# Young Hedgehog Diet



## jennayrich (Mar 4, 2012)

Hi everyone,

My hedgie is around 5 months old and I am currently feeding her Purina One Kitten dry food. She was raised on this food when I bought her from the breeder and she loves it but I have been noticing that she is starting to get a little overweight and is having trouble balling up. I do give her around 60 kibble pieces a day and she usually eats most of them. I was wondering if there is a better food to feed her (that can be found at big box stores) or if I should just cut down on how much I give her. This is my first time owning a hedgie so I'm not sure on how much I should be feeding her or what's the best options out there.

I'm also currently not giving her any treats outside of the kibble so I was wondering if you guys could suggest some good treat options (preferably not live insects since that's not an option).

Thanks!


----------



## HedgieGirl519 (Oct 21, 2011)

Are you feeding Purina One Smartblend Healthy Kitten Formula Cat Food?

If that's the food you are feeding the protein is too high for a hedgehog (40%). Generally you don't want the protein higher than 34%.

Protein: 40%
Fat: 18%

Chicken, chicken by-product meal, corn gluten meal, brewers rice, soybean meal, animal fat preserved with mixed-tocopherols (form of Vitamin E), fish meal (source of DHA), whole grain corn, poultry by-product meal, animal liver flavor, soy protein isolate, phosphoric acid, caramel color, salt, choline chloride, calcium carbonate, taurine, potassium chloride, Vitamin E supplement, zinc sulfate, DL-Methionine, ferrous sulfate, manganese sulfate, niacin, copper sulfate, Vitamin A supplement, calcium pantothenate, thiamine mononitrate, riboflavin supplement, Vitamin B-12 supplement, pyridoxine hydrochloride, folic acid, Vitamin D-3 supplement, calcium iodate, biotin, menadione sodium bisulfite complex (source of Vitamin K activity), sodium selenite.

Honestly, that isn't a good food to be feeding. When choosing a food for your hedgehog, you want something that has no by-products, no corn and no colourings. You also want the food to have meat (not by-products) as the first two ingredients. There should be vegetables as well, I don't think there are any in that food.

You won't find a good quality food in a grocery store. Why aren't insects an option? Why does the food have to be from a grocery store?

You shouldn't cut down on the food. Hedgehogs should be allowed to free feed (like you're doing now). That food is very high in fat though. The average person uses between 9-12% fat. Does she have a wheel?

The only decent food from Walmart is Purina One Beyond Chicken & Whole Oat Meal Recipe Cat Food.
Protein: 33%
Fat: 14%
Chicken, chicken meal, whole brown rice, soybean meal, whole barley, whole oat meal, soy protein isolate, animal fat preserved with mixed-tocopherols (form of Vitamin E), brewers dried yeast, dried egg product, natural flavor, dried beet pulp, fish oil, phosphoric acid, caramel color, dried carrots, salt, dried sweet potatoes, dried apples, calcium carbonate, potassium chloride, taurine, choline chloride, Vitamin E supplement, zinc sulfate, niacin, ferrous sulfate, manganese sulfate, Vitamin A supplement, calcium pantothenate, thiamine mononitrate, riboflavin supplement, Vitamin B-12 supplement, copper sulfate, pyridoxine hydrochloride, folic acid, Vitamin D-3 supplement, biotin, menadione sodium bisulfite complex (source of Vitamin K activity), calcium iodate, sodium selenite.
http://www.walmart.com/ip/Purina-One-Be ... s/17252340

But the fat may be too high for her. A 3lb bag of that food costs $6.48

You could get a 7lb bag of Blue Buffalo Spa Select Weight Control for $15.99. This works out to being only 87 cents more. 
Crude Protein (min.) 28.0%
Crude Fat (min.) 9.0%
Deboned Chicken, Chicken Meal, Oatmeal, Whole Ground Barley, Whole Ground Brown Rice, Salmon Meal, Whole Potatoes, Chicken Fat (preserved with Natural Mixed Tocopherols), Natural Chicken Flavor, Fish Meal, Whole Carrots, Whole Sweet Potatoes, Blueberries, Cranberries, Flaxseed (natural source of Omega 6 Fatty Acids), Barley Grass, Dried Parsley, Alfalfa Meal, Kelp Meal, Taurine, L-Lysine, Yucca Schidigera Extract, Green Tea Extract, Turmeric, Salmon Oil (natural source of Omega 3 Fatty Acids), Black Malted Barley, Dried Chicory Root, Rice Bran, Oil of Rosemary, Vitamin A Supplement, Vitamin C, Vitamin E Supplement, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Beta Carotene, Calcium Ascorbate (source of Vitamin C), Vitamin B12 Supplement, Niacin (Vitamin B3), Calcium Pantothenate (Vitamin B5), Riboflavin (Vitamin B2), Pyridoxine Hydrochloride (Vitamin B6), Thiamine Mononitrate (Vitamin B1), Folic Acid, Biotin, Choline Chloride, Calcium Chloride, Zinc Amino Acid Complex (source of Chelated Zinc), Iron Amino Acid Complex (source of Chelated Iron), Copper Amino Acid Complex (source of Chelated Copper), Manganese Amino Acid Complex (source of Chelated Manganese), Potassium Amino Acid Complex (source of Chelated Potassium), Cobalt Proteinate (source of Chelated Cobalt), Potassium Chloride, Sodium Selenite, Salt, Lactobacillus acidophilus, Bacillus subtilis, Bifidobacterium thermophilum, Bifidobacterium longum, Enterococcus faecium


----------



## hanhan27 (May 12, 2011)

Just wanted to add that Walmart also carries Purina One Beyond Salmon & brown rice which is okay too.

I suggest checking out the cat food list. 

Hedgiegirl, out of curiousity, where did you read that cat foods should have veggies in the ingredients? I haven't heard that one before and I'm wondering if I somehow missed something about that lol


----------

