Fruits for hedgehogs:

• Melon (watermelon is a particular favourite) 

• Peach ( mushed or in baby food form is often enjoyed and mixed with pumpkin can help constipation and also is a nice treat for older or baby hogs on particular)

• Berries

• Bananas

• Kiwi

• Papaya

• Apples

• Cherries

 

Vegetables for hedgehogs:

• Courgette

• Pepper

• Broccoli

• Cucumber

• Leafy  greens

• Peas

• Sweetcorn

• Carrots

INSECTS

Pygmy hedgehogs love insects, especially mealworms and crickets. Insects are needed for fibre and other nutritional value but can be high in fat  and the amount is debated: some argue only two worms should be given a day whereas other argue four or  some say more . SCIENTIFIC AND VETERINARY SOURCES AGREE THAT INSECTS NEED TO BE INCLUDED AND THAT 10-15% SHOULD BE INSECTS  AND IS NEEDED YET THE EXACT AMOUNT IS HEDGEHOG DEPENDENT

 It's best on your judgement and  your hedgehogs weight and how they eat (their preferences) . No studies have confirmed the exact amount need only they are needed (and need to make up 10-15% of a diet )so when making up the majority of a diet, this can lead to issues such as obesity and other health problems.

 

List of common insects :

• Mealworms

• Waxworms

• Morioworms

• Earth worms (not from the garden)

• Silkworms

• Grasshoppers

• Crickets

• Cockroaches

• Dubai roaches.

There are other options but these are the most commonly used

 

Amount:

Number of insects depends completely on the individual hedgehog. The two main things to keep in mind – fat and digestibility. If you feed your hedgehog a good variety of bugs and they become overweight it is best to lower the amount or change the variety to lower fat insects like crickets or roaches as opposed to mealworms.

- Mealworms and other fatty insects should be limited for most hedgehogs, unless you have a runner or skinny hedgie that needs help keeping weight on. The exact number goes by individual though, and it's best to start with a 2 or 3  (a typically recommended number would be 2-4 a day), and see how your hedgie's weight responds. If he/she seems to be gaining, try reducing the number. If they're fine and you want to try more, go ahead! Lower-fat insects should be fine for any hedgie, as far as fat content.

- Some insects are harder to digest, like mealworms and crickets – they have a hard exoskeleton with lots of fiber. While hedgehogs need more fiber in their diet than cats and insects are a good way to provide this, it can also cause problems in too-high amounts. Your hedgie could become constipated, or even get an impaction. If you notice your hedgie is having smaller, drier, and/or harder poops, try cutting down on harder-shelled insects and see if it helps. Soft-bodied insects like silkworms, butterworms, waxworms, and recently-shed mealworms (they'll look white) shouldn't pose as much of a problem in this area.

Another thing to keep in mind is how many you're feeding all at once – for example, feeding 5 crickets all at the same time might cause your hedgie to have some trouble deficating later, whereas 5 crickets spread out over the course of the day, or over a few hours might not cause a problem. Size also has an impact for example…. Feeding 6 or 8 very small 1cm meal worms will be as ok as feeding 3 large mealworms. Some hedgie benefit and enjoy a larger number of smaller insects mixed with their biscuits and it's helps digestion . You will get to know your hedgie and learn what's best as with any pet :) 

A few good points to know when feeding insects :

 

- Bugs are important in a hedgehog’s diet yet some people chose not to even feed them .

- You should never feed your hedgehog wild-caught insects. There's a risk of pesticides or internal parasites. Only feed insects that you've bought specifically for animal consumption.

- You should also never feed your hedgehog an insect that has died (unless you have put it in the freezer or killed it for your hedgie minutes before). Like any other body, insects would start decomposing upon death, and you don't want to make your hedgie sick.

- It's commonly recommended that once you bring new insects home, you put a few pieces of fresh fruit or veggie (apple, carrot, potatoes etc.) into their container and give them a day or two to eat. This puts healthier food in their system 

 

-If you don't want risk using freeze dried but don't like handling live insects then you can by live and freeze them right away. Freezing can be done by just putting the container with the insects in it into the freezer .One day should be long enough to make sure all of the insects are safely frozen and won't suddenly revive. Once they're frozen, insects can be stored in a freezer bag or small plastic container afterwards. Insects only take a minute or two to thaw out so don't leave around for more than half hour as they will begin to decay.

 

What foods as hedgehogs CANNOT eat 

HogSpot (African Pygmy Hedgehog Group )

Never give your hedgehog grapes or raisins as they are reported to be toxic to them so are avocados.

Some fruits, such as bananas and apples, contain a lot of sugar so are best given as rarely as possible as sugar can cause weight gain and even diabetes.

 

Don’t feed your pet hedgehog starchy veg, such as potatoes and celery or at least extremely rarely and in extremely small amounts if u do. Hedgies don’t process vegetation so well and starchy veg can be extremely hard to process. If you give them vegetables, make sure they’re diced. Cook harder vegetables, such as carrots, to make them softer.

Peas and sweetcorn are safe but should be given in very small amounts as they can unbalance the Calcium/Phosphorus levels in hedgehogs’ metabolism. So say two peas and two pieces of sweet corn is a good amount :) 

 

What can't hedgehogs eat:
Milk
Avocado
Bread
Raw meat
Citrus fruit
Raisins
Onion
Grapes
Nuts & seeds
Chocolate
Junk food
Raw egg yolk
Spicy food

Rhubarb

Pineapple

Processeed , tin or preserved food (accept baby food as this is a different packing process and free from additives )

Fish (although not proven toxic it's not in a hedgehogs naturals diet so should be avoided including as part of compositions of biscuits )

 

It may be worth noting that hedgehogs are lactose intolerant but cottage cheese , sour cream and natural yogurt are actually ok in small amounts as don't have the same lactose as milk .

 

It's safer and easier  just to boil any veg , meat or egg u plan to give a hedgehog to be safe and take out risks 

It is worth noting that fish is not part of hedgehogs’ natural diet. Dry biscuits should be chosen not to include fish or fish oils and products to be safe .