ZooMom
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Leona won't eat - 2006/12/31 20:34
I'm happy I found this site...I hope one of you can offer some ideas we haven't tried. We have a young female hedgehog (almost full grown) named Leona Frances. We got her in September, and for about two months she was eating and growing and being charming. At the end of November she stopped eating and will only drink small sips of water. With much coaxing we can get her to eat only mealworms, nothing else. The vet can find nothing wrong, but put her on a course of antibiotics anyway, suspecting a low grade underlying infection. She has lost about an ounce in weight (When we got her she was 8 oz; she got up to 11 oz and is now about 10.) She was eating a mixture of Spike's Delite and various cat foods; since she stopped eating we've offered virtually everything mentioned on this website and others, including baby food, pureed hamburger and rice, and garlic on her food. Unlike Chantilly, she doesn't even eat one piece of food, and her poop is hard and dry. Her environment is warm, she has toys, a nice hide, and we can't think of anything else to try. Anyone been through this and have ideas?
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Julie Pierce
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Re:Leona won't eat - 2006/12/31 20:45
Its so scary when they dont eat. I have been through it a few times. I had luck with trying a little bit of Boost or puppy formula to get them going. You want to get her eating soon before she shuts down and you will need to syringe feed her - not fun or easy. Good luck I hope she eats soon!!!
Julie Pierce
Pierce's Pogs
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ZooMom
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Re:Leona won't eat - 2007/01/01 00:10
Thank you. I've read about syringe feeding and we had to syringe feed a kitten for awhile -- I am not looking forward to syringe feeding a hedgehog! I have some kitten formula -- maybe I'll try that this evening. (A special New Year's Eve treat for Leona.) Happy New Year all.
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CThogs
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Re:Leona won't eat - 2007/01/01 14:30
Is there any one thing she seems particularly interested in smell-wise when you offer it to her? What was her favorite out of the mix when she was eating food? If she is eating mealworms, keep giving those and try to find one other thing she will eat and keep trying to add things slowly. She may be overwhelmed by choices right now.
Is she drinking enough water? If she's using a bottle give her a dish too and see if that makes a difference.
Ann
Connecticut Hedgehogs
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4hedgies
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Re:Leona won't eat - 2007/01/01 18:12
What kinds of food do you use? I use a mixture of cat foods. This way if there is one particular flavor they might not care for they have others to choose from. Be careful about feeding only mealworms. They are not a real great diet but I know hedgies love them. If you are going to try syringe feeding, you can use meat baby food and it will go through a fairly large syringe. I have had to do that from time to time with sick hedgies. My vet also pushes chicken livers to encourage them to eat because they have lots of iron and protein.
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CThogs
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Re:Leona won't eat - 2007/01/01 20:07
Be careful about feeding only mealworms.
Yes the mealworms should come with a warning label-some stubborn eaters like them too much. But I have also had some luck with using them and whatever other food they have liked in the past to get stubborn eaters eating on their own rather than force feeding them.
Ann
Connecticut Hedgehogs
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Julie Pierce
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Re:Leona won't eat - 2007/01/01 20:40
Hey Zoomom (sorry I forgot your name)..anyways here is some information that I think you might find helpful dealing with Leona. Good luck
SOFT FOODS for HEDGEHOGS
Sometimes our little hedgehogs need to be put on soft foods because
of tooth loss, gum problems, or other health issues. As always,
before changing or adding to your hedgie's diet, please check with
your veterinarian; this is especially important if your hedgehog is
currently on medication or is having trouble eating their regular
food on their own.
There are a couple of things to keep in mind when you're changing
your hedgehog's diet. First, you can be pretty much assured that the
hedgie's poop is going to change in consistency, color, and possibly
scent; this is normal as their digestive system adjusts to the new
foods, but talk with your vet about what to watch for (such as mucous
in the stool). Second, many hedgehogs take a while to figure-out
that the new thing in their food dish is actually food; they may
choose to anoint with the new substance, walk through it, poop in it,
or do other charming things. Third, hedgehogs seem to do best with
foods offered at room temperature or a bit warmer; I've no idea why
this is, but it's true at least for the quilled kids here.
Many of the following food ideas can be administered via syringe,
should your hedgehog be so ill that they need to be hand-fed.
However, if your hedgehog is needing to be hand-fed, PLEASE clear any
of these foods (or any others that you want to try) with your
veterinarian before adding them to your hedgehog's diet.
For feeding your little one, I have the following suggestions:
1. Ground-up kibble - I use the same mixture as they've been getting
whole (high-protein, low-fat), grind it in a coffee grinder (reserved
especially for hedgie food), and store it in a zip-lock bag in the
refrigerator. Then I scoop out some and soften it in warm water;
it's amazing how much water it can absorb! I usually add what I
think will be too much water, and then end-up adding more after it's
been sitting for a few minutes. Some times I also add a few drops of
Omega-3 oils.
2. Canned and packet versions of their regular kibble – You may want
to add some of their regular, ground kibble to the wet version for
continuity of flavor.
3. Baby food - I've had good luck with the Gerber "Stage 2" foods,
especially the chicken and gravy (ingredients: chicken, water,
cornstarch), the sweet potato (ingredients: sweet potatoes, water,
cornstarch), and the mixed veggies. Also, many hedgehogs like the
Gerber Graduates Chicken Sticks. When the jar is first opened, the
sticks are soft (can be difficult to get out of the jar without
crumbling) and can be smushed into small bits with your fingers.
After the jar has been opened for a day or two, sometimes the outside
of the chicken sticks becomes chewy; when this happens, I just peel-
off the outside of the stick and crumble the interior. (The fluid
that is in the jar with the chicken sticks can become somewhat
gelatinous - I sometimes add a bit of this liquid to the moist
food.) I also recommend the "Earth's Best Baby Food" brand, too. I
warm the baby foods a bit before serving.
4. Mealworms, waxworms, silkworms, crickets, etc. - if your hedgehog
is having trouble chewing, they may not be able to get through the
exoskeleton of live mealworms and crickets and the freeze-dried or
roasted versions may be too crunchy for them. But there are several
options you can try:
4A. You can take live mealworms, waxworms, silkworms, and crickets
and freeze them. Once dead, you can then let the insects thaw and
mash or grind them up and add it to your hedgie's wet food.
4B. With live mealworms, you can keep an eye on them as they grow and
feed your hedgehog the worms that have just shed their skin (they'll
be white and soft).
4C. If you have freeze-dried or roasted worms (or crickets), you can
add these to the kibble when you grind it. Or you can grind them
separately and sprinkle the resulting powder on the moistened food
(baby food, moistened kibble, canned cat food, etc.).
4D. You can purchase canned insects (which tend to be a bit softer)
and then grind or mash them. Remember that you'll need to keep the
insects in the fridge or freezer once you've opened the can, though,
else they'll turn rancid.
5. Yogurt - you can purchase small amounts of organic yogurt (you may
need to experiment with flavors - my hedgehogs like the vanilla and
banana flavors) and offer this as an addition to (or mixed in with)
the moistened regular food. Stonyfield Yogurt has several options in
their "YoBaby" line, including smoothies, whole milk yogurt, and
drinkable yogurt. These (and other brands) can be found in the
yogurt section of many large supermarkets and in natural food and
nutrition stores. Please note, though, that some veterinarians
advise against giving hedgehogs dairy products while the hedgehog is
on antibiotics, so please ask your vet before adding yogurt to your
hedgie's diet. Also, yogurt from cow's milk may cause green feces
and other signs of stomach upset, so you need to be very careful.
Right now I'm working with some local small farmers to purchase some
yogurt made from goats' milk, hoping that it will be easy on my sick
hedgies' digestive system.
Another option is cultured soy products, such as Stonyfield Farms' O-
Soy cultured soy yogurt, which contains live active cultures that
assist in the digestive process. You may need to contact a local
health food store to find these items.
6. Eggs – One thing that's been a big hit around here are scrambled
eggs. I just whip an egg, cover the dish with plastic wrap, and
microwave it until done, then cool and crumble before serving. Some
people use soy milk added before cooking, resulting in a "soft
scramble" and other folks make regular scrambled eggs in a frying-pan
with butter. Some of my hedgehogs also like well-mashed hard-boiled
eggs.
7. Protein Drinks – There are several protein drinks currently
available that people've offered to their hedgehogs with good
results; the most common are the Boost and Ensure brands, both of
which come in different flavors and different versions. I prefer to
offer the Vanilla flavor, but I know that some hedgies prefer the
Strawberry. Boost comes in a "Boost Plus" version, which I turn to
when there's lots of weight loss in the little one. I usually water
it down a bit (though some hedgehogs like it straight). Please do
not give your hedgehog Chocolate-flavored anything, as we don't know
if chocolate is toxic to hedgies.
8. Children's Electrolyte Drinks – While the most common brand is
Pedialyte, many stores also offer a store brand. You can now get
this in "freezer pop" servings, which you can just store at room
temperature. The smaller serving size means less goes to waste. If
you desire, feel free to dilute this with water. Also, a powdered
version is now available which allows you to mix the amount that you
want, to the dilution-level that you want, with not as much waste.
9. Hill's A/D (and other versions), Critical Care for Carnivores, and
Feline Rebound - these are items that you will need to ask your
veterinarian about, though the Feline Rebound can be ordered on-line
from a few websites.
10. Emma's Mix – I am currently syringe-feeding a little hedgehog who
cannot eat on her own because of a lack of teeth and neurological
problems. I feed Emma several a day and she receives between 9 and
15 cc's (she starts "blowing bubbles" with her food when she's full)
at a time. Her weight is stable at about 320 grams, which seems to
be a good weight for her body size. The mix consists of the
following:
2 jars (2.5 ounces) Gerber 2nd Foods Chicken
½ jar (about 1.25 ounces) Earth's Best Organic First Sweet Potatoes
½ jar (about 1.25 ounces) Earth's Best Organic First Apples
½ container (about 1 tablespoon) YoBaby Organic Whole Milk Yogurt,
Banana or Vanilla OR ½ container Stonyfield Farms' O'Soy cultured soy
yogurt (2-3 ounces)
1 tablespoon Earth's Best Organic Whole Grain Oatmeal or Rice Cereal
I mix these five items in a microwave-safe container and store in the
refrigerator; I warm the mix for about 30 seconds (until it's about
room-temperature) before feeding it to Emma. One batch lasts about 3-
days. I feed the leftover foods (which shouldn't be stored for more
than a day or two in the refrigerator, once opened) to my pet rats,
who are very appreciative of the treat.
Julie Pierce
Pierce's Pogs
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ZooMom
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Re:Leona won't eat - 2007/01/01 23:20
Last night Leona ate 2 pieces of Purina One light formula cat food -- a new kind I bought after reading that some hedgies prefer Purina food. (This brings the kinds of cat foods in our cupboard to 7, counting the stuff our cats eat ) That is the only food she has eaten besides mealworms since Thanksgiving. But hey, it's a start. She is very interested in almost any food I put by her, sniffing each intently but never eating. I'm hoping she'll eat more of the Purina One tonight. She also drank a lot of water yesterday, so I hope she'll do that more now. I'm hopeful that she's on the upswing!
Thank you all for your advice; it's all helpful!
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CThogs
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Re:Leona won't eat - 2007/01/01 23:25
Good girl Leona keep it up
Ann
Connecticut Hedgehogs
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LoriL
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Re:Leona won't eat - 2007/01/02 19:29
Oh, poor Leona! Poor you!
I just wanted to add something about our experiences with Spike's Delite. When we first got Lucy, she was being fed Spike's. She ate it at first, but as soon as she discovered other things to eat, she stopped eating it. I've heard this about other hedgies too. I understand that Leona doesn't seem to be wanting to eat anything at this point, but you might want to look into other food options once she starts eating again.
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HamorHollow
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Re:Leona won't eat - 2007/01/03 01:16
Please remember that hedgehogs have small stomachs. At 8 weeks, I would guess the stomach to be about the size of a gumball (full) and full grown, maybe the size of a green grape. There isn't a lot of space to fill, and any treats can fill it quickly.
The best way to know if your hedgie is eating is to check for out-put. If something is coming out, then somethig is definatttely going in.
-K
Kelly Sosik-Hamor
Hamor Hollow Hedgehogs - a New Hampshire breeder, serving Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Vermont, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New York, New Jersey and any where else hedgehogs are legal. |
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ZooMom
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Re:Leona won't eat - 2007/01/03 16:27
On New Year's Day, with prompting, Leona ate about a teaspoon of Purina One and drank deeply of water. Yesterday, with no prompting (when we weren't even in the room) she ate what I would consider to be a full serving of Purina One (probably about 1.5 tablespoons). She also came out of her hide without having to be awakened (also a first in many weeks). Also, for the first time in like 6 weeks, her poop is moist and normal-looking. I'm so excited! Boy, I hope we're over the tough part of this eating thing!
Cindy, aka ZooMom
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HamorHollow
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Re:Leona won't eat - 2007/01/03 23:50
I'm sure she is feeling more relaxed now that the Christmas hustle and bustle is over. Remember that our hedgehogs are tuned into our emotions and our stress (as well as the crazyness around her) will affeect them.
-K
Kelly Sosik-Hamor
Hamor Hollow Hedgehogs - a New Hampshire breeder, serving Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Vermont, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New York, New Jersey and any where else hedgehogs are legal. |
Do you want to buy a baby Hedgehog? Please fill out out questionnaire. |
Hedgehog World - A Community for African Pygmy Hedgehog Owners and Breeders
Join us for Hedgehog Fest 2008
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