# For Hedgies 'Under-Eating'



## MissC (Nov 15, 2010)

Just throwing this out there for the folks trying to get their guys to eat more veggies - or just more food:

Snarf's vet suggested we switch up his diet a bit to include more variety, vegetables and insects. I told her there was NO way I could get Snarf to try veggies and fruit...NO way...had tried everything from apples to zucchini. He would maybe give any choices a sniff, then walk away.

I began mixing a teeny bit of veggies in Turkey Stew catfood (cooked sweet potato and carrots). Then after he got used to this, I slowly increased the veggies. Now he's eating a mix of cat/babyfood (1 tsp) mixed with veggies (1 tsp - all kinds) and a bit or kibble and he's still eating his dry kibble and finally, 10 or so insects every day.

The kicker: no matter what veg/fruit I provide, he will try it. I always offer a separate dish of a little cottage cheese and fruit or veg or a new babyfood - usually only 1/4-1/2 tsp. He never would've tried them before and now he will actually eat at least a few bites. He just ate an entire tsp of the same mango I've offered to him at least 10 times before.

There's enough kibble left I am reasonably sure he's not hungry, so all I can do is agree with the vet: if you keep trying and fool them into eating something they don't want, they will learn to try new things.

I also noticed it takes an incredibly long time for hard kibble to be consumed, for Snarf anyway. His teeth and all are fine - it's just that they're so hard. His faves are Royal Canin 28 and Oral. I've been paying more attention to how he eats (I want to be sure he eats the canned stuff right after I put it in his cage) and he gobbles up his sfot stuff in less than half the time it takes to eat a few kibble. When the wheel is begging his attention, I think he just didn't have time to eat all of his kibble. He's not really getting any less now, yet his bowl is pretty empty every morning.


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## Nancy (Aug 22, 2008)

I'm glad you were successful getting Snarf to eat his veggies and different foods. Some of them with perseverance, they will try other things. There are those that won't touch anything other than their normal kibble no matter how much and how long we try for. 

My Peaches was one of my all time most stubborn. She liked her kibble and only her kibble. Her kibble had to be in full pieces and no crumbs, dust or broken pieces. Damp food, forget it. Food was meant to be full sized and dry. God forbid I try to trick her. Bugs she wrinkled her nose at and backed away in disgust. She was so cute to watch that I would continually offer her a bug just to see the cute reaction. She caught on to this and quit wrinkling her nose. :lol: 

When she developed gum overgrowth and could no longer eat her kibble I tried everything to get her to eat. I broke her kibble, dampened it, powdered it and tried different kibbles including RC baby cat which everyone else loves. Nope, she was determined she would starve before she would eat anything other than her full pieces of kibble which she struggled with and her mouth would bleed. I had to start syringe feeding her but not only was this not her full sized kibble but it was HORRORS, wet! She fought me like crazy and the only thing she didn't try was balling up because I don't think she knew how to. :lol: Every little bit of food that I got into her, I'm certain she used up in the fight with me not to eat it. After many months she resigned herself to eating the Baby Cat but most of the time had to swallow it whole. Eventually she also resigned herself to allowing me to syringe feed her with minimal fighting. It was kind of sad because my Miss Independent was no longer independent. 

Peaches was my most stubborn but I've had many that won't touch anything but their kibble. Thankfully, for most, it doesn't matter if it has a piece broken off. :lol:


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## MissC (Nov 15, 2010)

OMG, Nancy...that's hilarious! I can't even imagine Snarf backing away from an insect! :lol: Holy stubborn hedgie! No broken pieces??!! :lol: 

Kudos to you for trying so, so many things ! But it must've been so hard for you to see her losing her independence...seems soooo sad...


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## fracturedcircle (May 31, 2010)

Lancik would not try anything. anything. apart from kibble and crickets. there was simply no reaction to any of the offered food, to the point where i suspect that his sense of smell was impaired. then he warmed up to waxworms. a few months later he ventured to try a mealie. just a week or so ago he tried fresh corn and baby carrot. can you imagine?!

Sweetie and Harvey love our trademark meatballs, so we sneak... stuff... into them.


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## MissC (Nov 15, 2010)

fracturedcircle said:


> Sweetie and Harvey love our trademark meatballs, so we sneak... stuff... into them.


If I promise not to sell your secrets, will you share your recipe for your trademark meatballs again? I know I wanted to make 'em...but can't remember what you put in 'em.


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## fracturedcircle (May 31, 2010)

MissC said:



> If I promise not to sell your secrets


do sell them, by all means. we'll just have to negotiate the percentage i'll be getting.

meatballs: chicken breast, a bit of yolk, brown rice sometimes substituted by freshly cooked oats or freshly cooked buckwheat... so far we've added grated baby carrots, cilantro, and recently we've decided to be bold and added a little bit of blueberries. you mix everything together (but do cook oats beforehand), form smallish balls, and cook them in a steamer for 8-10 mins. i pinch off small pieces from the meatballs when i feed them to my boys. you can smear them in babyfood.


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## Judi (Jul 9, 2009)

Hedgies are just like toddlers...sometimes you have to offer them something 20 times before they'll eat it.


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## MissC (Nov 15, 2010)

fracturedcircle said:


> do sell them, by all means. we'll just have to negotiate the percentage i'll be getting.
> 
> 
> > Awesome!!! Thanks so much...it was Jamie who reminded me you did this: he was saying our pork wonton filling would be perfect for Snarf! We often just make it into meatballs and steam them. I guess now I will be doing a human version and a hedgie version (no vinegar/spice).
> ...


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## Immortalia (Jan 24, 2009)

Just becareful of how much herbs you decide to give them. Hedgie dosage of herbs are very miniscule.

http://hedgehogcentral.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=6&t=7326&p=61534&hilit=cilantro#p61534


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## MissC (Nov 15, 2010)

Immortalia said:


> Just becareful of how much herbs you decide to give them. Hedgie dosage of herbs are very miniscule.


Good point...I remember reading this thread right *after *Snarf anointed with cilantro...everywhere!! :lol:


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