Average weight?

[Taros]

I think my hedgie is about 8-10 weeks old and he weighs about 265 grams. Is that average? I\'m just worried because he seems to be growing so fast! The other day when I held him I swear he seemed to weight 50 grams less, but he doesn\'t eat much and exercises regularly... Maybe he just gained a ton of muscle mass since it does weigh more than fat.

[HansBoy]

When I first took Hans in for a well pet vet visit around 8 months he weighed about the same. Hans is 297g now and he\'s about 11 months old. He\'s a lightweight compared to some I\'ve seen, but he\'s always had good eating habits and exercise habits, and the vet (who has had hedgie experience) says he\'s at a good weight.

[dzmeadows]

I don\'t think there really *IS* an average weight for hedgehogs. I have weaned babies at 6 weeks that ranged anywhere from 40 grams to 250 grams. As long as your hedgehog is in good body condition, don\'t worry about a target weight range. Once your hedgehog gets grown, you can become familiar with where his weight should be, then you can track his weight to make sure that he is staying about stable.
Becca

[hedgehog101]

I just got a new hedgehog a few days ago. when I first got the poor thing she could not even roll into a ball! Now she can, but her run is like a slow motion waddle. At least she likes to exercise! Any tips?

[nannyogg]

I would have to agree with Becca... there isn't an average! My smallest adults were about 6 oz (about 170 grams) and my largest was 31 oz (about 880 grams). Different family lines tend to be larger or smaller. Seems like about 10 to 18 oz is the most frequently occurring range, but there are still plenty that are bigger or smaller and healthy (and those in that range that aren't). I had one litter with two babies that were about 160 grams at 2 weeks old (they ended up being about 24 oz adults).

Tig

[SChedgie]

I need some tips, my male hedgie is 14 weeks old and weighs 10oz(about 353 grams). He hasn't gained any weight in the last 4 weeks, I am feeding a mix of Purina One Chicken and Rice(Crude Protein-34%,Fat-13%,Fiber-2.0%),Purina One Sensitive Systems(Crude Protein-34%,Fat-13%,Fiber-4.0%) 2 to 1 Chicken Soup for Cat Lovers(Crude Protein-30%,Fat-20%, Fiber-4.0%). He gets all he can eat, which
is about 2 tablespoons of food and 5 mealworms every other day. He runs his wheel every night. Is he under weight? What can I do to get him to gain weight? Should I take his
wheel out of his cage?

[nico0lagouldsmith]

I need some tips, my male hedgie is 14 weeks old and weighs 10oz(about 353 grams). He hasn't gained any weight in the last 4 weeks, I am feeding a mix of Purina One Chicken and Rice(Crude Protein-34%,Fat-13%,Fiber-2.0%),Purina One Sensitive Systems(Crude Protein-34%,Fat-13%,Fiber-4.0%) 2 to 1 Chicken Soup for Cat Lovers(Crude Protein-30%,Fat-20%, Fiber-4.0%). He gets all he can eat, which
is about 2 tablespoons of food and 5 mealworms every other day. He runs his wheel every night. Is he under weight? What can I do to get him to gain weight? Should I take his
wheel out of his cage?

my hedgie weighs less than that and he eats a lot less too despite me offering him more food. . . he wheels all night long. . .I leave him a couple of tablespoons of food in his bowl every night and replace it at the same time the following night and he eats a tablespoon of it at the most. . . he eats quite a few dried mealies too. Although he is small he has the right proportions, he doesn't appear underweight and his weight is stable. . . so as long as your hedgie looks healthy enough, is eating as much as he needs and his weight doesn't fluctuate a lot then he'll be fine

Please don't take his wheel out he would be really unhappy if you do that.

maybe you could post some pictures for us to see how he looks?

do you add things such as cooked chicken (my hedgie wont eat it) or wet cat food to his diet from time to time?
maybe boiled egg or some veggies? (my hedgie is the fussiest little thing, all he will eat is his food mix, a bit of banana, a chomp on a piece of apple. . .but doesn't actually swallow the apple just the juice and his mealies!)

I've heard on forums before of people giving semi-skimmed goat's milk to hedgies (or full fat watered down) because it's not like cow's milk so it doesn't make them poorly but it helps get a little bit of fat. But I don't recommend this unless someone who has actually done this and it has worked replies and suggest this because I have never given it to my hedgie so I wouldn't like to advise that you do in case it makes him poorly


His diet sounds fine though, he will only eat as much as he needs for his activity level. . .when you give him the 2 tablespoons does he leave any? because you could maybe try just putting another half a tablespoon full in and see if he eat that too
but I really wouldn't be concerned as long as he doesn't look scrawny and malnourished

I imagine a good indicator of his nutrition would be to look at his nails and his poo, if his nails grow quite quickly then generally he should be getting enough and as long as his poo is a nice healthy dark brown with no green and is quite solid but wet on the outside instead of being really dry or really runny

sorry for the horrible poo visual!

oh and edited: my hedgie is somewhere between 8 and 9 ounces.

[SChedgie]

I will try and put some pics up of him. No, I won't take his wheel from him, he loves it so. Great poo visual, his is solid/wet and dark brown. He leaves some food in his dish, I tried the cooked chicken about a month ago, he didn't eat it. I'll try the chicken again maybe he'll eat it, you never know.

[nico0lagouldsmith]

mine is so fussy he wont go for the chicken at all hahaha he wont eat wet cat food either . . . and haha I'm glad his poo is normal

I really wouldn't worry about him though unless he does look scrawny or loses any weight. . .do you weigh him regularly? I use a electronic kitchen scales. . . I bought them special I don't just go and shove my hedgie on the ones used for food hahaha

[SChedgie]

Here are some pics of him today at 10 oz. Go to www.photobucket.com/SChedgie then click on all albums, then go Carolina LJ Gibbs, maybe you can
help with his color, in these pics he looks kind of brown. In real life he is a grey or salt/pepper look, breeder said he was grey. What do you think?