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Boardwalk :: Forum List Health, Hygiene, and Anatomy Anatomy
kumquat37
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Posts: 118
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Click here to see the profile of this user 		healthy weight? - 2006/07/07 06:37 What is considered a healthy weight range for a hedgehog? I brought Kumquat to the vet today just for an annual checkup, and he weighed in at 395 grams. They said this is bordering on chubby... however, he does not have any visible fat rolls, and he can still curl up completely into a ball. The food I give him meets the general percentage guidlines for fat, and I know he wheels based on the amount of poop in his wheel. Is this really an unhealthy weight? If so, what should I do?

Thanks,
Gina
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Clownstrike
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Posts: 8
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Click here to see the profile of this user 		Re:healthy weight? - 2006/07/07 15:23 Hopefully the breeders will offer their opinion as I'm no expert, but that doesn't sound heavy at all from everything I've read. I've read that an average adult African hedgie is about a pound (454 grams) with quite a bit of variation possible to either side of that.

Huffs,
Tim
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CThogs
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Posts: 1559
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Click here to see the profile of this user 		Re:healthy weight? - 2006/07/07 15:25 I would not worry about it-mine all are between 300 and 400 g and get a lot of exercise and are not overweight. I have one who was sick and went on a hunger strike for a while and she was down to about 300 g and did not look good at all. Now she is closer to 400 and looks great. I would not go by the numbers on the scale as much as how your hedgie looks and feels.

They can poop out as much as 30 g at a time so the weight on the scale can be deceiving. Ann
Connecticut Hedgehogs

We had a great time at Hedgehog Fest 2008!!!
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dzmeadows
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Posts: 976
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Click here to see the profile of this user 		Re:healthy weight? - 2006/07/07 16:24 I don't use a hedgehog's weight as a way to determine if they are in healthy condition or not. Well, not at first, at least.
You may have already read this one, but http://www.hedgehogworld.com/content/view/41/42/ is an article that I wrote on hedgehog weight.
Once you get familiar with your hedgehog's body size, and where they look their best, THAT is when I start watching weight. A steady gain or loss of even a few grams per week is much easier to catch quickly using a scale than it is just by look and feel.
I have owned hedgehogs who would be morbidly obese at 395, and other hedgehogs that would look like they were on the verge of starvation at that weight.

Becca
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illinidairychic
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Posts: 230
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Click here to see the profile of this user 		Re:healthy weight? - 2006/07/08 06:05 Frame size is a huge factor in weight. I've got some bigger framed hedgehogs that weigh over 500g and they look prefectly healthy, no fat rolls or issues rolling up at all. It really depends on the appearance not just the weight. If he is active I wouldn't worry too much about it. My vet back home seems to prefer having the hogs on the heavier (not obese) size then too skinny. I've taken in hogs I thought were 'overweight' and she said they were prefectly healthy. It could be the vets own opinion that he or she thought kumquat was chubby.
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kumquat37
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Posts: 118
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Click here to see the profile of this user 		Re:healthy weight? - 2006/07/08 18:16 Thanks a lot everyone! That makes me feel a lot better. I'll keep an eye on him, but I won't worry about it too much unless he starts to actually look chubby. Thanks for the advice!

Gina
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