Hedgehogs are the Homer Simpsons of the animal world. They will munch on just about anything. But is ‘just about anything’ good for them? Nope. Some foods that most people would never give their pets, like treats, are actually really, really bad for them.
Find out what you should never give your spiky friends and what foods will make their bellies happy and healthy.
If you want to watch hedgehogs in your garden, you can use a wildlife camera or put a bird box camera near the entrance to where the hedgehogs nest.
Public awareness around global warming is on the rise – finally and thankfully. But there is another crisis going on right in front of our eyes that isn’t as loud but is connected to the climate crisis. Native animal habitats are quickly disappearing, which is causing a huge drop in the numbers of many species, including skylarks, red squirrels, the small blue butterfly, bees and hoverflies, long-eared bats, and wildcats.
Among the seriously struggling species is our beautiful hedgehog. In his talk at the conference about The State of Nature report, Sir David Attenborough said that hedgehog populations have already dropped in half over the last 25 years.
Because of this, as many as 90% of meadows have disappeared from the British countryside, leaving people without a place to live. And hungry.
Having lost their meadows and hedges, hedgehogs now have to rely more and more on parks and gardens in cities to stay alive. Every day, they have to travel a long way to find food. Sometimes, they go the extra mile to find wild places like piles of leaves. to hide in. Facing the perils of lawnmowers riding by or unaware gardeners raking them up. Also, they are likely to be hit by cars if they can’t find safe ways to get from one garden to another and have to cross the roads every day.
With nature also being increasingly deprived of insects to eat, they depend on the munchies we provide them. Big shout-out to everyone who is doing their best to help them!.
But food aid, with the best intentions, may be causing damage as well. The effects of a poor hedgehog diet can be pretty severe, the main one being Metabolic Bone Disease.
Sausage is a food that us humans love to eat. It comes in so many delicious flavors and can be an easy, tasty meal or snack. But what about our hedgehog friends – can they eat sausage too? In this article, we’ll take a close look at whether or not it’s a good idea to feed sausage to hedgehogs.
An Overview of Hedgehog Diet
First, let’s get an understanding of what hedgehogs can and should be eating In the wild, hedgehogs are insectivores – their diet mainly consists of insects, small bugs, worms, slugs and snails They may also eat small amounts of plant material.
When kept as pets it’s important to try to mimic their natural diet as much as possible. A balanced hedgehog diet should include
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High quality hedgehog/insectivore dry food or wet cat food. Look for foods with a protein content of around 30%.
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Occasional treats of live insects (mealworms, crickets, dubia roaches)
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Small amounts of vegetables fruits and cooked meat offered 1-2 times per week.
Some human foods that are safe for hedgehogs in moderation include cooked eggs, plain cooked chicken, turkey or fish, melons, berries, peas and sweet potato.
Are Sausages Safe for Hedgehogs?
Now onto the main question – can hedgehogs eat sausages? The simple answer is yes, but in very strict moderation only. Here are some things to keep in mind:
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Fat and salt content – Sausages are often quite high in fat and salt, both of which can be unhealthy for hedgehogs in large quantities. Too much fat can lead to obesity and salt can cause dehydration.
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Spices and seasonings – Many sausages contain garlic, onion and other spices which can be toxic to hedgehogs. Only plain sausages should ever be fed.
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Preservatives and fillers – Human-grade sausages often contain preservatives like nitrates and fillers like breadcrumbs which provide no nutritional value.
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Raw meat safety – Sausages made from raw meat carry a risk of passing on bacteria like salmonella. They must be thoroughly cooked before feeding to hedgehogs.
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Choking hazard – Sausages can present a choking risk, especially if fed in rounds. It’s safest to cut them into bite-sized pieces first.
Feeding Guidelines for Sausages
If you want to share a little bit of your sausage with your hedgehog, follow these guidelines to do it as safely as possible:
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Only offer plain sausages with no seasonings or spices added. Pork, beef, chicken and turkey sausages are okay in moderation.
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Cut the sausage into pea-sized pieces to reduce choking risk.
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Cook the sausage thoroughly until piping hot throughout to kill any harmful bacteria. Never feed raw.
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Feed just a few small pieces once or twice a week at most. Sausage should never make up more than 5-10% of their overall diet.
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Always supervise your hedgehog when offering sausage to prevent choking accidents.
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Provide plenty of fresh water to help offset the saltiness.
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Discontinue feeding sausage if it causes loose stools or weight gain.
Some good plain sausage options include cooked plain ground pork or beef, mild Italian-style sausages or chicken apple sausages (without seasonings). Hot dogs and smoked deli meats should be avoided as they are very high in salt, fat and nitrates.
Healthier Treat Options
While an occasional small taste of sausage is unlikely to harm hedgehogs, there are healthier treat options you can offer instead:
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Diced hard boiled or scrambled egg
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Lean cooked chicken or turkey
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Canned grasshoppers or crickets
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Watermelon, blueberries or apple cubes
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Plain cooked fish like salmon or tilapia
-Chicken, turkey, salmon or egg based cat or dog food (no gravy/sauces)
-Green beans, carrots or sweet potato
These alternatives provide great protein, vitamins and minerals without excessive fat and salt.
The Verdict on Sausage for Hedgehogs
Life-Threatening Hedgehog Metabolic Bone Disease
Metabolic Bone Disease, or MBD, is already a familiar issue within aviary, bird, and reptile communities. It is relatively new when it comes to hedgehogs. Recent years show a sure increase of MBD diagnoses in hedgehogs.
Hedgehogs can get MBD if their bodies don’t have the right balance of calcium and phosphorus. This makes them sick and will kill them in the end.
Symptoms of MBD in Hedgehogs:
- Disruption in calcium metabolism
- Weakening of the bones
- Joint abnormalities
- Reduced nerve transmission
- Weakened muscle contraction and tremors, including in the heart
- Blood may lose ability to clot
- Resulting in paralysis, seizures, and cardiac arrest
Hedgehog MBD Causes
There are several causes for Metabolic Bone Disease, such as:
- Vitamin D deficiency
- Underlying illnesses
- Stress and anxiety
- Lack of exercise
- Calcium/phosphorus imbalance
One of the main causes is a bad diet, especially if their food has too little calcium and too much phosphorus, or the other way around. And that’s something we can have a direct influence on. We can stop feeding them mealworms and sunflower hearts, for example.
But they love mealworms!
Yes, because they are total Homer Simpsons! They’re all for munching on the yum stuff. Especially the stuff that’s bad for them: anything extra salty, sweet, or fatty. A bit like us, really. But unlike us, they don’t know it’s bad for them.
What Snacks Does a Hedgehog Eat? | Hedgehog Favorite Snacks & Food Compilation
FAQ
Will hedgehogs eat sausages?
Can hedgehogs eat pork?
What should you not feed hedgehogs?
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BAD food for hedgehogs
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Reason
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Large chunks of meat
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Hedgehog teeth are too tiny to tear or chew big pieces
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Bacon or corned beef
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Too salty
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Fish
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Hard to digest, not natural
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Eggs
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Poor calcium:phosphorus ratio of 12.12:1
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