No bread and milk Bread has little nutrition for 'hogs and because they are lactose intolerant, milk and dairy products can cause diarrhoea in 'hogs and strip them of nutrients.
Grapes and avocados are toxic to hedgehogs. While some people give crushed peanuts to their hedgies, nuts and raisins are generally considered a choking hazard as they get stuck on the roof of their mouth. Avoid giving your pet hedgehog insects you've caught yourself as they might have digested toxins.
Can you feed hedgehogs bread and milk? Hedgehogs are lactose intolerant so please do not give them milk.
They are sensitive to light and prefer a dim, quiet environment. Their primary method of protection is their ability to roll up into a ball and to erect their spines. They often make a hissing or huffing sound too! Try to avoid excessive noise, needless excitement, and over handling.
Essential Oils: I have been advised that oils that are considered "hot" are toxic to hedgehogs. Oils that are considered hot: Cassia, Cinnamon Bark, Clove, Hyssop, Lemongrass, Ocotea, Oregano, Peppermint, Thieves, and Thyme.
Each hedgehog has different tolerances and can actually take an allergy test just like humans can. Us hedgehogs can have allergies to things that we breathe, things that we eat, and things that touch our skin.
Please be cautious when using topical oils and added heat as the heat and oil can cause a minor burn and further irritation. Olive oil is not very absorbent so it coats the skin (which is good for healing) but can be dangerous if your hedgehog is under direct heat.
A badger and a hedgehog feeding together on a lawn. Badgers are hedgehogs' main predators in the UK. They are the only animals strong enough to tackle a hedgehog's spiny defences. Hedgehogs and badgers share what's known as an asymmetric intraguild predation relationship.
Talking to your hedgehog while holding, snuggling, bathing, and other enjoyable activities will help your hedgehog associate the sound of your voice with comfort and enjoyment. Over the years we have found the radio and music very soothing for a variety of different animals.
Hedgehogs easily develop respiratory infections, especially when they are young. For example, bacterial infections, such as pneumonia, are common. Signs of a respiratory infection might include sneezing, a runny or crusty nose and eyes, and raspy breathing, wheezing or coughing.
Internal parasites ("worms" and protozoa) can cause diarrhea and require a microscopic fecal examination by a veterinarian. In cases of low parasite counts, some hedgehogs may not show any signs but still test positive for intestinal parasites.
Almost all hedgehogs can safely use a water bottle instead of a water bowl. Water bottles are more sanitary than bowls and they also give you the ability to easily see how much your hedgehog is drinking each day.
Hedgehogs are pretty good swimmers. In his book Hedgehogs, Pat Morris records them swimming for over half a mile, crossing rivers and swimming to the middle of lakes.
Hedgehogs are lactose intolerant. Milk and cheese will give them bad diarrhoea and can lead to serious illness as well. As for sweet treats like raisins, sultanas, currants, dried berries and the like: go easy, or better still, leave it out completely.
Threats: The biggest threat to hedgehogs is probably habitat loss, with the change from pastoral farming to arable crops, over the last 30 years. The use of chemicals in gardens and for intensive farming kills the creatures hedgehogs need for food and may also poison them directly. Many are also killed on roads.
Fruits: Dried fruit should be avoided, but a small amount of fresh fruit can be offered to your hedgehog as treats. Apples, bananas, berries, and melons are popular choices among hedgehogs. Vegetables: Fresh tomatoes, fresh green beans, and cooked squash are some options that your hedgehog may enjoy.
Long-term elevated stress levels, as in humans, can have serious physiological consequences for hedgehogs. The higher level of stress shows that being handled and placed in captivity can cause long-term stress in the animals. This highlights the importance of periods of captivity being as short as possible.
Before your hedgehog develops dry itchy skin, add a drop of coconut oil, CBD pet tinctures, olive oil, flax seed oil, wheat germ oil, or vitamin E to their food a few times a week. It will help condition their skin as dead skin falls off and new skin develops.
Like many pocket pets, hedgehogs love to explore mazes and tunnels. This will keep Hedgie active, and offer him mental stimulation. You can buy labyrinths, or make your own out of shoeboxes or PVC pipe. To make your pet's explorations even more fun for him, hide a snack at the end of the tunnel.
Hedgehogs are not typically aggressive towards people. They are somewhat anti-social and are generally happy to be left alone. However, they will typically “ball up” if people get too close, rather than bite or attack.
They have sharp needles all over their backs which can penetrate the skin. It will often itch if a needle does and may cause a rash.
All hedgehogs take time to adapt to a new environment or their new home. They sometimes get scared easily from noises, disturbances, and changes to the environment. So bringing them home for the first time, might still get their defenses up.
Many hedgehog owners have had success using lavender essential oil for their grouchy, stressed hedgehogs. Apply one or two drops topically, or use in a diffuser in the room.
Use gardening gloves or a towel to handle the hedgehog, then take it inside in a box and place a well-wrapped hot water bottle underneath it. Fill the bottle with hot tap water (not boiling) – you should be able to hold your hand comfortably on the bottle when wrapped.
Hedgehogs mainly eat creepy crawlies
The most important invertebrates in their diet are worms, beetles, slugs, caterpillars, earwigs and millipedes. As well as these, they also eat a wide range of other insects.