Getting My Hedgie to Eat...

[oXo_HogMom_oXo]

I must have the most picky hedgie ever. He only likes three things...

1.) His cat food... Iams Mat. & Kitten mix
2.) Mealworms (a given, :laugh: )
3.) Onions... :Pukey: :confused:

I've tried giving him... other treats, like applesause, fresh veggies, fresh fruits, canned veggies, canned fruits, I've tried putting a dap of honey on there, yoggie treats, dried fruit...

You name it, I've tried it (I think)... and no go. He just doesn't like it, won't give it a second sniff!

Am I missing something? Any other techniques? If he doesn't eat this, is there are some vitamine I could sneak in his food, I'm sure he's not getting all the protine he's supposed to be getting. :confused:

Thanks guys! :)

[Ododad]

It's been my experience that hedgies eat different treats on different days. All hedgies are as different in their likes and dislikes as humans are the difference being that what a hedgie dosen't like one day, may very well be a tasty treat the next. Odo will not touch anything but her kibbles or mealies. Period.
Marco at first only liked crickets and believe me, I tried everything with him! Now, suddenly for no apparent reason, he likes baby food and apples. :rolleyes:
Frodo is a hedgie garbage machine. there is nothing that boy won't take a taste of.
I would suggest to just keep on offering him treats like you have been. As long as he has them available to him, then that's all you can do.
The list that I have complied after much researching states that a good hedgie diet is:
Protein-around 30%
Fat- 6-14%
Fiber- up to 15%
A mix or two or more high quality cat foods is recommended instead of one brand of kibble. I have IAMs listed as #13 out of 53 food brands so it is a little above average according to my researching.
My personal mix is: RC Slim 38, Wellness Lite and Salmon Flavor, CSFTCLS Lite with a little bit of kitten formula for Frodo and Marco.

[Ododad]

http://www.mihog.org/diet/index.phtml
Although I disagree that hedgies are Omnivores instead of Insectivores this site has a lot of good information on hedgie diet.

[paris26]

3.) Onions... :Pukey: :confused:



Please stop feeding onions to your hedgie! They can lead to a sick hedgie. Onions cause anemia in dogs and cats, so it's just not a good idea to feed them to hogs!

[lyndaj]

Believe me, you do not have the most fussy eater ever. When I had Sam, I never managed to switch her off the food she was fed by the breeder which was Nutrience cat food. My boy, Samhain, decided to go on an eating strike one night until I gave him back his Eukanuba kitten food (the first food I gave him). You see, I decided to mix foods for my boys. Aidan just eats, but Samhain is rather fussy.

[oXo_HogMom_oXo]

Oh, lol I don't litterally feed him onions. It came about because a friend of mine was cooking with onions and Chunk went after his fingers for it. Experiment: little bit of onion... and he liked it... ick... :Pukey: .

I will definatly keep giving him a rotation of food. There HAS to be something else he likes... :|

Thanks guys!

[teela1342]

Please stop feeding onions to your hedgie! They can lead to a sick hedgie. Onions cause anemia in dogs and cats, so it's just not a good idea to feed them to hogs!


Ohhh, I didn't know that. :( Thanks! Does garlic have the same effect? I've given Jake the diced garlic that comes in the jar. He loved it, but he will eat almost anything.

[teela1342]

I must have the most picky hedgie ever. He only likes three things...

1.) His cat food... Iams Mat. & Kitten mix
2.) Mealworms (a given, :laugh: )
3.) Onions... :Pukey: :confused:

I've tried giving him... other treats, like applesause, fresh veggies, fresh fruits, canned veggies, canned fruits, I've tried putting a dap of honey on there, yoggie treats, dried fruit...

You name it, I've tried it (I think)... and no go. He just doesn't like it, won't give it a second sniff!

Am I missing something? Any other techniques? If he doesn't eat this, is there are some vitamine I could sneak in his food, I'm sure he's not getting all the protine he's supposed to be getting. :confused:

Thanks guys! :)

I know I am a broken record, but Jake demands I answer this question each time it comes up. He highly recommends eggs. Hard boiled or scrambled. :slurp:

Have you tried baby food? Jake likes fruits/veggies better this way rather than raw or canned.

[oXo_HogMom_oXo]

No, I haven't tried eggs yet. Hehe, soon as he comes out to play I will try to give him some and see what he does and post here. I think... if we have eggs. Lol, my little sister is an egg fanatic... I think she would eat them for every meal if she could.

And I haven't tried baby food either. That's a good idea. I'll see about getting to the store and see if they got some good stuff. What kind of baby food does Jake like? I don't have the slightest clue about baby food, lol.

[oXo_HogMom_oXo]

Would it be alright if I drizzled a little bit of honey on some foods to see if he would eat it with something sweet on it? Has anyone tried that before? Honey can't be to good for them but a little drizzle shouldn't hurt, right? :confused: