Help me, please !!

[Whitefangs]

There are some hedgie owner in Thailand ask me that "Can I use a dog food instead of a cat food for my hedgie ?"

I thought that it should be "no". But I can't tell them why ?

If that I thought is true, what's the reason for I should not use a dog food instead a cat food ?

Help me, please.

Chris

[Emilys_Exotics]

Most dog foods are too high in fat to be good for a hedgie. Also, dog foods tend to have larger pieces of food than cat foods, and are too hard to eat. A low fat dog food, with small pieces of kibble would be o.k. for a hedgie.

Emily

[Jeanette]

I don't see why they would give the hedgehog dog food!!!

First of all, there is a higher fat content to the dog food. They have the chance of getting Fatty Liver Disease (and yes, this can become fatal!!).

Why would they want to give him dog food? Isn't cat food readily available?

You need something that is high in protien and around 9% fat or less (Royal Canin, CSFTCLS, Natural Balance, etc.). They also need a diet high in protien.

Please tell them that dog kibble is too large for the hedgehog to chew and that it's way too high in fat and doesn't have enough protien.

[Nancy]

Lite dog foods are no higher in fat than lite cat foods and often are actually lower in fat that the cat formulas.

Many vets recommend dog food as opposed to cat food for hedgehogs. It is bit lower in protein which they feel is less likely to cause kidney issues.

The main problem with dog foods are the size and hardness of the kibble. It is too large and too hard for hedgehogs and can prematurely wear down their teeth.

The mini breed foods are usually an ok size but they tend not to come in lite forumulas.

If they can find a small breed, lite dog food with suitable protein, fat and quality ingredients, it would be fine.

[Whitefangs]

I don't see why they would give the hedgehog dog food!!!

First of all, there is a higher fat content to the dog food. They have the chance of getting Fatty Liver Disease (and yes, this can become fatal!!).

Why would they want to give him dog food? Isn't cat food readily available?

You need something that is high in protien and around 9% fat or less (Royal Canin, CSFTCLS, Natural Balance, etc.). They also need a diet high in protien.

Please tell them that dog kibble is too large for the hedgehog to chew and that it's way too high in fat and doesn't have enough protien.

Some HH owner in Thailand are a doggie owner before they decided to take a new hedgie to their life. So, they have a question that I previously asked.

All the good quality cat food that you said didn't sale in Thailand, except some formulas of Royal Canin, but not indoor cat formulas. So, this is a problem to finding a good quality cat food for HH in Thailand.

Thanks a lot to everyone.

[PrettyHate]

I don't see why they would give the hedgehog dog food!!!

First of all, there is a higher fat content to the dog food. They have the chance of getting Fatty Liver Disease (and yes, this can become fatal!!).

Why would they want to give him dog food? Isn't cat food readily available?

You need something that is high in protien and around 9% fat or less (Royal Canin, CSFTCLS, Natural Balance, etc.). They also need a diet high in protien.

Please tell them that dog kibble is too large for the hedgehog to chew and that it's way too high in fat and doesn't have enough protien.

Cat foods contain higher amounts of Vitamin A (something hedgies dont really need) and less fiber (hedgies need about 15% in their diet). On the other hand, dog foods contain less Vitamin A, and more fiber. The only reaon why most people feed their hedgies cat kibbles instead of dog kibbles is because cat kibbles are usually a more suitable size and not as hard.

If youre able to find a dog food that falls within the fat and protein specifications- it certainly wont hurt to use it. I make it easier on myself and just use a couple different dog foods, and a couple different cat foods.

[wyvernrider18]

I don't see why the size of the dog food is an issue when you can break up larger pieces of dog food into hedgie-sized bites....

[paris26]

I don't know if the size of the kibble makes a difference because it can be smashed up. It's the fact that most dog kibble is really hard and it takes a lot more effort for a hedgie to chew it so most hedgies will not even bother with it. What's the point of having a food in your mix if your hedgie won't touch it or is unable to eat it?

[Whitefangs]

Thank you very much, everyone.

[wyvernrider18]

I don't know if the size of the kibble makes a difference because it can be smashed up. It's the fact that most dog kibble is really hard and it takes a lot more effort for a hedgie to chew it so most hedgies will not even bother with it. What's the point of having a food in your mix if your hedgie won't touch it or is unable to eat it?

Good point. I don't use dog foods myself, but i was just wondering why people were so concerned about kibble size when it can be broken up.

Also, if your friends are having trouble finding good cat foods, you might have them try a warehouse such as www.petfooddirect.com and order it online. That's what I have to do with my animals' food as nowhere in my area sells the brands I use.