# Sample foods



## shaelikestaquitos (Feb 2, 2010)

I picked up several sample foods, and I just wanted to run the guaranteed analysis + ingredients by more experienced owners.

Wellness Fish & Fowl Recipe
*Ingredients:*
Deboned turkey, deboned chicken, chicken meal, white fish meal, potatoes, salmon meal, natural chicken flavor, chicken fat (preserved with mixed tocopherols), tomato pomace, cranberries, chicory root extract, salmon oil, flax seed, added vitamins and minerals, choline chloride, yucca schidigera extract, dried kelp, taurine, lactobacillus plantarum, enterococcus faecium, lactobacillus casei, lactobacillus acidophilus, rosemary extract

*Guaranteed Analysis:*
Crude Protein - not less than 50%
Crude fat - not less than 18%
Crude fiber - not more than 3%
Moisture - not more than 11%
Calcium - not more than 1.8%
Phospherous - not more than 1.45%
Magnesium - not more than 1.10%
Vitamin - not less than 400 IU/kg
Taurine - not less than 0.3%
Ascorbic Acid - not less than 200 mg/kg
Omega 6 fatty acids - not less than 3.50%
Omega 3 fatty acids - not less than 0.80%
Total Micro-organisms - not less than 90,000,000 CFU/lb

Natural Balance - Green Pea & Chicken Formula
*Ingredients:*
Peas, chicken meal, chicken, pea protein, chicken fat (preserved with mixed tacophorols), flax seed, natural flavour, calcium carbonate, methionine, cholane chloride, taurine, natural mixed tacophorols, zinc proteinate, vitamin e supplement, niacin, maganese proteinate, copper proteinate, zinc sulfate, manganese sulfate, copper sulfate, vitamin b-1, vitamin a supplement, biotin potassium iodate, calcium pantothenate, vitamin b-2, vitamin b-6, vitamin b-12 supplement, manganous oxide, sodium selenite, vitamin d-3 supplement, folic acid.

*Guaranteed Analysis:*
Crude protein - 30% min.
Crude fat - 12% min
Crude fiber - 4% max
Moisture - 10% max
Taurine - 0.1% min
Omega 3 fatty acids - 0.5% min
Omega 6 fatty acids - 3% min

Natural Balance: Original Ultra
*Ingredients:*
Chicken meal, chicken, brown rice, salmon meal, barley, oatmeal, chicken fat (preserved with natural mixed tacophorols), potatoes, carrots, lamb meal, canola oil, natural flavor, dried egg, brewer's yeast, duck, potassium chloride, whole-ground flax seed, colon chloride, taurine, natural mixed tacophorols, spinach, parsley flakes, cranberries, l-lysine, l-carnatine, yucca schidigera extract, dried kep, zinc proteinate, vitamin e supplement, niacin, manganese proteinate, copper proteinate, zinc sulfate, manganese sulfate, copper sulfate, vitamin b-1, vitamin a supplement, biotin, potassium iodide, calcium patothenate, vitamin b-2, vitamin b-6, vitamin b-12 supplement, manganous oxide, sodium selenite, vitamin d-3 supplement, folic acid.

*Guaranteed analysis:*
Crude protein - min. 34%
Crude fat - min. 18%
Crude fibre - max 3%
Moisture - max 10%
Taurine - min .16%
Omega 3 fatty acids - min 0.5%
Omega 6 fatty acids - min 3%


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## Immortalia (Jan 24, 2009)

Both Wellness and Natural Balance are on the approved to feed list.

That being said...
Fish & Fowl - too high protein, too high fat(You don't know if your hedgie is a runner type yet or not, so best to stick to fat under 15% until then)

Green pea and duck is already an approved food.

The NB Ultra is also too high in fat @ 18%


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## shaelikestaquitos (Feb 2, 2010)

Immortalia said:


> Both Wellness and Natural Balance are on the approved to feed list.
> 
> That being said...
> Fish & Fowl - too high protein, too high fat(You don't know if your hedgie is a runner type yet or not, so best to stick to fat under 15% until then)
> ...


It's green pea and chicken, but I'm guessing they have the same guaranteed analysis?


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## Immortalia (Jan 24, 2009)

Haha whoops, read that too fast
The analysis is still fine, at 30% protein and 12% fat.
Though I WILL note, that the kibbles are harder. Someone here tried the green pea and chicken and their hedgie choked on the kibble, unable to chew it.

That's all I heard about it. Just watch carefully when you try the food.


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## shaelikestaquitos (Feb 2, 2010)

Immortalia said:


> Haha whoops, read that too fast
> The analysis is still fine, at 30% protein and 12% fat.
> Though I WILL note, that the kibbles are harder. Someone here tried the green pea and chicken and their hedgie choked on the kibble, unable to chew it.
> 
> That's all I heard about it. Just watch carefully when you try the food.


I tried giving him the kibble, he tried eating it, decided he hated it and spit it all back out -__-"

I also forgot to add, the stuff will be mixed with a lower fat food which is around 11.5% maximum... is it still too high to give it to him?


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## LizardGirl (Aug 25, 2008)

I wouldn't worry about the higher fat, just weigh him consistently and keep an eye on his shape, as long as he isn't getting too pudgy he'll be fine.

They are all great foods- I don't see a problem with any in a mix, except for the Wellness, even in a mix that is very high protein. You might try using two parts of the others to one part of the Wellness to try and dilute it out a bit.

Great foods, though. I haven't been able to find too many good samples around here. :\


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## shaelikestaquitos (Feb 2, 2010)

LizardGirl said:


> I wouldn't worry about the higher fat, just weigh him consistently and keep an eye on his shape, as long as he isn't getting too pudgy he'll be fine.
> 
> They are all great foods- I don't see a problem with any in a mix, except for the Wellness, even in a mix that is very high protein. You might try using two parts of the others to one part of the Wellness to try and dilute it out a bit.
> 
> Great foods, though. I haven't been able to find too many good samples around here. :\


Yeah, the Wellness is very high in protein, but I really wanted to like it because of its ingredients (all the deboned poultry and such :lol but you're right... I didn't realize how high in protein it was :/ I just asked the girl for samples with no corn and primary ingredient as some sorta meat or meat meal.

The place I got the samples from was an holistic foods store, and they were very kind 
I really enjoyed shopping there... I'll definitely go there again because they sell all sorts of healthy treats for cats and dogs and small animals


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## LizardGirl (Aug 25, 2008)

I love those healthy pet food shops.  I always try and shop there because the employees are usually fairly educated, and to support them for having such awesome foods. They always have great selections and small bag sizes. :lol:


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## shaelikestaquitos (Feb 2, 2010)

LizardGirl said:


> I love those healthy pet food shops.  I always try and shop there because the employees are usually fairly educated, and to support them for having such awesome foods. They always have great selections and small bag sizes. :lol:


Yeah, they had a HUUUGE box of samples :O
It was very difficult to choose :/ I'll go back there and see if they have any "light" versions of what I found though.
They also had some samples of Orijin (or Origin, not sure)? if anyone has heard of the brand? It's apparently their best seller, but the samples were around $3 and I had no cash on me today :/


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## LizardGirl (Aug 25, 2008)

Yep, Orijen foods are great and high quality, though also unfortunately extremely high in protein. That's one of the very few downfalls that super high quality foods have.


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## shaelikestaquitos (Feb 2, 2010)

Hmmm so I think I will settle for a mix of Royal Canin with Natural Balance: Original Ultra.

I didn't even try feeding Wellness Fish & Fowl because it was too high in protein... and he absolutely hated Natural Balance Green Pea & Chicken formula... so NB: original ultra it is xD


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## nougat (Jun 3, 2010)

I went by a random pet store the other day, Go Pet Go, and the sales guy gave me a sample of Chicken Soup for the Cat Lovers Soul. I thought that was pretty cool. I haven't been able to find the brand anywhere else yet.

I'm so anxious to mix it in her food and see if she likes it.


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## Littlefootsmama (May 23, 2010)

Try the Natural Balance Green pea and duck. That seems to be a common favorite of many hedgies. Mine eat it like its candy.


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## shaelikestaquitos (Feb 2, 2010)

Littlefootsmama said:


> Try the Natural Balance Green pea and duck. That seems to be a common favorite of many hedgies. Mine eat it like its candy.


I'll ask next time, but he seems to dislike a lot of things that other hedgies love, like watermelon, banana, etc :/

I have not found a single snack he will touch T-T


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## Littlefootsmama (May 23, 2010)

That's okay. Don't feel discouraged. The ONLY thing Little Foot will even sniff is banana. Anytime of meat, egg, cottage cheese is just not even in his realm of interest. haha


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## shaelikestaquitos (Feb 2, 2010)

Littlefootsmama said:


> That's okay. Don't feel discouraged. The ONLY thing Little Foot will even sniff is banana. Anytime of meat, egg, cottage cheese is just not even in his realm of interest. haha


Silly hedgies :lol:

Mine uses the litter box and learned it super fast, but he will not eat a single snack and didn't even like the high quality kibble samples, except for one brand xD


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