Is he eating enough? -hedgehog question-

[StarLover21]

I got a hedgehog four days ago.

. I gave him 2 1/2 tablespoons that night, and today, four days later, there's still 1 1/2 tablespoons in the bowl. That means he's only eaten one tablespoon of food in four days.

How much is he supposed to eat? He's just a baby- only six weeks old. He's been drinking alot and his poop looks normal. Also- I mixed sun seed hedgehog food with blue buffallo cat food, and he ate all the cat food out. Is this because that's what he ate at his other home? It was mixed with a different type of hedgehog food- not sun seed. Is this heathly? He doesn't seem stressed- very freindly, pooping alot. Maybe I'm just worrying over nothing? We have hand fed him several times- so he's probably actually eaten 1 1/2 tablespoons or more. But the breeder told us to give him 2-3 tablespoons of food every day...
Please help- worried about my baby!

 

[ChickenWisperer]

No, that's not nearly enough. He's a baby and he needs more nutrients, he definitely doesn't need to get behind. Sometimes, some hogs will eat less when they go through the stress of going to a new home, being removed from siblings, and eating new foods. Even if they don't seem stressed, they probably are. Also keep in mind, he's going through qilling. How much does he weigh?

Take the other food out. A hoglet this young doesn't need to be introduced to any new food right now, unless it's a specially formulated food like royal canin baby cat 36. What color are his stools? What consistency? You might want to add some of the other food I just listed. They usually love it. It's a easily digestible HIGHLY nutritious feed. And expensive!

 

[Yay Chicks!]

I don't know a thing about hedgehogs but was intrigued by your question. I did a google search and couldn't find an answer to your specific question, but did find some hedgehog forums.

I do have a couple of suggestions with regard to getting your question answered: 1) Change the title of your post to include the word "hedgehog." Then you are more likely to get knowledgeable folks looking at this and 2) Contact the breeder with your question. They should definitely be able to tell you what to expect with regard to feeding your pet.

Good luck.

Edited to say: I see you got a knowledgeable poster while I was writing this. Yay!

 

[StarLover21]

Quote:
His stools are dark brown/ black. Do you mean take out the sunseed? All of it? I'll weigh him in a minuite...

 

[StarLover21]

He weighs 3 and a half oz.

 

[StarLover21]

Oh and the temperateure has dropped down to about 70 a few times. Do you think he's trying to hibernate?

 

[ChickenWisperer]

Dark brown is okay. Are they slimy or greenish at all?

He doesn't weigh nearly enough in my opinion! if he's a normal sized hog, and if the parents were small they shouldn't have been bred. All of my hogs brought home at the age of 7 weeks weighed at least 10 oz. Although, as I breeder I would never let my hoglets go before 7 weeks at age due to this very problem. They should be taken out from their mother exactly at 6 weeks, then a week to monitor their weight gain and emotional/mental state after being taken away from mom.

Yes, take out all of the other that isn't blue buffalo. I would recommend buying some of the royal canin baby cat 36 dry kibble (it comes in a pink and white pack, the last time I bought some). It's very nutrient dense, will be easy on his digestive system, and above all is tasty.

If he's running in his wheel, active, etc there should be no problem assuming you do have a snuggle safe disk or something similar in his cage.

 

[StarLover21]

Well what should I do???

He also has a lump on the side of hims mouth and on his foot. Do you know what this might be?

 

[StarLover21]

He seems pretty sleepy, also.

 

[StarLover21]

He's just lying down and sleeping constantly...