Hedgehog Nutrition
No argument is more frequently visited amongst those who keep hedgehogs than that of what is best to feed them. There are several commercial hedgehog foods on the market but they can be hard to find, and not all of them are the best choice of nutrition for your pet. What a hedgehog needs as it's main diet is simple to provide as long as you are willing to do a little label reading. Most commonly these requirements can be met by a mix (around 3 foods is best) of high quality cat food, and many hedgehogs have lived healthy and long lives on this kind of diet.
Click here for some hedgehog safe foods
While it may sound complicated to begin with, there are really only two basic steps to remember:
1.) You will need to look for a food that has 30% or more protein, and around 15% fat (20% at the upper end). This is very important to make sure your hedgehog has enough energy and doesn't become overweight. A fat content much lower than 15%, or higher than 20% could possibly lead to an overweight hedgehog or other health issues.
2.) The food you choose should have quality ingredients at the top of it's list. A whole meat or meat meal (chicken, beef, lamb) should be one of your top few ingredients.
Watch out for general by products or digests (meat by product, poultry by product, poultry digest) as these tend to be the bits and pieces left over from the processing of the better parts of the meat and may include such things as hooves, beaks, feathers, and skin. You will also want to watch the corn content of the food. Unfortunately most feeds use corn as an inexpensive filler, and while a small amount of well processed corn is tolerable (and almost impossible to avoid!) it is important to avoid foods who have large quantities of corn or less processed corn (cracked or ground corn) as these do nothing to help your hedgehog and can cause digestive problems when fed in excess long term.
Meat
Hedgehogs will gladly eat live mealworms (regular ones and king mealworms also called superworms; you can feed both the worm-like larvae and the adult beetles of these species), crickets, beetles, earthworms, waxworms, and anything small that moves. It is easy to buy live mealworms at the pet store which is their favorite food of all time (or so Sonic said!). Hedgehogs may also eat freeze dried versions of these critters. Hedgies will eat cooked and unseasoned chicken, ground beef, and other meats (Prickles liked a piece of plain steak). Do not ever give them uncooked meat, meat with bones, or meat with anything added to it. For those hedgehogs who are not eating well, you can feed chicken or turkey human baby food. They are also supposed to like Gerber Graduates turkey and chicken sticks. They are like little hotdogs. You can also puree together fresh cooked meats with the hedgehog foods and other foods mentioned. Some people do this routinely while others do it just with hedgehogs who are not eating all they should or are too picky. They cannot pick anything out if it is homogenized.
Fruits and Vegetables
Hedgehogs will a bit reluctantly eat some fruits and vegetables. It is important for them to get fiber in their diet. Most commercial hedgehog diets contain large amounts of corn, soybean, and/or wheat so apparently those are okay to feed but I do not think they should be so predominant in the hedgehog feed. It is the same way with dog and cat food. Cats and hedgehogs both enjoy mostly meat and yet there foods are mostly corn. Why? It is cheap. They figure if they can smear some by-products and lard on the corn, the cats and hedgehogs will not know the difference which is usually true but that does not mean it is good for them. Tiny amounts of fruits and vegetables are fine. (My hogs never really liked them anyway.) Their main meal should be meat-based. Of course, as I said, most commercial hedgehog foods are mostly vegetables and grains! Spinach is a favorite of my hedgehogs and so is chicory.
Eggs and Dairy
Hedgehogs love eggs! Hard boil them first and cut them into quarters. Hedgehogs will also eat some dairy products. Try yogurt (plain or various fruits like banana) and cottage cheese as treats.
Treats
All hedgehogs should get occasional treats from the table. Un-spiced chicken, tuna and salmon are big favorites, as are bits of cooked egg and many fruits and vegetables. Cottage cheese and yogurt are okay, but other dairy products should not be given as they can cause an upset stomach. With any new treat give only a small amount to begin with, just in case it doesn't agree with your hedgehogs digestion. Treats of meal worms or crickets are enjoyable, but not necessary, and should never be given in large amounts due to the high fat content. You don't have to feed insects live, but it can be fun watching your hedgie hop around after it's lunch!!