If you own a pet hedgehog you will know that obesity is a common problem in these animals. A he althy and balanced diet will help prevent this problem. However, sometimes you may notice that your hedgehog stops eating or drastically reduces its feeding. This can be caused by various illnesses or a poor diet.
If you want to know the causes that cause your hedgehog not to eat, keep reading this article on our site and find out how to solve the problem as soon as possible and offer you a full and happy life.
The hedgehog feed
Hedgehogs are omnivorous animals in captivity, they feed on fruits, vegetables, but mainly on insects and small animals. They are classified as insectivores because their diet in the wild is based on insects and small vertebrates and invertebrates. However, as we have just commented, in captivity its diet also includes fruits and vegetables that provide it with vitamins.
In captivity it can be fed with high-quality feed for cats (never for dogs) or specific feed for hedgehogs. Also canned cat food is suitable for hedgehogs. Remember that the pieces must be small, according to the size of your hedgehog. Of course, we can also include small insects in the diet, mealworms, baitworms or crickets. One a day is enough. For their part, the fruits and vegetables will be occasional and in small amounts. You can offer small pieces of banana, potato, peas, tomatoes…
The food ration is usually given in the evening. Hedgehogs are nocturnal animals, so they will be more active during the night hours than during the day. The portions should not be very large. This way we will avoid overweight problems. In the morning it is convenient to remove the leftover food.
During the day you can leave a small amount of feed and remember that it should always have water, especially if it feeds on dry food.
If you don't feed him, you can divide the night ration into two rations. Increasing the amount of insects and animal proteins to compensate.
Forbidden foods for hedgehogs
Candy, milk, onions, nuts, peanuts, and raisins are bad foods for hedgehogs. They should be avoided in your diet.
How much should my hedgehog eat?
Each hedgehog needs a different portion. Aspects such as age, he alth status and variety of hedgehog must be taken into account. Young hedgehogs and pregnant or lactating females should have more, in addition to a higher protein intake.
As a general rule, an adult male will weigh between 500 and 600 grams and an adult female 250-400 grams. Depending on the variety of your hedgehog, its ideal weight may vary.
To know how much to feed, you need to know your hedgehog. Ideally, in the morning you have left a small amount of food. Try different amounts for several days, if he consumes all the food in the first hours after offering it, it is that you are not giving him enough food.
You should also pay attention to which foods he likes best. Like all animals, they have their preferences and not all insects or all fruits will be to their liking.
Once you have observed the amount you usually consume, keep it. See if your hedgehog maintains its weight, and if so, the amount of food is adequate.
My hedgehog is not eating
Although your hedgehog's diet is adequate, your hedgehog may not eat. This can be caused by different causes:
- Parasites: They can suffer like other animals, internal and external parasites.
- Oral problems: Oral diseases such as gingivitis, tartar or periodontitis are quite frequent in these animals. Proper oral hygiene helps prevent these problems. You can give cat treats to prevent tartar. Excessively bland diets should be avoided.
- Intestinal Problems: Salmonellosis is a bacterial disease that can cause vomiting, diarrhea and loss of appetite.
- Neoplasia: the appearance of tumors increases after three years of age. It can affect the entire body, although the most common are breast tumors and oral carcinomas. Causes weight loss and anorexia. It is important that you periodically check the body of your hedgehog looking for possible lumps.
- Anorexia: Sometimes the lack of appetite can be caused by some sudden change or stressful situation. Air currents can affect them a lot.
Hibernation
In nature, with the arrival of winter hedgehogs tend to hibernate. Not everyone does, only if they have reached the right weight and the conditions are right. They remain in a state of torpor for several months. Depending on the variety of hedgehog there may also be variations. For example, the African hedgehog does not tend to hibernate because in its habitat temperatures are usually high.
In captivity On the other hand, they are not exposed to low temperatures and have constant food, so they do not usually hibernate. However, hedgehogs are very susceptible to changes in temperature, and exposure to very low temperatures or low light conditions can cause your hedgehog to hibernate.
The symptoms that may indicate that your hedgehog is beginning to hibernate are the following:
- Body and legs colder than normal
- Loss of appetite and thirst
- Decreased activity both during the day and at night
- Less stools
- Decay
- Lack of balance
How to avoid hibernation
The hibernation process usually causes the animal to lose even more weight, so if our hedgehog does not eat and, therefore, is below his ideal weight, it will not be convenient for him to start. We can prevent our hedgehog from hibernating by controlling the temperature and light conditions:
- Temperature: the room temperature must be between 22 and 27ºC. You should not allow your hedgehog to be in colder areas. In winter you can move his cage to the warmest place in the house, where he doesn't get draughts.
- Light: we can offer you natural or artificial light. The important thing is that they have about 10 hours of light a day, so that they do not alter their cycles.
If you act quickly you can reverse the hibernation process. Place a heat source, such as a hot water bottle, in your hedgehog's cage. Little by little, when he recovers his body heat, he will recover. It is important that you do not apply very strong heat sources to it, since its body does not respond to it and it will not be able to move away if it burns. It should be a gradual process.
What I can do?
- If more than two days have passed since your hedgehog has stopped eating you should go to your vet. This way you will rule out the diseases that he may suffer from and that, as we have seen, affect his appetite.
- On specific occasions, your hedgehog may stop eating for a day or two. Vary his diet a bit and include an insect if normally dont do it. If your hedgehog's diet is varied and balanced, it should have no problems eating.
- Perform a complete teeth cleaning on your hedgehog from time to time to avoid oral problems. Nails need regular trimming too.
You must not forget to deworm it both internally and externally periodically. Consult your veterinarian about the matter
Care for your environment. Make sure that the temperature, humidity and light conditions are adequate. Incorporate a thermometer and heat lamp or mat into his cage to more effectively monitor his environment.
By following these tips and knowing the most common diseases that affect hedgehogs, we can act and prevent feeding problems. Carrying out a weight and nutritional control will ensure that our hedgehog is he althy and happy.
