Treats for Wimbley

This post is more about hedgehogs in general but a lot of people ask me what Wimbley can eat. His basic food is fancy cat food with protein mixed in but as far as snacking there are a lot of choices!

I found this fantastic list posted by LizardGirl on the Hedgehog Central Discussion Forum


Treats

Here is a partial list of acceptable treats to offer:
- Meats: (baked, boiled, browned or roasted) beef, chicken, duck, lamb, turkey
- Fish: most are fine except they can make your hedgie smell quite fishy
- Fruits: apple, banana, cantaloupe, cherry, cranberries, honeydew, papaya, peaches, pear, pumpkin, raspberries, squash, strawberry, watermelon, blueberries, kiwi
- Veggies: asparagus, broccoli, carrot, cilantro, corn, cucumber, green beans, green pepper, peas, spinach, sweet potato, turnip, zucchini
- Eggs: scrambled or hard boiled, no salt or pepper
- Baby food: all flavors should be fine, Gerber Baby meat sticks are very popular
- Wet cat food: choose one without by-products or unhealthy preservatives
- Cottage cheese: hedgies are lactose intolerant, but some like this in very small amounts.
- Insects

Some treats that are unacceptable to offer are:
- Anything citrus: oranges, lemons, limes, grapefruit, etc.
- Pineapple: the acid causes tiny abrasions in the mouth, which are painful.
- Most dried fruits: these can be choked on, and can get caught in the roof of the mouth.
- Raisins: besides the fact that they are dried fruit, grapes and raisins are toxic even in very small amounts.
- Avocados: toxicity unknown.
-Onions, garlic, chives: these contain poisonous sulfur compounds that are dangerous in large amounts.
- Human junk food: these are high in fat, salt, preservatives, and many other things bad for hedgies.
- Chocolate: same as for human junk food.
- Peanuts and other legumes: these can get caught in the roof of the mouth and are easily choked on.
- Pits and seeds: these can be toxic (depending on the fruit) and are a choking hazard.

So far Wimbley has tried and rejected: carrots, green peppers, and papaya treats.
He kind of tried some cilantro but after a bite he started annointing frantically rather than actually eating it.
His only treat that he seems to enjoy so far is mealworms.

Until next time... the quest for treats continues!