# How fast does food go rancid



## TheSmellyHedgie (Sep 26, 2013)

So I was planning on buying a 30lb bag of high quality dog food for once I get my hedgehog, but I was worried it would spoil before the hedgehog would finish it. Do you have any tips on how to increase how long the food will last? 

P.S. I'm buying bulk because it is a lot cheaper compared to buying smaller bags


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## sarahspins (Jun 25, 2013)

Dry food doesn't typically go rancid. What will happen is that it will go stale which can turn many animals off from eating it (and some hedgehogs are more sensitive to that than others, and you have no way of knowing if yours will be one of those) and as it gets older the nutrient profile will change. Typically that begins to happen after about 6 months. 

I think though, that the plan to buy a lot of one food is somewhat foolish. Storage issues aside, What if your hedgehog won't eat it? Then you'll have a large amount of food they won't eat. Hedgehogs in General will only go through at most 1 pound of food a month (and that is assuming some uneaten food is thrown out) so 30lbs is absolutely an excessive amount to keep on hand.


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## Annie&Tibbers (Apr 16, 2013)

You can freeze food to keep it fresh longer, although again, some hedgehogs then reject the thawed food.


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## TheSmellyHedgie (Sep 26, 2013)

Ok thanks guys! I might just buy a 15 pound bag which is still a lot, but quite a lot less.


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## Lilysmommy (Jan 7, 2009)

A 15-pound bag is probably a better idea.  I had a mix of three foods for Lily, about 5 lbs for each food. The food usually lasted around 6 months (in gallon freezer bags in our deep freezer) & towards the end of the bags, it was starting to get stale even in the freezer & Lily would eat less of it. That was my notice to buy new bags.


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## Tongue_Flicker (Jun 11, 2013)

Also, avoid your pet foods, especially the dry ones, from catching any moisture to prolong its freshness and crisp. Sewing a small cloth bag with uncooked, white rice inside absorbs moisture and keeps your pet foods dry. Those small moisture absorbers inside mechandise sometimes do the trick by they tend to be so small.


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## Kalandra (Aug 25, 2008)

Most of my hedgehogs have eaten between 10-15g / day. Anywhere between 300-450 g of food per 30 days. You may experience higher consumption rates with a baby or a highly active hedgehog. But based on those I've cared for, I typically plan for no more than 1lb per month. Note: my hedgehogs also receive a daily portion of insects and fresh food with their kibble.

I highly recommend starting with smaller bags for many reasons:

1. if you need to change your diet plan, you aren't stuck with a lot of unusable food. Young hedgehogs quite often need higher fat foods. As they age you may find yourself having to modify their diet to maintain their body condition.

2. Mixing 2 or 3 smaller bags of different brands give you a backup variety should a food no longer be available or the brand is recalled when you need to replenish your food. Variety is good for many reasons, including just keeping your hedgehog from getting stuck on one brand that they won't switch from.

3. Freezing food can work, but I have encountered hedgehogs who simply wouldn't eat a food once it was frozen. They would hunger strike rather than eat that frozen food. Also frozen foods will eventually become stale and/or freezer burned.

4. Smaller amounts = fresh food more often. There really is nothing like the smell and taste of a freshly opened bag of food. 


Also be careful with dog foods. Quite often these foods are not hedgehog friendly due to their size and how hard/dry they are. Overly hard foods and large kibble sizes can cause premature wear on the hedgehog's jaw and teeth.

I'm not trying to talk you out of saving money, but unless you have something else that is going to eat that food, you may be wasting more money by buying in bulk when you only have 1 hedgehog.


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## Haley (Nov 18, 2013)

So far my very picky Princess has rejected 2 out of 3 foods I've tried. She goes so far as to pick out the offending kibble and drop it on the floor sometimes. I tried it in a separate dish first, thought maybe it was the dish, so I mixed it in her regular food. No dice.

If you have a big pet store near you (Pet Smart or Petco or the like) ask about samples. The one food my girl does like was discovered this way (figures she would refuse the stuff I bought in 5 pound bags...). 

If they have any it makes it easy, if not at least they allow you to return open bags your pet will not eat.


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## TheSmellyHedgie (Sep 26, 2013)

Thanks guys for the help! I'm going to buy some high quality cat food (blue buffalo), the reason I also was going towards dog food is that in the west coast hedgehogs book it says that it would have better nutritional ingredients since both hedgehogs and dogs are omnivores meanwhile cats are carnivores. Thanks for the sample idea, might ask for a sample or see if they have a return policy.


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## Tongue_Flicker (Jun 11, 2013)

European wild hedgehogs tend to be opportunistic omnivores and scavengers.
African wild hedgehogs tend to be carnivores and insectivores and are well-documented to eat scorpions, snakes, ground-dwelling birds and even snatch carcasses from desert foxes.


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