck and potato

This just names a few! 

Other brands Natural Balance, They have a LOT of forumlas that are at 30 percent protein a lot of hedgies like the Green pea and Duck one from what I understand. My hedgie hasn't touched any of the ones I have tried with her, and I think I have tried most of their line, I snagged a whole mess of free samples from a Petco one time. 

Nutro has a couple that good Mainly the weight management one. Chicken soup for the Cat Lover's soul, Caster and Pollux, Many others. The link Abby's gave you is awesome.


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## ceopet (Sep 20, 2013)

abbys said:


> Unfortunately, yeah, the Indoor and the Basics kibble look identical. :/
> 
> I've heard some people use different, smaller bowls for each food in order to track which one the hedgie eats, but I'm not sure how well that actually works.


I thought about trying that because there are so many in that line that look good but I wouldn't know if she was eating them LOL

I may just stick to what I am using though It's a little high in protien than I like it to be, It was perfect when she was eating her Wellness healthy wieght but they changed the formula and she refuses to touch it now.

I tried most of the natural balance line and they were all no go, She will eat the Nutro healthy weight but that only brings down her total protien to like 37% because the other two foods in her mix are at 40% The Nutro is 33%

Her mix is Blue Wilderness kitten and Castor and Pollux Kitten, then the Nutro healthy weight, If I could add one more that is at 30% I think it'd be perfect but where it is now it's a little high for my liking, I am relunctant to change the BB or the C&P since she eats them so well and she has already been through two food crisies with the Royal Canin getting rid of the Baby cat and then Wellness changing the formula :-/


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## abbys (Oct 13, 2012)

I found that the Natural Balance is harder and bigger than the others so I've had to crush it up. Maybe that's why she wouldn't eat it?

I was using Wellness but Pig kept having intestinal troubles and the vet thought it was because it's such a rich food so I replaced it with the Natural Balance. He seems to be doing better.


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## ceopet (Sep 20, 2013)

abbys said:


> I found that the Natural Balance is harder and bigger than the others so I've had to crush it up. Maybe that's why she wouldn't eat it?
> 
> I was using Wellness but Pig kept having intestinal troubles and the vet thought it was because it's such a rich food so I replaced it with the Natural Balance. He seems to be doing better.


Maybe it's the fish in it? I was lucky that it didn't bother her, I have heard of some hedgehogs having issues with it. She stopped liking it though because they changed something in the formula I knew there might be trouble when i saw my bag said "New and Improved Flavor" apparently Petra didn't think it was improved LOL

I will have to try crushing some of the Natural Balance up, Most of their formula's are meet the critera for what I am looking for so I will see if that works since i still have the samples (they gave two of each at Petco one night lol)


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## HappinessInQuills (Dec 28, 2013)

Thank you so much Abyss! I'm new to the site, so I'm unsure of how to completely work some things in the thread. :grin:


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## JulieAnne (Sep 3, 2012)

A mix is a GREAT way to go and that book Abbys recommended is great for learning to read labels and teaches you how to create a good mix. You can also go on to Volcano View Hedgehog's website and they provide a list of foods too 

http://www.volcanoviewhedgehogs.com/hedgehog-care.html

For my mix I use Wellness Indoor Health, Blue Longevity for Mature Cats and Natural Balance Green Pea and Duck formula 

If you need help with your mix just let us know!


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## Aupolei (Dec 24, 2013)

I also use a mix. The breeder uses Taste of the Wild, so I'm planning on keeping that in my mix and adding Blue Freedom Indoor chicken and rice (I've already started adding that in with TotW) and I'm adding Simply Norish Sweet Potato and Salmon.


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