There is nothing quite as important as knowing what your pet can and cannot eat. All pets love to eat, whether it is lunch, dinner, or the occasional treat. The same goes for hedgehogs, of course.
Hedgehogs eat a variety of things, and the focus of their diet should be protein. There are many protein-based diets that your hedgehog can enjoy, but can hedgehogs eat dog food?
Hedgehogs can eat dog food, given that the food you give meets certain conditions. You need to check the ingredients and also analyse the size of the food first.
Before giving dog food to your dog, please ensure that you read the ingredients to figure out the number of nutrients it has.
It is best to be looking at the macronutrients in the dog food. Moreover, be careful if the dog food size is too big. Hedgehogs have small mouths; therefore, the dog food you choose should be of small size, so it is easy to chew and swallow.
Do Hedgehogs Eat Dry Dog Food?
These days there is a lot of variety available for your pet. However, the different kinds of dog food in the market can confuse you. The cost-effective and convenient method that many pet owners lean towards is dry food.
But do hedgehogs like to eat dry dog food?
It would not be a wise idea to feed your hedgehog dry dog food. The dry dog food is made according to the size of dogs and is bigger. Therefore, your hedgehog may come across difficulty eating and chewing the dry dog food.
Most of the dry dog foods available have a high percentage of corn in them. Hedgehogs cannot easily digest corn, and if you give these foods to them, they can develop stomach problems and be in pain. Hence, it would help to avoid dry dog food altogether.
What Dog Food is Best for Hedgehogs?
Pet parents prefer going for cat food or hedgehog food over dog food. As some dog foods contain ingredients that can be harmful to hedgehogs, many people avoid them. However, you can still give your hedgehog dog food if it meets certain conditions.
The dog food you chose should have ingredients that are hedgehog friendly. This means that the dog food should have more protein and less percentage of corn. Dog food should have 20 percent protein, and then only will it be suitable for your hedgehog.
You must also ensure that the source of protein mentioned on the dog food is from poultry or insects. Dog food often includes protein from fish and seafood, which hedgehogs cannot consume.
Check the ingredients further to see if there are no included that can be harmful to hedgehogs.
Most dog foods contain a lot of fat that can have adverse effects on your hedgehog’s health. Hedgehogs have small bodies and are prone to gaining weight. If fed a lot of fatty dog food, hedgehogs can gain weight and become obese.
If your hedgehog is already fat, you should completely avoid dog food.
Can Hedgehogs Eat Dog Food in Jelly?
Your hedgehog can eat dog food in jelly without any problem as long as the ingredients are safe for it. When it comes to dog food, jelly form is much preferred over dry dog food. Dry dog food comes in big pieces that are a choking hazard for hedgehogs. With jelly food, the soft texture enables hedgehogs to swallow easily. If there is no choice but to give dog food to your hedgehog, it is best to go for the jelly form if it has hedgehog-safe ingredients.
What Other Food Can Hedgehogs Eat?
Besides dog food, there are a lot of other foods that your hedgehog can enjoy. One of the most popular food for hedgehogs is cat food. Cat food kibble is a great source of protein for hedgehogs.
The kibble is also small, which makes it easy for the hedgehog to chew and swallow. Apart from cat food kibble, your hedgehog can also eat hedgehog food that is available commercially.
Besides hedgehog food and cat food, you can also give your hedgehog boiled eggs, boiled chicken, certain fruits and vegetables, and some insects and worms.
Your hedgehog’s main diet component should be cat food or hedgehog food, and you must feed the rest of the things in moderation. Hedgehogs are sensitive animals that require extra care.
Before giving any vegetables, you must boil and cut them into small pieces. Likewise, if you are giving any fruit, it is advised to peel and cut it into small pieces for your hedgehog.
While these are some foods that your hedgehog can eat, you must completely avoid foods such as chocolate, avocados, and grapes as they are toxic. Moreover, citrus fruits are acidic that can create trouble for the hedgehog to digest.
Even while giving insects and worms to your hedgehog, you should buy from a proper store rather than picking from your garden or a bait shop. Finally, you must never let your hedgehog eat from outside as the insects and worms may have traces of pesticides that can be harmful to your hedgehog.
Summary
You may have heard that hedgehogs can eat almost anything. However, that does not mean they should. Certain foods can be harmful to hedgehogs, while some are good for them. Many speculations have been made about dog food.
Dog food is safe for hedgehogs as long as the ingredients comply with the hedgehog’s diet.
Dog food kibble is sometimes not preferred as it is bigger than cat food kibble. Moreover, the kibble has a high percentage of corn that hedgehogs cannot digest. Dog food kibble also contains more fat than protein.
Hence, feeding a lot of dog food can make your hedgehog gain weight and lead to obesity. Instead, it would help if you went for dog food that has hedgehog-safe ingredients.
For example, you can provide hedgehog food in jelly form to your hedgehog. The jelly will be softer, and your hedgehog will have no problem eating and swallowing.
