Here at The Pet Express we want you to enjoy every time you shop with us. Occasionally we know you may want to return items, we have tried to make our terms as clear as possible to avoid any nasty surprises. That being said, hedgehogs have a lot of flexibility in their diet and are very well adapted to eating whatever is available to them depending on their habitat. So, they’re more than capable of consuming proteins and fats, too.

The main bulk of the diet is caterpillars, beetles, millipedes, earthworms and earwigs. Slugs form a very small percentage of their diet (and transmit lungworm). They also eat frogs, toads, small mammals, carrion, and eggs. It is thought that any fruit and vegetable matter is eaten incidentally (i.e. attached to their food) rather than intentionally. Diet will vary with habitat – and available species. This will depend on the external factors mentioned earlier such as the climate, age, health etc. of your hog. Any nuts or seeds are a danger for Hedgehogs, please DO NOT feed these. Wet meaty kitten/puppy food is great to help the smaller ones put weight on and kitten biscuits are also smaller and easier for Hedgehogs to eat 🙂Food: Hedgehogs need reliable access to food whatever the weather. Hot, cold, wet or dry they need to eat every day. A small bowl of supplementary food will be greedily appreciated. I ‘wonder if it is time to revisit this advice and consider (a) including hedgehog food in the list – there are numerous types available these days – and (b) excluding peanuts, sunflower hearts and dried mealworms or at the very least say that they should only be offered in small amounts.’ No (but please read the full answer). Mealworms contain excellent proteins and amino acids that are beneficial in an insectivore’s diet. However, they have a poor calcium : phosphorus ratio meaning they should only be fed as part of a balanced diet. The problem is hedgehogs seem to become addicted to mealworms, eating them to the exclusion of other foods. In the long term, this can result in illness and disease and it is therefore probably better not to feed them at all. Can I feed hedgehogs dry fruit (such as banana chips and raisins)?

Metabolic Bone Disease (MBD) is caused by a hedgehog consistently eating foods which are too low in calcium and too high in phosphorus. This can result in the hedgehog’s body leaching the calcium stored in its bones into the bloodstream to try to counterbalance. But this means that their bones then don’t get enough calcium, causing the bones to break or become misshapen. If a hedgehog fills up solely on peanuts, mealworms, oats and sunflower hearts, they won’t have a balanced diet and this can lead to MBD. MBD in hedgehogs is harrowing: it’s a debilitating, excruciatingly painful condition that can lead to death. Apples – eaten in moderation, apples are a deliciously crunchy treat for hedgehogs. They are high in natural sugars, so they should only be given as a treat now and again Cat biscuits are also good for their teeth, do not freeze in winter, or go off and attract flies in summer. This year, we have already had two admissions prior to little Gherkin, with metabolic bone disease (confirmed by a veterinary surgeon), both barely able to walk, and in pain. Both of these, like Gherkin, were fed large amounts of mealworms. It really IS as simple as that. So if you wanted a short answer, please dont feel you have to read any further 🙂 For those of you with all the if’s, but’s, and maybe’s, please do read on.Food for hedgehogs can be left on the floor or in a shallow dish. Relying on their spines for protection hedgehogs are not shy so the dish can be out in the open where you can see and once they have found it they will soon ensure that your diner is part of the evening routine. Ark Wildlife continue to research hedgehog wellbeing and dietary health and are currently carrying out trials on new ways of providing highly palatable balanced nutrition with improved digestibility. Still with me? Great. Read on for more answers to the common issues raised by the good folk who feed hedgehogs in their garden….. a) The start of this is a very old post (from June 2017) and some of the information which follows is outdated. Since then there have been various posts which are very much more concise. It is unfortunate that this one has been brought to prominence again – not for the first time, as is evident! Ask yourself what they know about the care of wild hogs? How much research have they done? Sadly there are still some less enlightened and up to date rescues who tell people to feed these items. All I can say to you, is that the above information is EVIDENCE BASED, and supported by some of the largest and most experienced rescues and wildlife hospitals in the UK.

A consumer favourite for 15 years, WildThings creates nutritious foods that are ideally balanced to supplement the natural diet of wild garden visitors. Caring for native wildlife is as important as feeding pets at WildThings – and many people share that belief. If you have a bird feeder with peanuts in, please ensure it is safe and the nuts are not falling out on to the floor, there are little trays you can get to put underneath to catch any loose nuts and seeds.Hedgehogs are not insectivores as many people think. Studies have shown they are omnivorous. These studies have analysed faeces and stomach contents of wild hogs, and food preference trials in captive wild hedgehogs. Vitamin A 19,000 IU, Vitamin D3 1,900 IU, Vitamin E 110mg, Iron (Ferrous Sulphate Monohydrate): 40mg, Copper (Cupric Sulphate Pentahydrate): 7mg, Manganese (Manganous Sulphate Monohydrate): 30mg, Zinc (Zinc Sulphate Monohydrate): 100mg, Iodine (Calcium Iodate Anhydrous): 1mg, Selenium (Sodium Selenite): 0.25 mg. Hedgehog specific biscuits: Here, we feed our visiting wildies with a mix of two things: Ark Wildlife hedgehog biscuits, and Ark Wildlife hedgehog mix. This doesnt get eaten by the neighbourhood cats, the hedgehogs like it (please bear in mind that it WILL take them a few days to get used to a change in food), and the wild birds finish off any bits leftover. I have no affiliation with Ark wildlife, its simply that our wild hogs will eat it. There are other alternatives available. However, I have confidence that Ark wildlife have done their research and formulated a nutritionally complete and appropriate food – it was originally developed for hedgehog rescue centres and wildlife hospitals.