Apart from insects, hedgehogs love vegetables and fruits. But the question is: can hedgehogs eat bananas? Yes, hedgehogs can eat bananas as an occasional treat and in moderation.
Bananas are good treats for your hedgehog; feeding them at least once a week is excellent. The banana fruit has many health benefits for your prickly friend.
This article will guide you on how to feed your hedgehog with bananas, the amount to feed it, and the parts to feed. You will also get to know the health benefits of bananas and the risks. Toward the end, we will share tips for feeding the hedgehogs with bananas and a fun fact.
Take it!
Can You Feed Hedgehogs with Bananas?
Yes, hedgehogs can eat bananas; chop them into manageable chunks for safety purposes. As much as hedgehogs are insectivorous, they thrive on fresh vegetables and fruits. And bananas are one of the healthy and tasty treats to feed them.
Ensure that you feed them with the flesh part of bananas. If you feed hedgehogs with peels, seeds, and ends, it may harm them.
How Much Banana to Feed Your Hedgehog
A tablespoon of banana is more than enough to treat your hedgehog. And the good thing is that the banana is too soft and requires less preparation. Just chop it into small chunks or mash it if your hedgehog loves it.
You can typically feed your hedgehog with fruits twice or thrice a week. But for bananas, just feed them once per week.
Hedgehogs are prone to weight gain and obesity, and you know bananas have a high sugar content that may lead to obesity and weight gain. So, it is good to feed them in moderation and ensure the banana is ripe.
Can You Give Hedgehogs the Banana Skin?
The best thing you can do is to ensure that you feed your hedgehog with the flesh part of the banana. Avoid feeding it with banana skin and peels, as it is dangerous.
Banana farmers tend to cover their skin with pesticides, which are dangerous to the hedgehog. Remember, the goal is a healthy hedgehog, and the least you expect is an unhealthy prickly pal.
So, to be safer, just peel the banana and cut it into manageable pieces to avoid choking the hedgehog. Also, ensure that the peelings are not near them to prevent the hedgehogs from reaching them.
Health Benefits of Feeding Your Hedgehog with Bananas
Bananas are rich in fiber, and fiber is good at helping the digestive system as it makes stool pass easily. Besides, fiber helps maintain blood sugar levels and a healthy weight.
Bananas have magnesium, potassium, folate, iron, calcium, and vitamins B6 and C. Other than that, they are packed with antioxidants to support the immune system of hedgehogs.
Risks of Feeding Banana to the Hedgehog
Bananas are fields with many nutrients and minerals, making them a good snack for your hedgehogs. However, how good they are, giving them as a big diet part may cause more danger than benefit.
But why? Bananas have raised sugar content that makes hedgehogs gain weight fast.
Although bananas have calcium, phosphorus is higher than it should be. And high phosphorus may stop the hedgehog’s body from taking in calcium, yet calcium aids in forming bones.
Safe Tips for Feeding Bananas to Your Hedgehog
Safety is a priority when feeding bananas; since bananas are sweet, hedgehogs love them and can eat them to the maximum. So feeding them on rare occasions lowers the risks of asphyxiation and obesity. Here are safe tips for doing it:
Give in Small and Manageable Amounts
As mentioned earlier, hedgehogs are prone to obesity and weight gain. And in this case, bananas have a high sugar content that causes obesity. So the most crucial thing you need to do is serve the bananas in small amounts to avoid such problems.
Serve the Banana with Other Meals
Honestly, it’s not good to feed your hedgehog with bananas only. Imagine filling your stomach with bananas only!
It’s always good to accompany the banana with another meal. For instance, if you feed your hedgehog pet kitten kibble or apple, you can blend it with a banana.
Feed the Banana on Rare Occasions
Bananas should never be a regular meal for your hedgehog because your prickly friend does not need that high sugar content. So, feeding it as a snack at least once per week is vital.
However, it’s good to feed it more bananas before hibernation because hedgehogs tend to gain more weight during hibernation.
Fun Fact
Did you know that unripe bananas are full of fiber and contain less sugar? Now you know. Just cut them into small pieces, but I prefer mashing them over cutting them for easy digestion and swallowing.
Wrapping Up
Bananas have more nutrients, minerals, and health benefits for your hedgehogs. And knowing how to feed in the right way and when to feed them is the best thing you can ever do.
To your surprise, hedgehogs are banana lovers. You will always go right if you follow this article before feeding your hedgehog bananas. Please share this post to help a hedgehog parent.
