Strawberries have a lot of health benefits for us. These mildly sweet little fruit packed with a punch of vitamins and antioxidants are any time go-to snacks for us, but what about our Hedgehogs? Can Hedgehogs eat strawberries? I did some research, and here is what I have learned.
Strawberries make an excellent snack for Hedgehogs. Strawberries are packed with a lot of essential nutrients needed by our Hedgehogs. On the flip side, it also contains a decent amount of sugar and calcium. Overfeeding can lead to some severe health issues like diabetes, obesity, diarrhea, etc.
Hedgehogs don’t digest sugar well, so fruits are not a regular part of their diet. Instead, fruits are mostly served as a treat.
Let’s look at what other nutrients strawberries have and how much it is affecting our Hedgehogs. We will also learn about how much strawberries we can serve to our Hedgehogs, what part of the start fruit is edible, and what isn’t.
Nutrition In Strawberries
Let us look in detail the nutritional values of 100 grams of strawberries holds.
| Name | Amount | Unit |
|---|---|---|
| Water | 90.95 | g |
| Energy | 32 | kcal |
| Protein | 0.67 | g |
| Total lipid (fat) | 0.3 | g |
| Carbohydrate, by difference | 7.68 | g |
| Fiber, total dietary | 2 | g |
| Sugars, total including NLEA | 4.89 | g |
| Calcium, Ca | 16 | mg |
| Iron, Fe | 0.41 | mg |
| Magnesium, Mg | 13 | mg |
| Phosphorus, P | 24 | mg |
| Potassium, K | 153 | mg |
| Sodium, Na | 1 | mg |
| Zinc, Zn | 0.14 | mg |
| Copper, Cu | 0.048 | mg |
| Vitamin C, total ascorbic acid | 58.8 | mg |
| Vitamin B-6 | 0.047 | mg |
| Folate, total | 24 | µg |
| Vitamin E | 0.29 | mg |
| Vitamin K | 2.2 | µg |
Strawberries are packed with a lot of essential vitamins and minerals required by our Hedgehogs. It has an abundance of Vitamin C, which helps in the growth and development of our Hedgehogs. Also, it helps to strengthen their immune system.
Strawberries contain traces of fiber, which is good for our Hedgehogs’ digestive system. It helps them to keep away with health problems like loose stools or constipation.
Hedgehogs need a well-balanced diet to live a healthy life, and strawberries make a perfect snack for them. The right amount of protein, magnesium, iron, and other essential minerals make it a perfect treat for our pets.
Besides this, strawberries are packed with antioxidants, an important element of our Hedgehogs’ diet. These antioxidants help in the prevention of several diseases. It also helps to flush out the toxic waste for their body.
Folic acid (folate) is essential for the body in the growing stage to prevent vascular diseases, and strawberries have just the right amount of folate in them.
Besides everything, the fruit also has some downside to it (discussed in the latter part of the article). Therefore, it is important to learn everything about the fruit before serving it to your Hedgehogs.
Are Strawberries Safe For Hedgehogs?
Strawberries are completely safe for Hedgehogs if served in moderation. Although it contains a little high amount of sugar, make sure that you do not overfeed it.
It is a tasty treat for our Hedgehogs. Even though most Hedgehogs love strawberries, some might like it since every Hedgehog is different.
Ensure that you do not overfeed it to them since it can lead to problems like diabetes and stomach upsets very often.
Are Strawberries Good For Hedgehogs?
Strawberries are good for our Hedgehogs as it contains the perfect amount of vitamins and minerals for them. It is essential to serve a balanced diet to your Hedgehogs.
It includes a high amount of Vitamin C for our Hedgehogs. It makes their immune system stronger and prevents a lot of diseases.
Strawberries also contain a decent amount of fiber which is helpful for their digestive system. Although, too much of it can lead to the opposite and harm their digestive system.
It also contains other nutrients as well which include protein, iron, and magnesium. These nutrients help in the overall development of the body of our Hedgehogs.
Are Strawberries Bad For Hedgehogs?
Hedgehogs are not bad for our Hedgehogs if served in moderation. However, too much of it can lead to several problems.
It contains a lot of sugar which is harmful to our Hedgehogs. For example, 5% of strawberries contain sugar which might not seem a lot, but if you feed, for example, 100g of strawberries, you feed 5g of sugar to your Hedgehogs.
Overfeeding sugar can lead to diabetes, obesity, and stomach upsets. These are extremely painful for our Hedgehogs.
It would help if you also were concerned about the acidic content of strawberries. It contains folic acid, which is not good for our Hedgehogs. It can lead to mouth sores and some other diseases too.
It also contains a decent amount of calcium which can lead to bladder stones which is very painful for our Hedgehogs. You should feed fruits to your Hedgehogs like a treat. Fruits should be only 5% to 10% of their diet.
Can Hedgehogs Eat Strawberry Tops?
Hedgehogs can eat strawberry tops. It is better than the original strawberry itself. It contains much less sugar and more vitamin c and fiber than strawberries. You can give the tops to your Hedgehogs once in a while. Your Hedgehogs might love to munch on it.
Can Hedgehogs Eat Strawberry Leaves?
Hedgehogs can eat strawberry leaves without much problem. It is infused with antioxidants which is beneficial for our Hedgehogs. In addition, it can treat diseases like diarrhea and also some vascular diseases. You can also add it to their daily diet since there are no particular hazards of serving it to them.
How Many Strawberries Can Hedgehogs Eat At A Time?
At a time, you can feed a small slice of strawberry to your Hedgehogs. One tablespoon should be enough for them. Seeing your Hedgehogs enjoy strawberries, you might get tempted to feed them more of them, but you should not overfeed them at all.
How Often Should I Serve Strawberries To My Hedgehogs?
Hedgehogs can eat strawberries once a week. Strawberries are excellent fruits for our Hedgehogs which are packed with many minerals and vitamins, but still, you should not overfeed them at all. If you are feeding strawberries to your Hedgehogs for the first time, make sure that you watch over the feeding quantity.
Correct Way To Serve Strawberries To My Hedgehog!
It is essential to serve strawberries to your Hedgehogs in the correct way. Not doing so might lead to more problems than benefits.
Follow these simple steps to prepare strawberries for your Hedgehogs:
- The first and foremost step is to choose the correct strawberries for your Hedgehogs. Choose only ripe and fresh ones.
- Serving strawberries stored in refrigerators to your Hedgehogs will not give them enough benefits.
- Wash it properly before serving it to your Hedgehogs. Strawberries are often sprayed with chemicals that are extremely harmful to our Hedgehogs.
- Slice it into small pieces and serve it to your Hedgehogs. This eliminates any chances of choking.
- Now you are ready to serve the fruit to your Hedgehog. You can either hand-feed them or serve them the fruit in their food bowl.
After your Hedgehogs have enjoyed eating their strawberries, make sure that you remove any eaten parts. This gets rid of bacteria build-up and also prevents the attraction of flies and rats near the cage.
Conclusion: Hedgehogs And Strawberries
Coming back to the question we started with, can Hedgehogs eat strawberries? Yes, Hedgehogs can surely eat strawberries but in small quantities only.
Fresh and ripe strawberries are the best for our Hedgehogs. However, as Hedgehogs have a weak digestive system, unripe or spoiled food can easily upset their stomach.
Also, we need to be very careful while introducing a new fruit to our Hedgehogs’ diet. Any changes in their stool will tell us that there is a health emergency.
Lastly, it is important to understand that strawberries cannot be a part of our Hedgehogs’ staple diet. Instead, it should be served only as a treat.
