# Insect and calcium question



## Angie22 (Jan 19, 2012)

I have a 2 part question here is the fist part: 
I understand that hedgehogs would eat only insects in the wild. 
So is there any reasons why most places suggests to use insects only for treats? 
Are there insects that can be part of a daily meal? 

Second part is does any one know what kind of a supplement would insure the right amount of calcium in my hedgehogs diet?
Currently I feed her cat food and hedgehog treat mix as well as some mealworms or maybe they are wax worms not sure. 

Thanks
Angie


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## moxieberry (Nov 30, 2011)

Many people here feed their hedgehogs mealworms daily, which is perfectly fine for them. Crickets are another insect that can be fed daily, though a lot of people use mealies as the more frequent insect choice because they can last longer (in live form) after you buy them. Both can also be bought live and then frozen (thawed out when you need them), and that makes them last a long time as well. Crickets and mealies are considered the most nutritional choice of insects because they're low in fat compared to some other insects.

What kind of cat food and hedgehog treat mix do you use? Pretty much anything that's marketed specifically for hedgehogs is crap; some of them have been known to contain things like nuts and raisins that hedgehogs aren't supposed to be fed at all. The best diet for a hedgehog is a good quality dry cat food that's high in protein (25-33%) and low in fat (under 15% except for extreme runners; higher fat content is also acceptable for babies that are still growing). There's a sticky that has a list of the various dry cat foods, including their first ingredients and protein/fat percentages, which gives a good idea of which are the good choices. The cat food can be supplemented with unseasoned meat (cooked) and vegetables. Fruit is good too (not citrus/acidic ones), but since those are higher in sugar content, they work better as treats.


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## hanhan27 (May 12, 2011)

In most cases, insects should only be used as treats because in the wild, hedgehogs move a LOT - One website I've seen said the average wild hedgehog will roam for miles a night looking for food, whereas hedgehogs kept as pets won't typically get that much exercise. My vet (who I trust a lot) told me that mealworms are high enough in fat content that if compared to human food, they would be the french fries of our diet. :lol: Some hedgies do just fine getting mealworms as a daily treat (my hedgie runs a LOT - 3 to 4 hours a night - and her weight remains steady when she gets mealies as a daily treat), but others are more prone to weight gain & becoming obese if they get fed mealworms on a daily basis. Those would be the hogs that aren't considered "runners".

2nd step baby food is a good treat option and lots of hedgies tend to like it. I've heard good things about sweet potato & pea, and most of the meat flavors go over well too.

If you're looking to feed insects on a daily basis, I suggest using crickets. They are low in fat and easy to feed. You can pop them in the freezer and then take their legs off if you want to put them in a bowl for your hog, or you can leave them live and put your hedgie in an empty bath tub with a couple crickets if you think they might enjoy hunting.

Calcium isn't a huge concern as far as I know - there's nothing in the HHC diet section about providing extra calcium, and our experienced moderators like Nancy, Kalandra and LizardGirl say that you don't need to dust insects with that calcium dust you would use for reptiles because they don't require a high calcium diet.

You should find out if you're feeding wax worms or meal worms. Wax worms are very high in fat and regularly feeding them could cause your hog to become overweight very quickly.


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## Angie22 (Jan 19, 2012)

Thank you so much for the information. I did look at the cat food and it purina one with 34% Protein and 14% Fat. As for the hedgehogs treats mix Ultra Bites fruit & veggie it's 18% P and 6% F but I do have a feelin after reading the ingredience that it maybe ont the best choice. 
I double checked the worms and they are wax worms, I not too worried about that yet because my hog is only 8-9 weeks old so she may need the extra fat in her diet. But i will be sure to switch to something lower in fat.


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