Spinach is a superfood packed with tones of beneficial nutrients, which makes it a perfect choice for us, but what about our Hedgehogs? So the question for the day is, can Hedgehogs eat spinach? Is it safe for them? Let’s find out!
Hedgehogs can definitely eat steamed spinach once in a while. Spinach contains a wide range of nutrients. On the flip side, it contains a decent amount of calcium and oxalic acid, which is terrible for their health. Overeating might result in health problems such as diarrhea and kidney stones.
Spinach comes with loads of nutrients, including vitamins, minerals, & antioxidants. It has a lot of health benefits and controls blood sugar levels, maintains good heart & liver health, boosts the immune system, maintains body weight, and keeps the gut healthy.
Always make sure you don’t throw in a lot at once or it might be bad for our Hedgehogs.
However, before you start feeding your Hedgehogs with spinach, you must dig into details and learn about its potential risk and other concerns. So, let’s get right into it.
Nutrition In Spinach
Let us look in detail the nutritional values of 100 grams of spinach.
| Nutrients | Amount |
|---|---|
| Vitamin C | 28.1 mg |
| Vitamin A | 9377 IU |
| Vitamin K | 483 mcg |
| Calcium | 99 mg |
| Phosphorous | 49 mg |
| Potassium | 558 mg |
| Fiber | 2.2 g |
| Sugar | 0.42 g |
| Protein | 2.86 g |
| Carbs | 3.63 g |
| Calories | 23 kcal |
| Fat | 0.39 g |
| Water | 91.40 g |
Spinach is packed with Vitamin A, Vitamin C, and some other vitamins as well. These vitamins are essential for our Hedgehogs as it makes the immune system stronger, contributes to healthy growth, and makes the bones and muscles more healthy.
Not only does it contain these vitamins, but it also contains a decent amount of iron, magnesium, potassium, and zinc. These are also important for our Hedgehogs.
Magnesium and zinc help with healthy bones and muscle growth. Iron contributes towards much better vitamin absorption. Potassium prevents the formation of bladder stones as well.
Spinach contains low sugar, which is a big benefit as well as too much sugar often leads to diseases like obesity, diarrhea, and stomach upsets.
Spinach is packed with a lot of nutrients. It can be served to your Hedgehogs so that they can benefit from its nutrients.
Do Hedgehogs Like Spinach?
Hedgehogs may or may not like spinach. Every hedgehog has a unique personality and food preference. However, the chances are they will like it.
However, make sure you serve it in moderation to avoid any possible health issues.
Are Hedgehogs Allowed To Eat Spinach?
Hedgehogs are allowed to eat spinach in a moderate quantity. It contains a decent amount of calcium and oxalates, which lead to several problems in overfed.
Vegetables are an important part of our Hedgehogs diet. It provides a lot of nutrients to our Hedgehogs. However, overfeeding can lead to health problems like the formation of bladder stones and some urinary problems.
Is Spinach Good For Hedgehogs?
Spinach is good for our Hedgehogs. It is packed with nutrients that are extremely beneficial for them. If you feed spinach to your Hedgehogs in the correct way, they can enjoy many health benefits.
Spinach contains a lot of Vitamin A and Vitamin C, which is essential for our Hedgehogs. These vitamins make the immune system stronger, prevent diseases, and also improve vision.
It also contains a decent amount of dietary fiber, which helps the digestive system of our Hedgehogs. Although too much of it can lead to the opposite and harm their digestive system, keep the feeding quantity in check.
Therefore, spinach is very beneficial for our Hedgehogs, but it is important to monitor the serving quantity.
Is Spinach Bad For Hedgehogs?
Spinach is not bad for our Hedgehogs if served in moderate quantities. However, it is essential to serve any food to your Hedgehogs in a moderate quantity and not overfeed them. For spinach as well, if you overfeed it to them, it can lead to several problems.
It contains a high amount of calcium and phosphorus. It is good for them, but too much of it can do more harm than benefit them.
High amounts of calcium can often lead to bladder stones in our Hedgehogs which is extremely painful for them. The oxalate in spinach as well binds with calcium to form stones.
Oxalate might also bind with Vitamins and minerals, which might lead to less absorption of the same. They also have a very delicate digestive system, so feeding too much of anything often leads to problems like diarrhea.
How Much Spinach Can Hedgehogs Eat At A Time?
Hedgehogs can eat only a small amount of spinach since it contains a high amount of calcium and oxalates.
You can feed a small leaf of normal spinach or one leaf of baby spinach to your Hedgehogs at a time.
It is essential to start with a tiny quantity so that you can see how your Hedgehogs react to it.
How Often Can Hedgehogs Eat Spinach?
You can feed spinach to your Hedgehogs once a week or so. Feeding it to your Hedgehogs daily can be a terrible idea.
It would be best to mix up spinach with their kibble to make sure that their diet is balanced.
Correct Way To Feed Spinach To My Hedgehogs?
It is a straightforward process to prepare spinach for your Hedgehogs.
Follow these simple steps to prepare spinach for our Hedgehogs:
- The first and foremost step is to choose the correct spinach for your Hedgehogs. Make sure that you get only fresh ones for them. Too much yellow spinach and mushy leaves can lead to some health problems.
- Wash the spinach leaves properly before serving them to them. It is essential to do this since it gets rid of all the germs.
- Cut out the stalk/stem away as Hedgehogs cannot eat it. It is hard, and it can lead to choking. The best option is to boil the spinach in plain water before serving them to our pets.
- Let the spinach cool down to room temperature. Do not make the mistake of serving your pet hot food.
- Serve the spinach to your Hedgehogs in a small bowl or even hand feed them. You can mix it with a few other low calcium foods to make sure their diet is balanced.
After your Hedgehogs have enjoyed eating their spinach, make sure that you remove all the uneaten parts. This prevents bacteria build-up and also prevents the attraction of rats and flies.
Related Queries:
Can Hedgehogs Eat Raw Spinach?
Although Hedgehogs can eat raw spinach, the best option is to serve them with cooked spinach only.
The cooking process makes it easier for our pets to digest vegetables. It also avoids the risk of choking hazards.
Can Hedgehogs Eat Baby Spinach?
Hedgehogs can eat baby spinach without much problem. It contains lesser calcium and oxalate compared to normal spinach, so it is surely safe.
However, the serving size should remain the same. Excessive consumption of baby spinach can lead to the same problems as overfeeding normal spinach.
