# Baby Hedgehog Won't Eat!



## abanas19 (Jun 23, 2017)

I am a first time hedgehog owner and I am very worried about my hedgehog. She is 6 and a half weeks old. I got her 2 days ago from a breeder. Ever since she's been with me, she hasn't ate at all, drinks very little, and sleeps the majority of the time. I have offered her wet and dry cat food, strawberries, and lettuce. She doesn't eat any of it. I'm not sure if this is normal since she's still so young or if she's stressed because of the change in environment. Could you send your thoughts please? Also, what food I could get her so she will eat.


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## Lilysmommy (Jan 7, 2009)

I have a few questions for you that would help us help you.

- Are you giving her the same food she was eating at the breeder's?

- What temperature is her cage?

- Do you have a heating set up?

- Does she have total darkness in the room her cage is in at night?

It's normal for babies to sleep most of the time, so that part is not a concern. The lack of eating is, though. Make sure she has the same food the breeder was giving her, since hedgehogs can be very picky & don't do well with sudden food changes. Don't offer any more fruits/veggies right now. It's likely that she's scared & too shy to come out to eat, so you can try scattering some dry food in bed with her to see if that will encourage her to eat more. Make sure you're counting/weighing her food in case she's eating a small amount, but not enough to see. If she doesn't start eating within one more day with these actions, you'll need to start syringe-feeding her immediately. There's more information on that in the Health FAQ section.


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## abanas19 (Jun 23, 2017)

I asked her breeder what kind of food she was giving her and she just said that any cat food would be fine. I just bought a cage thermometer today and will be using that as soon as I get home to monitor the temperature. I will post what it is when I get home. Her cage is completely dark at night. I don't have a heat set up for her. I don't think she's too shy to eat. She walks around her cage when she is awake and drinks from her water bowl. I just bought her some crickets but haven't gave them to her yet. I read on a different website that if she's not eating, to bribe her with treats like crickets or mealworms. Also, what food would i syringe feed her with?


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## Lilysmommy (Jan 7, 2009)

Not an ideal breeder. I would try asking again for the brand and see if you can find out. The same food would really be best, even if it's not a good brand. 

Definitely see what the temperature is like. If it's less than 75, I would find a way to bump it up a bit to keep it warmer until you can get a heating set up. I'm gonna guess the main issue is the food not being the same, but making sure she's warm enough won't hurt either. 

Trying the insects is okay, or you could also try plain cooked chicken. For syringe-feeding, you can either crush up kibble finely & add water to it, or you can syringe-feed watered down canned pate-style food, or you can syringe baby food. Baby food is probably the easiest, especially for short term. I would get either chicken or turkey and then sweet potatos or squash to mix it with. Usually mixed together, it ends up being thin enough to go through the syringe fine, might need a bit of water too. The meat baby foods are a bit thick. 

Go ahead & try putting some kibble in bed with her anyway, just in case it perks her curiosity & she decides to sample it. What kind of kibble are you offering?


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## abanas19 (Jun 23, 2017)

I have just contacted her breeder for the brand and she hasn't got back to me yet. I bought two brands for her. The first was Purina's Kit and Kaboodle original flavored. She had that in her cage for about 2 days and then I switched to the other kibble which is Special Kitty's Kitten mix today, a few hours ago, just in case she just didn't like the other brand. Her cage temperature is 78/79 degrees. I will scatter the kibble throughout her cage now just in case she'll eat it that way.


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## abanas19 (Jun 23, 2017)

Also you asked if her cage was completely dark at night and I was wondering if that has any effect on her? She sleeps in my room with me in her cage and i don't leave any lights on in the room. Today I went out and bought a night light to put by her cage because I wasn't sure if that would help her at night try to find her food or run on the wheel since I keep it completely dark. I won't put it by her cage though if it has a negative effect on her.


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## Lilysmommy (Jan 7, 2009)

Unfortunately those are both pretty crappy brands. I would suggest reading these two stickies and finding a better quality food if the breeder still won't tell you what they're feeding. http://www.hedgehogcentral.com/foru...3034-beginner-s-guide-hedgehog-nutrition.html and http://www.hedgehogcentral.com/foru...d-may-2016-recommended-dry-cat-food-list.html

No, you want the room to be completely dark. Hedgehogs don't need light during the night and it can deter a lot of them from normal activity. They don't depend on vision too much, so not having light isn't likely to be the reason she's not out & about.

Sounds like her cage temp is fine for now, just keep an eye on it and make sure it's staying relatively steady. If it jumps around too much, you'll want to get a heating set up to make sure it stays comfortable for her. And depending on where you live, you'll want to have one before the winter anyway.


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## abanas19 (Jun 23, 2017)

Ugh thank you for the brand website. This breeder was no help at all. She just told me any kitten food so I just grabbed what I could find. She said she will send me a picture of what she used tomorrow morning so hopefully that is a better brand and i'll go out and buy it. Thank you so much for all of your help. It was a lot more than I have been given. I might try to syringe feed her tonight because I am just worried about her. I won't use the night light and will look into the heating system. Thank you so much again


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## Lilysmommy (Jan 7, 2009)

Even if it's not a better brand, go ahead & get whatever it is she uses for now. Your baby will be more likely to eat the familiar food and once she's had a couple weeks to settle in better, you can start to slowly change it to something better. 

Glad to be of help! I'm sorry your breeder wasn't very helpful. Let us know how she does! I'll keep fingers crossed that she starts to eat soon.


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## abanas19 (Jun 23, 2017)

The breeder was using Iam's Kitten food. Is that a good brand for her to be eating?


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## Matvei (Mar 8, 2017)

Regardless of the food brand judging from the pictures you have of her I don't think this hedgehog is actually weaned.


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## nikki (Aug 28, 2008)

If she'll eat the Iam's kitten food then give it to her for now. She needs to eat if she's going to live.


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