Picky Eater Advice

[silver_fire_lizard]

Hello! I got Pip about 3 weeks ago. We're doing okay (he went through a little health scare in the beginning, but he's absolutely fine), and we've gotten to be good buddies. I do have a question about his diet though. Pip is an extremely picky eater. The breeder had him on Spike's Ultra, but I'm working on switching him to Blue Buffalo Turkey & Potato sensitive mix. He's been grumpy about it, but I'm taking it extra slow. The only problem is that he won't eat anything else besides his kibble and and the occasional cooked chicken. So far we've tried freeze dried meal worms, dog food, live crickets (and the legs of live crickets), bananas, and strawberries. He tasted the fruit, but didn't want to eat it after licking it and spreading it across his quills. I'm concerned that he isn't getting what he needs to be healthy. He is absolutely exploding in growth. I would say he's increased his size by like 25% since I got him. He's eating pretty good, but I just want to make sure that he's eating RIGHT. I don't think the breeder even tried to introduce him to anything other than his kibble.

 

[silver_fire_lizard]

Update: we tried watermelon and honeydew last night. Not even a lick!

 

[Raindog]

Some hedgies just don't like anything but their kibble, and they do fine. How is Pip eating the Blue Buffalo? Live meal worms are generally preferred over the freeze dried. You can try different baby foods or wet cat food and you might have to offer the different foods many times before Pip will try it.

My Luna is pretty picky and my vet suggested Stella and Chewy's cat food. It is high in fat so good for my girl who is underweight but otherwise would be good for a treat. They come in sample packs for around a dollar. Here is the website http://www.stellaandchewys.com/cat-products.php. Luna prefers Tummy Tickling Turkey. She like it wet but you can break it up and sprinkle it on other food.

 

[akane]

Most of mine just eat kibble and the occasional wet cat food but we do use a mixture. Generally Natural Balance cat food rotating flavors, Blue wilderness to up the protein and fat for growing and pregnant hedgehogs, and Fromm mature cat gold. Then gran free Taste of the Wild canned. Some will eat meat or mealworms and one will eat cranberries cut in half. I've tried a few fresh herbs and some small bits cut off root vegetables but no one is interested.

 

[silver_fire_lizard]

I mean, he eats it fine and has been for two weeks. He had some digestive issues yesterday (weird grainy poop), but he looks like he feels great. I accidentally cleaned his wheel two days ago with a possibly harsh cleaner, and even though I rinsed it off, I think that might be the cause of his digestive issues. He's in my lap right now, but his poops after the foot bath earlier looked normal. Hopefully, that's gone.

So reading around seems to indicate that a mixture is the best option. He's on Spike's Ultra and Blue Buffalo Turkey and Potato Sensitive Mix. That's probably high in protein. I'm almost out of Spike's, so I will need to substitute it with something else (I personally don't like that brand). I'm going to do some research, but what would you guys recommend to pair with Blue?

I'm going to take him on a field trip to Petsmart soon and hopefully he'll be able to try a live mealworm there. I've had no luck with snacks so far, and I even tried plain pasta yesterday. He still only likes cooked chicken. I want to try vegetables, but we don't have anything ready to cut up in the fridge right now. This is so funny in comparison to my other pets. One of my dogs will literally eat ANYTHING and she has an iron stomach. Ate an entire bag of snickers when I was 12 (I stayed up all night crying with worry), and she just snoozed away.