# spikes delight???



## kailey lane

so im wounding if this food is bad or not? im new to hedgies,planning on getting on in a few weeks.i know that they should have high quality cat food.i feed my dogs grain free no filler dog food so i get that,but someone said this is all there hedgie can eat because its had reactions to other foods....... im thinking about adopting this hedg but not sure about his food thing,if i were to adopt one id like to have it on great food..... and this food seems to have corn in it so in the dog food world id say no but im not sure what is right for hedgies,so any input???is this a food that a hedgie would be healthy on? heres the site http://www.hedgehogsbyvickie.com/spikesdelite.htm


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## SquiggyTheHedgie

Normally any commercial hedgehog food is not recommended. They are mostly fillers and some might even contain foods that are toxic to hedgehogs. Spikes Delight isnt all bad, but I would not make it the staple of your hedgies diet. Go with a high quality cat food instead. And if you still choose to use Spikes Delight, mix it with the cat food. But most likely your hedgie will eat the cat kibble and just leave the Spikes in the bowl. The thing with introducing new foods is to do is slowly, mixing it with the old food in portions until he gets used to the new food.


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## kailey lane

ok well the person i was going to adopt from said the hedgehog can only eat spikes delight and had a reaction to other foods...... can a hedghog really be allergic to good food and better on crappy food? or is this person just confused or misinformed? im trying to figure out if this is a unhealthy pet or if this is common.


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## Rainy

We're trying to figure out what Izzy is allergic to right now. But I can't believe that this hedgehog is allergic or has a bad reaction to ALL kinds of cat food. Natural Balance has limited ingredient formulas, so there are fewer chances of allergies because of less fillers, preservatives, no dyes, etc. The Green Pea and Duck is really popular by Natural Balance. I would feed the old food at first and then mix in just little amounts of a holistic or limited ingredient cat food and see if there is a reaction. If there is, then you can remove the cat food right away and try a different food with a different protein and carbohydrate source. Be careful to introduce just one new food at a time, then watch for reactions. Count the amount of cat food kibble you are offering to track how much it is eating.


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## shaelikestaquitos

Yes, hedgehogs can have food allergies... but Spike's is not very nutritious, and not recommended.

You can invest in a limited ingredient diet cat kibble. An example would be Natural Balance's LID formulas (Pea and Duck, Pea and Chicken, etc). They are designed for cats who have allergies to certain foods (what I feed my cats), and they cut out most of the things that can possibly cause allergic reactions.

But quite honestly Spike's really is not good... I was recommend switching him slowly to better quality food.

Remember to always look for around 30% protein, less than 15% fat, as much fiber sa you can get, and no fillers (corn, etc) in the food. Whole meats as the first ingredient is also recommended. Good luck.


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## Christemo

I use Chicken Soup for the Cat Lover's Soul Light and Wellness Kitten. 
Has she even tried real food on the hedgie? I doubt that he's allergic to real food and not just crap...


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## GoodandPlenty

I've heard 'hedgehogsbyvickie' and 'mill' in the same sentence from more than one source. I am not casting aspersions because I don't know. However, it does prompt me to ask: Who knows her? What is her reputation in the community with people that know her and the operation?


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## shaelikestaquitos

GoodandPlenty said:


> I've heard 'hedgehogsbyvickie' and 'mill' in the same sentence from more than one source. I am not casting aspersions because I don't know. However, it does prompt me to ask: Who knows her? What is her reputation in the community with people that know her and the operation?


If you do a search up I think you can find info. from previous owners. If you go to her website, you already know something is wrong though. First of all, the cage they sell is all wrong. There is no wall around the second level/stairs, and imo, it's smaller than I would like my hedgehog cages. Secondly, she says the average wait time is "4 to 6 weeks" for a hedgehog. That, imo, is rather alarming considering how many colors, etc she claims to breed. This probably means she has many hedgehogs which are having litters all year round.

In general, she looks like she is selling for profit, which, imo, instantly means an unethical breeder. An ethical breeder, imo, should be breeding first and foremost to improve the health, variety, and temperament of these animals as a whole. They should be breeding FOR THEMSELVES, and then rehoming the babies that are not suitable for their breeding program, but make perfect pets.

That and the food she promotes is not good, which anyone can tell just by having a gander at the ingredients.

EDIT: To add, this is what she has on her website on Spike's Delight:

"THE NUMBER ONE INGREDIENT IN SPIKE'S DELITE IS CHICKEN MEAL. PET-PRO
PRODUCTS USES ONLY TRUE RENDERED 60% PROTEIN CHICKEN. THIS CHICKEN
IS THE HIGHEST AVAILABLE TO THE PET FOOD INDUSTRY, AND IS *ONLY ONE
STEP BELOW HUMAN GRADE LEVEL*. THEY DO NOT USE ANY OF THE FEET, BEAKS 
OR VISCERALS FOUND IN LOWER QUALITY PRODUCTS!

*THE NUMBER TWO INGREDIENT (EXCEPT IN THE PRO-DIET) IS EXTRUDED 
YELLOW CORN*. CORN HAS HAD SOME BAD PR AS A MAIN INGREDIENT OF ANIMAL FEEDS.
THIS IS DUE PRIMARILY TO SOME OF THE RISKS OF STABILIZATION & STERILIZATION IN
CONVENTIONAL STEAM COOKING. THESE CONCERNS ARE ELIMINATED BY
SPIKE'S DELITE'S UNIQUE EXTRUSION PROCESS. THE USE OF CORN IN ANIMAL
DIETS HAS ALSO GENERATED CRITICISM DUE TO THE INTRINSIC DIFFICULTIES OF
DIGESTING CORN. THE PATENTED EXTRUSION PROCESS USED BY PET-PRO PRODUCTS PARTIALLY PRE-DIGESTS THE CORN. THIS MAKES THE CORN CONTAINED IN SPIKE'S DELITE TO HAVE A HIGHER DIGESTIBILITY THAN THAT FOUND IN OTHER FEEDS. YOU 
CAN FEED THIS EXCELLENT PRODUCT WITH CONFIDENCE.
*PLEASE REFER TO THE BOTTOM OF THIS WEB PAGE FOR A COMPLETE INGREDIENT
LIST OF ALL OF OUR SPIKE'S DELITE HEDGEHOG FOODS."


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## Hillybean

Just wanted to add that many USDA breeders, breed year round. There is one I know for sure feeds Spikes and has done so for years. She even sales the stuff. The breeder I am talking about is also listed on HHC's breeder list. I currently have a hog from her, but I switched him off the food.

Spikes IMO, makes their poo smell horrible and I do not like the texture/look of it. Cat food is way less odor to their poo.


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## Nancy

All breeders breed year round. There is nothing concerning about that. It would be the frequency that each girl is bred that would be a concern if it is too often. A large breeder with many hedgehogs such as the breeder in question, could easily have litters available constantly yet only be breeding each girl every 6 months.

Promoting that cage and the under tank reptile mat are certainly red flags. Not only is the cage with the loft and ramp, not safe, the cage is crap quality which has been stated many times by people who have bought one.

Over the years, I have never heard of anyone with glowing reports about her. I've heard of lots of grumpy hedgehogs and non existent after sale support. I've had no actual experience with her, just what others have said.



> GoodandPlenty wrote:
> I've heard 'hedgehogsbyvickie' and 'mill' in the same sentence from more than one source.


 Yep, that is what I've heard constantly over the years too.

As hedgehog foods go, Spikes is considered one of the better, but IMO, it's not ideal. As part of a mix it would be okay.


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## shaelikestaquitos

By the "year long" point, I was referring to the fact that I would imagine their facility to have many hogs. People who are breeding that many hogs are not breeding for their own herd, I'd imagine... I'd imagine it would be for profit, which is what I had a problem with.


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## Guest

just in general i have a question how do people with large scale breeding operations have time to handle all the hedgehogs? with the colors available by this person she has to have alot of hedgies. Ive also seen other breeders who have 40 to 50 babies at a time and im just wondering if they hire help or something to handle the babies and other hedgehogs?


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