# Eating poop and not eating food



## xspiked (Feb 27, 2011)

I just got my hedgie Bulu on Saturday, and the first day she ate moderately well. I wasn't too concerned.
However, Sunday night, she ate very little. I mixed her old food and her new food 50-50. I thought maybe the new food was making her not eat, but she's not eating her old food either. She ate maybe like a teaspoon. I don't know what I should be doing. She barely drinks water as well.

She does seem to have a fondness for licking her poopy paws and cleaning them. 

Also, (this probably should be more in the food section) but I hear some people say you should only give hedgehogs around 1-2 tbsp of food, because anymore and she'll eat it even if she doesn't need to. Others say that you should always top off her food bowl. Which is the correct way?


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## Hedgehog Grove (Jul 21, 2010)

Free feeding is always best unless there is a medical/health problem that requires food to be limited.

As a baby she should be eating a fair amount as she is still growing.

What are you feeding your hedgehog?

Have you spoken to the breeder about not eating the food and going for the poop instead?

Animals sometimes eat their poop because they are lacking in certain nutrient/s.

Are you sure she isn't drinking much?

Whats the temp in her cage and the lighting schedule you have her on?


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## xspiked (Feb 27, 2011)

PapilionRu said:


> Free feeding is always best unless there is a medical/health problem that requires food to be limited.
> 
> As a baby she should be eating a fair amount as she is still growing.
> 
> ...


I'm feeding her cat kibble. The small bag the breeder gave me, I noticed had a high fat content (over 20%), which is why I opened the bag I had bought earlier and mixed it in.
And I'm sure she isn't drinking a lot because I noticed the water level in her dish didn't go down by a lot.
She's not eating her poop, like going after fresh poop, just her paws. Is that just normal grooming behaviour? I'm really worried that she's eating so little, especially compared to the first night.
Her temp is maintained at 23-25 C, which is 73-77F. I just bought a CHE and lamp today, which I plan to install by tonight.
I don't have a lighting schedule I have her on right now. I'm moving her cage to another room, so she won't be bothered by my light. In that room, she'll have darkness probably between 6pm to 6am or so. That should give her a pretty consistent light/dark schedule.

I think I'll give it another day or two. Maybe once she's moved to her fixed cage, she'll be better?


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## Immortalia (Jan 24, 2009)

50/50 mix on day 2 probably upset her tummy, and now she doesn't want to eat. 
Usually, if your hedgie is on breeder's food, and it's half decent, we would wait about 2 weeks before introducing a new food, and even then, I personally introduce new food 5 kibbles at a time. I'd give 5 for few days, then give 10 for a few days, etc etc. So I bet you she probably has an upset tummy.

You may want to go out and buy a can of unseasoned pumpkin, or squash babyfood, or something similar. It'll help if she starts getting loose poops from the new food. You may even want to try giving her some acidophilus, which is just good bacteria. Or something similar, would be bene-bac you buy at pet shops.


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## xspiked (Feb 27, 2011)

Immortalia said:


> 50/50 mix on day 2 probably upset her tummy, and now she doesn't want to eat.
> Usually, if your hedgie is on breeder's food, and it's half decent, we would wait about 2 weeks before introducing a new food, and even then, I personally introduce new food 5 kibbles at a time. I'd give 5 for few days, then give 10 for a few days, etc etc. So I bet you she probably has an upset tummy.
> quote]
> 
> ...


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## Hedgehog Grove (Jul 21, 2010)

What brand of cat kibble and yes shouldn't have introduced any new foods for at least 2 weeks to allow her to settle in. Poor litte girl must feel awful with an upset tummy and maybe a bit constipated too, whic teh pumpkin will help.

For the pumpkin, yes just in a small dish will work good. 

As i said in my first post "Free feeding is always best unless there is a medical/health problem that requires food to be limited." So since she wouldnt have a health/medical problem that requires limiting her food then I sugguest free feeding her, keep it so her bowl is never empty.


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## MissC (Nov 15, 2010)

Just a couple notes: is her water in a bottle or bowl? Or did I miss that?  Most owners have foudn a bowl is much more natural and safer (tongue getting stuck, chipping teeth) and hedgies tend to drink waaaaay more from a bowl. If she's been using a bottle, maybe offer her both options for a few days and see which she prefers.

And tho' you want food in her bowl 24/7, make sure you're replacing it every day with fresh stuff. Most hedgies turn up their nose at food that's been sitting out for a day - and, really, who can blame them? Most of us figure out how much our little guys eat, then add a bit more to be safe. So if you think she'd eat a tbsp, put in 1-1/2 tbsps of fresh stuff every day. I wait until late at night, when Snarf does the most eating, so he gets the freshest possbile.


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## PJM (May 7, 2010)

Just to clarify for you about the free feeding. The whole idea is for there to always be fresh food available. You mentioned topping off the food bowl. You wouldn't want to do that, because the food on the bottom would be older & stale. You basically want to give them just a little bit more than they will eat. Then you throw away anything that's left over. Many of us count the kibble. That way you will be able to tell if she suddenly eats less ( may alert you to illness), you don't throw away a lot & your hedgie has yummy fresh food every day.


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## PJM (May 7, 2010)

We were posting at the same time MissC!


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## xspiked (Feb 27, 2011)

You guys are life savers! At least for my nerves and Bulu's stomach. The water is in a bowl. Last night she ate a bit more. Yay!


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