HEDGEHOG WEIGHT and DIET

Question
Crystal,
I have a 6 month old female albino hedgehog. I've read a lot about obesity in hedgehogs but nothing about them being underweight. I noticed that her nose is wet but it does not drip. She loves her wheel, eats her food and seems normal. But, I feel that she may be underweight because I can kind of feel her bones when I hold her around her middle and she may have lost a tiny bit of weight since I got her 2 months ago but I'm not sure. Right now she weighs 250 gr. or 9 oz. Should I be concerned about her? Also, the breeder fed her hedgehogs Special Kitty catfood from Walmart and I have been doing the same until I find a better food. What is your recommendation on diet?

Answer
You should feed a variety of food. Cat food (not kitten) food is better than most brands of hedgehog food, but you must also feed insects such as canned mealworms for lizards, and special hedgehog treats (just a little) for a balanced diet. Also, hedgehogs will eat and eat and eat if given the chance, so that is why they become over weight. They really can't be trusted with being left alone with food all day. Hedgehogs are insectavors and need the nutrients they get from bugs. Unfortunately they are high in fat, so feed sparingly. If she continues to lose weight or seems slugish or wobbles when she walks, see a vet who specialized in exotic pets.

Also, premium cat food with low fat is what you want to feed. If you can find it in a grocery store, it is probably too high in fat (you want as close to 5% as possible which is hard to find, you will find more like 8%), so I don't know about Walmart. I am surprised the breeder just fed cat food since it is not a balanced diet.