8 in 1

[jto5001]

I have been feeding my baby hedgie 8 in 1 hedgehog food because thats what he was eating when I got him. I was just wondering what your opinion is of this food and how much to feed him. should i just fill the bowl and let him regulate himself or allow only a certian amount at night? also i heard that some owners wet the food? is this recommended for all hedgehogs?

[PrettyHate]

IMO there are MANY other foods out there that you could feed your hedgie that are alot more nutritionally sound. Personally, if it were me, I would begin to slowly switch your hedgie onto a better blend of foods asap.

Almost everyone on the board agrees that it is best to have your hedgie on a mix of at least 2 high quality cat foods. The ingredients in these foods are far superior to those found in hedgie foods. It is best to look for foods that are low in fat.
Such foods include- but are not limited to:

Chicken Soup for the Cat Lovers Soul
Wellness- Adult, Light, or Salmon
Wysong
Buffalo Blue
Royal Canin Slim 38

Take a look in the Diet and Nutrition section to find out more. Do a search for BHA, BHT and ethoyquin to find out about things to avoid in a food.

As far as feeding goes most people give their hedgie axp 3 tablespoons of kibble each night, and then leave the leftovers in the cage during the day just in case they get hungry. New food is given each night.

Unless your hedgie has a problem eating hard kibbles, dont worry about wetting the food. Wet food spoils faster and when eaten exclusively can lead to teeth and gum problems in the long run.

[PrettyHate]

Also- here is an old post that I made about what to look for in a high quality pet food. It also takes a look at 8 in 1 hedgie food.

Here are things to look for in a food (whether it be cat food, or actual hedgehog food)

____________ MEAL - ie Chicken meal- chicken that has been dehydrated - therefore is more dense than chicken. Look for chicken meal as a main ingrediant (perferably the first one) over just regular chicken.
-Chicken Meal - 84% digestible
-Lamb Meal- 82% digestible
-Poultry By-Products (heads, beaks, feet, feathers, may include some meat and internal organs :Pukey: )- 77% digestible
-Meal Meal (indiscriminate meat ie horse, cow, cat, dog etc)- 68% digestible.

The more digestible a food is, the more filling it is , and the less your animal will need to get rid of in the form of ..poop!

Dried beet pulp- exclellent form of fibre
Dried cheese and egg- excellent sources of protein
Omega 3- fatty acid that conditions skin - derived from fish meal
Omega 6- fatty acid that conditions skin - derived from flax

Things you DO NOT WANT in your cat/hedgehog food

BHA, BHT, and/or Ethoxiquin- Chemical preservatives that cause cancer. Check your food carefully for these! I have seen it in many hedgehog foods including Pretty Pets Hedgehog food. :(
Soybean meal- digestable only by PIGS AND HUMANS! Vegetable protein found in grocery foods -extremely drying for the skin- may contribute to urinary problems.
Meat by products- second class products are not handled as carefully as whole meat and their nutritional content could be questionable
Fats or proteins named generically- ie: "animal fat" or "meat meal" (as opposed to the better quality beef fat, chicken fat, or lamb meal.

With all this said, 8 in 1 ultra blend hedgehog food contains:

Ground Corn, Meat and Bone Meal, Soybean Meal, Corn Gluten Meal, Beet Pulp, Animal Fat (Preserved with Vitamin E and Citric Acid), Salt, Vitamin A Acetate, D-Activated Animal Sterol (Source of Vitamin D3), Choline Chloride, Vitamin E Supplement, Niacin, Riboflavin, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Thiamine Mononitrate, d-Calcium Pantothenate, Menadione Sodium Bisulfite Complex (Source of Vitamin K), Folic Acid, Biotin, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Magnesium Oxide, Zinc Oxide, Manganous Oxide, Coper Oxide, Calcium Iodate, Cobalt Carbonate.

Blah!
To see full ingredient listings for many hedgehog foods, here is an excellent linkhttp://www.angelfire.com/wa2/comemeetmyfamily/hhcare7A.html

Hope that this helps some. :)

[jto5001]

Thanks for the fast reply i will slowly start to switch him over asap.

[PrettyHate]

No problem :) Youll probably find that as you switch him over to a better food he will completely ignore the hedgie food and go right after the better stuff!