Pookie753
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need help with feeding Pookie - 2006/07/01 04:44
hi i got my (i think girl) hedgehog, Pookie a few weeks ago at a local petstore. The petstore had only had her for 2 days b4 i got her and it was their first time selling hegehogs. They pretty much didnt know hardly anything about hedgehogs i think i even knew a little more...well n e ways. I wanted to kno if i should switch her food to kitten food. The petstore where i got Pookie sold me this hedgehog food but to me it just looks like treats (raisins, puffed wheat, rolled oats, crushed peanuts, cod liver oil, sunflower seeds, shrimp, sugar beet syrup, dried pork meal, ground prawn, corn meal, puffed corn, soybean oil, rice flakes, honey, dehydrated carrots, fine nutmeg, calcium propionate) That is all the ingredients and the brand is Vitacraft. I just want to kno if that is ok to feed her all the time bcuz after payin $200 i dont want to pay a large vet bill for health problems since i am only 16. Also how many crickets and mealworms should i limit her a day....and what other treats are good? Thanks for the help....oh yea how can i tell how old my hedgehog is? I think it is 7 weeks but is there a site that shows pictures of babies or does someone hav a pic of a seven week old? Thanks so much.
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kumquat37
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Re:need help with feeding Pookie - 2006/07/01 07:15
As a general rule, most food marketed as being "hedgehog food" is NOT good for hedgehogs. Some of the things you listed as ingredients in the Vitakraft-- raisins and nuts specifically-- are actually bad for hedgehogs. Most of the other things, like corn meal, just aren't nutritious. And I've never even heard of hedgehogs being fed shrimp... so basically, ditch the "hedgehog food."
Pretty much everyone feeds their hedgehogs a mix of high quality cat food. When you look at the ingredients on the cat food, the first ingredient should be some form of meat (usually chicken or turkey meal). There are certain percentages that can be used as guidelines for determining what is high quality as well... I'm not sure what they are exactly, but there should be a considerable amount of protein and not much fat. My hedgehog primarily eats Special Kitty (Wal-Mart brand), and Purina One. You can also give her bits of fruits and veggies for treats.
Good luck!
Gina
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Pookie753
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Re:need help with feeding Pookie - 2006/07/01 13:29
ok thanks for the helpi will go get those cat foods at my local walmart.... how do i make a change in her food? should i mix it in gradually or just change it? thanks alot for all your help
Post edited by: pookie753, at: 2006/07/01 13:30
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LoriL
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Re:need help with feeding Pookie - 2006/07/01 17:11
I feed Lucy a mix of 3 different cat foods:
Chicken Soup for the Cat Lovers Soul Light
Blue Buffalo Spa Select Cat Light
Natural Balance Cat Food Light
Cat food should be low in fat- around 10-15% fat; high in protein-around 30%. When choosing a food look for something with meat as a first ingredient.
I bought Blue Buffalo at PetSmart and Natural Balance at Petco. Chicken Soup for the Cat Lover's Soul you'll have to find, they don't normally sell at the mainstream pet stores. You can visit their website at:
http://www.chickensoupforthepetloverssoul.com/
go to the right of the page and locate a retailer near you. You can also view their different products and ingredients.
As a matter of fact, this is what else I use. Lucy LOVES the Blue Buffalo:
http://www.bluebuff.com/products/cats_lite.shtml
Natural Balance:
http://www.naturalbalanceinc.com/catformulas/RedCalCat.html
To switch the food, you should do it gradually.
Week 1: 1/4 new food, 3/4 old food
Week 2: 1/2 new food, 1/2 old food
Week 3: 3/4 new food, 1/4 old food
Week 4 all new food
For treats, I've been compiling a list from different forums and from what different people have posted, so I'll post what I have:
EXTRA FOODS, Treats: tablespoon daily (remove treats food daily)
FRUITS & VEGGIES
apple (small bits)
banana
green beans
bell pepper
blueberries
carrots (cooked)
grapes (chopped, peeled, seedless or remove seeds)
peas (cooked)
potatoes (mashed-no butter or milk)
strawberry
sweet potato (cooked)
melons (honeydew, watermelons, etc)
applesauce (no sugar added!)
kiwi
pear
beets
BABY FOOD
various fruits and veggies
chicken and gravy
beef and gravy
baby food sticks
meat & veg baby food
applesauce
MEATS: always cooked and in moderations
(most any cooked, unseasoned meats)
beef (questionable)
chicken
fish (broiled salmon, etc)
ground beef
pork
turkey
rabbit
DO NOT FEED CANNED OR PROCESSED MEATS
OTHERS
tofu
rice
wet cat or dog food (read labels first)
-not Fancy Feast or Special Kitty
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SPECIAL TREATS, 2-3 times a week only
cottage cheese (moderations)
crickets
hard boiled egg whites
meal worms
regular cheese
silk worm
small amounts of cheese
yogurt (plain lowfat )
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** DO NOT FEED **
Vitakraft hedgehog foods
Pretty Pets brand pet food
Brown's brand pet food
avocado
canned or process meats
chocolate
junk food
nuts
cow milk
heavily processed foods
hot dogs
onions
outside bugs
potato chips
raisins
raw eggs
raw meats
bird seed
any type of spices
Feeding too many orange colored foods can result in an orange tinge to the skin. Also, some hedgehogs may annoint over sweet potatoes or beets and stain their skin. Don't panic if this happens. It will wear off in time.
Lucy's favorite treats so far are meal worms, crickets, blueberries and strawberries. I've tried bananas, grapes and babyfood.
Hope this helps!
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SarahAdele
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Re:need help with feeding Pookie - 2006/07/01 17:21
Ditto, the vitakraft is pretty worthless. As for where to get the cat food, try looking up individual brand suppliers.
http://www.naturapet.com/display.php?d=home-tab
http://www.chickensoupforthepetloverssoul.com/
etc
You wont find a good base cat food at walmart IMO. She shouldn't have a problem switching over to kibble, but it isn't a bad idea to do it gradually, especially if shes already going through a lot of change at this point. Just decrease Vitakraft as you increase the other food.
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Pookie753
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Re:need help with feeding Pookie - 2006/07/01 19:46
thanks so much everyone has been a great help i am glad i found this site early on b4 i fed pookie that "hedgehog food" for a really long time. thanks
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