Food!!!

[AlisaD]

I have a question about food. From What I have read, a good quality dog food or cat food is better than any hedgie food out. I've read you need to get the adult formula because it's not as fatty,etc. I buy a maintenenced meat based, small bite dog food (from the local feed store, not walmart). Here is the info on it maybe you can tell me if it's okay for my hedgie?

GUARANTEED ANALYSIS

Crude Protein, Minimum..................21.00%

Crude Fat, Minimum........................12.00%

Crude Fiber, Maximum.....................4.00%

Moisture, Maximum.........................12.00%

INGREDIENTS

Meat and bone meal, ground yellow corn, ground wheat, rice bran, chicken fat preserved with bha, corn gluten meal, corn gluten feed, dreid beet puld (sugar removed), animal digest, salt, potassium chloride, choline chloride, vitamin A supplement, D-activated animal sterol (source of vitamin D3), natural-source vitamin E supplement, niacin, zinc sulfate, calcium pantothenate, thiamin mononitrate9 source of vitamin B1), copper sulfate, manganese sulfate, pyridoxine hydrochloride (source of vitamin B6), riboflavin supplement, folic acid, biotin, vitamin B12 supplement, calcium iodate, cobalt carbonate, sodium selenite

Thanks

[paris26]

GUARANTEED ANALYSIS

Crude Protein, Minimum..................21.00%

Crude Fat, Minimum........................12.00%

Crude Fiber, Maximum.....................4.00%

Moisture, Maximum.........................12.00%

INGREDIENTS

Meat and bone meal, ground yellow corn, ground wheat, rice bran, chicken fat preserved with bha, corn gluten meal, corn gluten feed, dreid beet puld (sugar removed), animal digest, salt, potassium chloride, choline chloride, vitamin A supplement, D-activated animal sterol (source of vitamin D3), natural-source vitamin E supplement, niacin, zinc sulfate, calcium pantothenate, thiamin mononitrate9 source of vitamin B1), copper sulfate, manganese sulfate, pyridoxine hydrochloride (source of vitamin B6), riboflavin supplement, folic acid, biotin, vitamin B12 supplement, calcium iodate, cobalt carbonate, sodium selenite

Thanks

Alisa~
The protein content is a little low for my taste. Try to shoot for the 30% range, the fat range is okay (10-15%) but the ingredients are not quality at all! When looking for good stuff, there should be at least one meat product listed in the first five ingredients. Your food choice doesn't have any "true" meat in it. Your protein is coming from the meat and bone meal and the animal digest. While they may be 100% protein, it is not in a digestible form. Three of the ingredients are grains, which are fillers. The chicken fat is preserved with BHA which has been linked to cancer. Also avoid BHT and ethoxyquin. Animal digest is just ground up animal intestine- you're basically feeding animal waste.

Do a search in the Diet and Nutrition section and you should find some foods that are better quality and will be better in the long run for your hog

[AlisaD]

Thanks for your reply. I was told by a "quality" breeder that this was a top choice food, and I was trying to do what's best for my babies, apparently that's not the best. Thanks for your info, you've been very helpful.