this post was submitted on 05 Jul 2025
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Milk is a no because these guys are lactose-intolerant like others here have said and it would result in diarhhea.
If you do cat food and it's dry, do soak it first because the little guy can eat so much that it swells in its tummy with bad results. Wet cat food is fine.
Worms and stuff it would eat out in the wild are also fine.
The best drink for it is water. If it seems low in energy or dehydrated you can mix some honey in the water or mix 1 teaspoon of sugar and a pinch of salt per 1dl of water to hydrate it. If it looks like it can't or doesn't drink, you can try using a syringe to get water to its mouth in very small amounts.
If it weights 150-350grams it's reached the age when it can be weaned from the mother
If you can, you should check that it doesn't have any fly eggs or worms in its coat. If you see any, you should remove them with tweezers.
If you want to make it more comfy, you can put it in a cardboard box with air holes, some soft cloth and shreaded newspaper inside so it can hide and feel safer. If it's very tiny, a heating mat might be needed.
One thing to note for your own safety is that hedgehogs often carry salmonella and they spread it in their poop (its asympomatic for them). So the water cup and utensils, gloves and other things you use to handle it should not be washed in the same sink or with the same washcloths you use for your food. Always wear gloves and wash your hands well after dealing with it.
Thank you for saving the little guy!
Edit. Adding that if it is so small that you suspect it can't eat solids, the baby formula for cats can be given to hegdehogs.
And not to alarm you, but just want you to know that these guys can take a turn for the worst very fast when they are small so hydration and warmth are very important. Flies lay eggs in hedgehogs very fast when they are in any sort of trouble so doing the fly egg/worm check is super important.
Best of luck to you and the little one. Hope you can get it to a shelter quickly.
Thanks for the tips, I'm doing my best and really hope it will work out.
You are doing awesome with it!
