Healthy Hedgehog Weight

It's true that each hedgie has their own personality and body type, but what about healthy hedgehog weight? Is it different for all hedgies of the same age, or can that be different? Does body type affect whether or not they are considered healthy? Let's discover the different weight possibilities for your lap cactus, and learn some methods that promote healthy weight loss, weight gain, or weight stability. As always, please speak with your vet first to decide what is best to do in your individual situation. While you are waiting for your vet appointment, this article should prepare you with some good need-to-knows.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT: Our sincere thanks goes to Nicole Casey for allowing us to use her hedgehog Quillbert's picture as our cover picture for this article.

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There is no exact number that a healthy hedgie should be by a certain age beyond 6 weeks. By that point they should have reached at least 200 g / 7 oz. They range in body types with some being longer and leaner and others are shorter and more plump. The most important thing is to visually inspect them from above. Do they form a ( ), ) (, or | | shape?

As they get older, their weight should gently increase to over 300g or 11 oz. After a year they could begin to weigh as close to 800 g or 28 oz. The most important thing for healthy hedgehog weight is that they can still curl into a ball without their bellies showing, and when looking at them from above, their bodies should form a water drop shape or have a straight body shape. If their sides cave inwards, this is an indication they are not a healthy weight for their body type. [source: hedgehog welfare]

The goal of a healthy hedgehog weight is to maintain it. Once they reach adulthood, their weight should only fluctuate by 10-20 grams. It should be gradual if there is any weight change. Therefore, any sudden weight change should be a sign that your hedgehog needs to visit the vet. Additionally, It is important to keep a record of your hedgehog's weight by weighing them at home weekly. It may seem excessive, but hedgehogs are good at hiding illnesses which can come on quickly. Even though you shouldn't pay too much attention to what other hogs weigh at your little ouch mouse's age, you should watch their shape and habits. You can click here to download the data we have collected so far to track other hedgehogs age vs. weight stats and even add your own to it!

Sometimes there is a hoglet born that is the smallest of their siblings. About 3/4 of the regular size! Somewhere along the way of being birthed to weaned, this hedgehog did not receive the same amount of nutrients as other siblings did. It was also probably harder for them to reach mama hedgie's milk with the other siblings fighting for a drink. So, his body is not equipped to grow taller or gain weight at a normal pace.

That is not to say he won't ever be the same weight one day with the proper hedgehog diet list and lifestyle. It is very possible that once adult age is reached, these runts of the hedgehog litter will become the same weight as his siblings. The important thing is that your vet is watching his growth closely and recording milestones. You will need to make sure that you are giving them a diet higher in fat and nutrients, and be weighing him regularly to make sure he is on track. To do this, feed something like Royal Canin Mother & Baby Cat. It is a food that is meant for nursing cats and baby kittens, and is recommended along with the dry kibble version of it.

It is a good idea to attach a odometer to your hedgehog's wheel if you want to know how much they run! A good night vision camera would help too. If they are running more than 12 km per night, then they need extra fat and calories in their diet to keep up with the calories exhausted. Being an avid runner could be the reason as to why they are leaner and weigh less. As long as their bodies do not cave in at the sides, your vet should find them healthy still.

Avid runners will benefit from more exoskeletons found in their bugs, so feeding them 1 – 4 worms, crickets, or roaches every day will be a great addition to their healthy hedgehog diet. The best insects to feed with the highest fat content are mealworms, butterworms, and dubia roaches. It is a good idea to mix two or more dry kibbles together too with one containing higher fat and one with average fat content. Also, you could add in some protein like scrambled unseasoned eggs or poached salmon!

The protein content of their kibble should stay within the same range of 30-33%, but the fat content can be increased from 10-13% to 13-16%. One brand we recommend to try is Go! Sensitivity + Limited Ingredient Diet Duck Recipe Grain Free. With the Go! food you would only need to mix in one tbsp with a tbsp of their normal food because it has a perfect range of 15% fat and 31% protein which fits into the hedgehog food list guidelines.

An overweight hedgehog cannot ball fully, so some of their belly fur will still be showing. There may be fatty deposits located under its chin, on the knees, and yellow rolls of fat in the arm pits. More noticeably, they would look more like a ball and have a hard time walking straight or rolling from their back to their belly. This happens due to genetics, inactivity, psychological reasons, or diet. Once a hedgie comes close to 800 g / 28 oz, this causes concern and their fat intake should be reduced and their exercise and enrichment levels increased.

Their weight loss food may now have a higher protein content, and you will need to mix several different types of kibble to achieve the right ratio. An overweight hedgie is susceptible to many more diseases that could affect their cardiovascular system and joints. So, take them to the vet to find out for sure that there isn't something causing the weight increase. If the vet says their exercise level needs to increase you may find that hard since most hedgehogs at this stage will refuse to use their wheel.

Always consult with your veterinarian first before implementing a diet for your hedgehog. Weight loss can be induced by an existing condition like a gastrointestinal disease or infection. Their body shape will curve in if you look at them from the aerial view, just like the picture shows above. There are several things you can do to try and encourage them to become a healthy hedgehog weight.

Firstly, check their cage temperature and make sure it is within the 74°F – 80°F ( 23°C – 26.7°C ). Next, you'll want to introduce a diet higher in fat but still keep the protein the same. The new food source should have a fat percentage of around 15%. Mix a tbsp of the new weight gain food with a tbsp of their normal food. It could take them a week or two to get used to the new food though, so be strong! Introducing wet cat food or baby food should spark their interest to eat more calories faster.

Just like we mentioned for the avid runner, we suggest Go! Limited ingredient Duck Formula for weight gain. That food is a great example of what you would use because it has whole de-bonded duck as its main ingredient. Plus it includes chicken fat, flax seed, and 15% fat and 31% protein. Another great option to feed would be Blue Buffalo Sensitive Stomach Chicken Recipe cat food. You may also consider something higher in fat percentage such as Royal Canin Mother and Baby Cat Food. With the Royal Canin, the intention is just to feed this temporarily until your hog gains weight, and it should be sprinkled in with their regular food. Wet cat food also, such as Blue Buffalo Freedom Indoor Chicken Recipe with a fat content of 6% would be a great addition to their food mix, or given as a treat daily.

It's going to take a week or two before your hedgehog adapts to their new food. Don't just keep trying new foods, stick with the same ones and be resilient. You may find that they pick through the new food and just nibble their old kibble. That's okay, just keep trying. With the help of supplements like pumpkin puree to lose weight, or the wet cat food to gain weight, plus fresh ingredients like salmon, chicken, or eggs; you will find a way to promote your hedgie to become healthier.

Keep feeding them insects, but make them work to find them if they need that extra push to move. Their exercise levels will increase in time if you stay focused. And if they need to gain weight or need help stabilizing it, from now on they'll need that higher fat content food and extra insects. Keeping a journal can help you decide what is best, especially if you write down their weight and activity goals. After approximately a month, their weight should stabilize because of your hard work. With help from the vet, from that point on, you'll want to maintain that weight. Just like in humans, diets aren't effective long term, the changes have to become a life style.

**Sincere gratitude goes to Nicole Casey from the hedgehog community for letting us use her Quillbert as our featured hog!**

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