Fruits have many health benefits for your lovely hedgehog, but what fruit can hedgehogs eat? Well, the best fruits you can feed your hedgehog are organic varieties. Unfortunately, most fruits are grown with pesticides.
And due to that, you should give your hedgehog a limited amount of fruits to avoid causing some health issues. You should avoid feeding your hedgehog fruits with acid and sugar content at all costs.
This article will take you through the best fruits for hedgehogs and explain more about fruits they cannot consume.
Without further ado, let’s dive in!
Which Fruits are Best for Hedgehogs?
The best fruits for hedgehogs are organic varieties. The non-organic fruits are unsuitable for hedgehogs because they are grown with chemicals and pesticides. And sadly, most hedgehog fruits are grown with more pesticides.
Remember, fruits contain high acid and sugar, so avoid feeding your hedgehog fruits all the time. Why? Because too much intake of fruits may lead to diabetes, obesity, and other issues. And hedgehogs are prone to obesity and too much weight gain.
6 Best Fruits for Hedgehogs to Eat
1. Blueberries
Blueberries are one of the best organic fruits that hedgehogs can enjoy eating. The only problem with blueberries is that they contain high sugar, so you should only feed your hedgehogs a little.
Always be keen on how many blueberries you can feed your hedgehog to avoid worrying about potential health issues.
2. Apples
An apple is one of the safest and easiest fruits you can ever feed your hedgehog. Because hedgehogs may come across the apple fruit while scavenging or hunting for food in the wild.
When feeding your hedgehogs with apples, ensure they eat in moderation to avoid high sugar consumption. Too much sugar has raised calories that cause weight gain.
Always wash the apples, peel the skin, and cut them into small pieces for hedgehogs to digest easily. Although peeling the skin does not mean that hedgehogs cannot consume the skin, it’s optional. The process will reduce the choking risks.
3. Strawberries
Strawberries are the softest fruits that hedgehogs can enjoy eating. The fruits are easy to swallow and chew; they have the most natural sugar that hedgehogs cannot resist. However nice they are, you should keep an eye and feed them in moderation, just like any other fruit.
And the truth is that their natural sugar does not affect the health of your hedgehog, instead provides various health benefits. Always cut your strawberries into manageable chunks to lower choking risks.
4. Cherries
Yes, cherries are safe to give your hedgehog. The cherry fruit contains many antioxidants that protect your hedgehog against aging and disease. First, clean the fruit, peel the skin, remove the stone and then chop it into manageable pieces.
When feeding your hedgehog with cherries for the first time, you should give it in small amounts and watch how it reacts to the fruit. In other words, you should feed the hedgehogs in moderation since they also contain natural sugar.
5. Melon
Is melon suitable for hedgehogs to eat? Yes, different types of melon, such as cantaloupe, honeydew, and watermelon, are safe and suitable for hedgehogs to eat. The fruits contain natural sugar that makes them sweet for them to enjoy.
And since melons contain high water content, you should give them as a fluid source during hot times. Also, ensure that you chop the melon into small, manageable pieces for safety purposes.
6. Pear
Pears are rich in fiber and some minerals and vitamins that are good for your lovely hedgehog. However, many benefits of pears are due to the antioxidants and phytochemical levels.
Ensure you feed your hedgehog ripe pears, and always choose a sweet variety. For safety purposes, chop them into small chunks. You can as well steam them a bit for easy palatability and digestibility.
What You Should Know About Hedgehogs
Remember that hedgehogs cannot eat everything since some fruits can harm their health. Naturally, hedgehogs are prone to obesity and putting on high weight, so you should at all costs avoid feeding your hedgehog too many calories.
Doing so will help lower the ounces that can have a long-term devastating effect on health.
Another thing is that you should avoid feeding your hedgehog with citric fruits. Citric fruits include lemon, oranges, and lime, although the list does not end there. These citric fruits have raised natural acid that is harmful to hedgehogs.
You should also avoid dried fruits like the plague, as they act as a choking hazard. In the same case, nuts are even worse as they are impossible for hedgehogs to digest. Also, avocados and orange fruits can be toxic to your hedgehog.
Wrap Up
How nice it feels having a healthy hedgehog around? No more mistakes of feeding your hedgehog with the wrong fruit. Now to a healthy and happy hedgehog life.
And did you find our article helpful? Please leave a comment and let’s know your thoughts and views.
