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Like many animals out there, hedgehogs should not eat chocolate. There is little information about chocolate toxicity in hedgehogs but, since chocolate is toxic to many species, it has the potential to make your hedgehog sick or even kill them.
Instead, you should focus on providing your hedgehog with foods that resemble their natural omnivorous, insect-rich diet. High-quality hedgehog foods are the best options because they are specifically formulated for these small animals. You should also feed them a small number of gut-loaded insects, which should provide them with extra nutrition. They can also eat some nutritious fruits and vegetables.
Chocolate is likely toxic to hedgehogs in general, but it also has way too much sugar. Even white chocolate should be avoided. While it won’t be nearly as toxic as regular chocolate, the amount of sugar is substantial for these small animals. Anything with milk or dairy is also not recommended.
To understand why all kinds of chocolate are so bad for animals, keep reading.
What Do Hedgehogs Eat?
Pet hedgehogs should primarily eat commercial food designed specifically for hedgehogs. This is a great starting point for a nutritionally balanced diet. Read the manufacturer’s instructions for specific feeding instructions.
Before the invention of hedgehog food, most owners fed their hedgehogs cat food. This can still work today, but we recommend cat food only as part of your hedgie’s diet and still using a pelleted diet designed for hedgehogs.
You can provide your hedgehog with small amounts of fresh veggies and fruits. Care should be taken to select the correct varieties, though. They are not all the same, nutritionally speaking. Avoid veggies and fruits that are mostly water, like lettuce. You don’t want your hedgehog to fill up on water when they could be eating nutritionally-complete foods.
Peas, kale, bananas, apples, blueberries, and pears are good choices.
On top of this, you can provide a small number of insects. Be sure to feed the insects nutritional foods before feeding them to your hedgehog, as this ensures that your hedgehog is also eating nutritional foods. Avoid wild-caught insects as they may have been exposed to pesticides.
Store-bought mealworms and crickets are great treats for hedgehogs, but they don’t provide a varied or complete diet. That’s what commercial hedgehog food is for.
Can You Offer Chocolate to Hedgehogs as a Treat?
You should not offer chocolate to your hedgehog as a treat, as it is likely toxic to hedgehogs. Chocolate contains methylxanthines like caffeine and theobromine. Certain animals are much more sensitive to these compounds which interact with cellular function to cause vomiting, diarrhea, restlessness, abnormal heart rhythm, tremors, and in severe cases seizures and death.
A hedgehog is much smaller than a person, so even a little bit of chocolate can be large in comparison to their body size. A very small amount of chocolate for a human is a large amount for a hedgehog.
Also, chocolate does not have anything that hedgehogs need. It is empty calories at best. Even if tiny amounts do not produce a toxic reaction it can lead to weight gain in your hedgehog over time. Obesity is a common health problem for these small critters. Therefore, it is best to simply avoid chocolate altogether.
Small numbers of veggies, fruits, and insects are all the treats that they need, and these should not make up a large part of their diet. Hedgehogs are likely going to be more interested in insects than in chocolate, anyway.
What Are Other Foods That Hedgehogs Shouldn’t Eat?
There are quite a few different foods that you should never feed your hedgehog. Specifically speaking, they should not be fed any raw meat or eggs. Hedgehogs also can’t digest milk and it can cause diarrhea. They can also have a reaction to chocolate for this reason, though the milk content in chocolate does vary.
You shouldn’t offer nuts, seeds, or other hard foods to your hedgehog. These can get stuck on the roof of their mouth and become difficult to remove.
Don’t offer any people food to your hedgehog either. Even if it isn’t harmful, it likely doesn’t contain anything that they need, and your hedgehog should mostly be eating foods that meet their nutritional requirements.
What Should I Do If My Hedgehog Eats Chocolate?
If your little pet eats chocolate, you should call the Pet Poison Helpline or Animal Poison Control to determine the risk to your pet. If they show any unusual behaviors or signs, take them to a veterinarian immediately.
Conclusion
You should avoid feeding your hedgehog any amount of chocolate because it is not healthy and potentially toxic. There are no studies to determine how much chocolate is toxic to hedgehogs, so it’s best to avoid this completely.
Dark chocolate and cocoa powder have the highest concentrations of toxic compounds so these present the most risk to your hedgie. If they accidentally eat some chocolate contact the experts to assess the risk in your individual situation.
Stick to healthy treats like gut-loaded insects, bananas, and kale occasionally. Feed your pet mainly commercial food to ensure balanced nutrition. This will keep your pet happy and healthy for longer!
