About Crystal Expertise I can answer most questions about hedgehogs. I can answer questions about basic care, handling, symptoms and treatments to common hedgehog illnesses, housing, and how to make cheap toys for hedgehogs. I cannot answer questions about how to treat serious illnesses in these animals, but I can help find a good veterinarian in any state.
Experience I have owned a female African Pygmy hedgehog for four years. I have also read many publications on the care of this breed of hedgehog.
Question my daughter's hedgehog wobbles when she walks, mostly eats IAMS kitten food, with occasional frozen worms.
did not eat last night or today.
less than 1 year old. runs in wheel at night, but not last night
Answer Kitten food should never be fed to a hedgehog. Only high quality ADULT cat food should be fed. If you can buy it at a supermarket, it is NOT high quality. You want high protein with low fat. Preferable less than 5% fat is ideal, but not likely. aim for less than 9-10%.
Without seeing your hedgehog, i cannot offer much info. He/she might just be overwieght, which should be fixed since it can lead to fatty liver disease. Also hedgehogs are prone to tumours. Please take your hedgehog to a vet as soon as you can. Preferably one that has experience with exotic pets. Call around. Getting a vet with experience with hedgehogs is very important.
Hedgehogs have no cut off. They will eat until they can eat no more. Food should be monitored and spread out through out the day. High quality cat food should be the base, with some hedgehog vitamins (in form of treat) mixed in every other day or so, and mealworms, crickets, silkworms given as treats. Hedgehogs need a balanced diet which requires variety.
I repeat that kitten food should never be fed because it is too high in fat. Kitten food is only appropriate for cats under one year old, and with the little bit my adult cat sneaks from the kitten at meal times, she became overweight to the point of breathing problems. Much worse for a hedgehog whose entire meal is kitten food.. I think yours may just be overweight, but a vet visit needs to happen.
