Insectivore diet... as a treat?

[freznow]

http://www.exoticnutrition.com/Hedgehog_Complete.htm

I've been thinking of ways to try to get more fiber into Rico's diet. Currently I do grape-nuts in some wet cat food and whatever fruit or veggie available, though normally it's his favorite, watermelon, in addition to dry cat food, with the average fiber of the mix about 7-8%. I have been wondering if that's enough... But also wondering if the above hedgehog food would be suitable as a small treat. It has a nice fiber, and though with the ingredients and price I don't think it'd be suitable for a staple, I think, if he eats it, it will add fiber... Do you think a hedgie would eat it, having all that cat food available? Should I try it out? I need opinions!!!

Or am I just being too much of a worry-wart about Rico's nutrition???

[PrettyHate]

INGREDIENTS: BLOOD MEAL, SOYBEAN MEAL, GROUND CORN, CORN GLUTEN MEAL, WHOLE ROASTED SOYBEANS, TALLOW, CANE MOLASSES, DRIED BEET PULP, DRIED MEALWORMS, YEAST CULTURE, L. ACIDOPHILUS. FRANCIUM, S. CEREVISIAE, CHOLINE CHLORIDE, VITAMIN E SUPPLEMENT, COPPER SULFATE, ZINC PROTEINATE, MANGANESE PROTEINATE, COPPER PROTEINATE, COLBOLT PROTEINATE, THIAMINE MONOITRATE, VITAMIN A SUPPLEMENT, VITAMIN D, VITAMIN E SUPPLEMENT, ZINC OXIDE, BIOTIN, FOLIC ACID, NIACIN SUPPLEMENT, PYRIDOXINE HCL, DEHY ALFALFA MEAL, PANTOTHENIC ACID, RIBOFLAVIN SUPPLEMENT.

Skip it. Look at the first few ingredients. Blood meal? That is to make it taste "good"- not much nutritional benifite to it at all. Soybean meal? Hedgehogs cannot digest that, its a filler. Corn? No digestion there either- another filler. More corn? Filler. More soybeans- FILLER.

IMO- overpriced JUNK :) Save your money and get him some fresh mealies instead. If you want to go with something good for his digestive system- you can also buy acidophilus in the pharmacy section at Walmart etc. Acidophilus basically adds "good" bacteria to the intestinal tract to keep it healthy. It is most often used when an animal (or human for that matter) is undergoing a round of antibiotics and the natural flora occuring in the intestinal tract is disrupted by the meds.

[Grimreaper2112]

Overpriced junk. But you are not alone.... I keep looking for ways to increase my hedgies fibre. I have noticed that she loves mealworm skins. So I pick through my mealie tub and keep the skins which are a good natural source of fibre. If I feed her these in between mealies she will gobble them up. If I don't trick her she won't eat them LOL. Smart little hedgie LOL

[SomberUpheaval]

I have a Sugar Glider and I feed him Insect-Eater from Exotic Nutrition..
http://exoticnutrition.com/INSECTEATERDIET.htm
...It's for gliders, hedgies, skunks, etc..
Here are the ingredients (Pasted from the site)

Ingredients: Chicken Meat, blood meal, whole eggs, apples, pears, bananas, carrots, sweat potatoes, wheat germ, honey, whole crickets, whole mealworms, whole grasshoppers, Fish oil (source of omega-3 fatty acids), lecithin (source of phospholipids), Taurine (amino acid) vitamins and minerals.

I know the blood meal doesn't really have too much value, but..the rest is pretty good..and Jeremy, my glider, loves it..I give it to him more so as a treat (in a very small amount) rather than a complete staple of his diet...Might want to take a look at that?