The Whys and Hows of Syringe Feeding a Hedgehog

Important Note: If you have a hedgehog who is ill enough to need to be syringe fed, you have a hedgehog who needs to see a vet, period. Syringe feeding can be important to maintain your pet's strength until a vet visit, and may be necessary afterward depending on the vet's diagnosis and recommendation.

During times of serious illness, when a hedgehog cannot or will not eat on his own, supportive feeding may be needed to ensure that your pet receives enough nutrients. Using a feeding syringe to directly place a food puree into your hedgehog's mouth may be necessary. The term "force feeding" is sometimes used for this method, but I have found that most hedgehogs will not swallow food that they truly do not want to eat.

Why might syringe feeding become necessary?

• A hedgehog with an oral problem, such as a painful tooth, a cancer, or an overgrown gum tissue who will not eat on his own.
• A hedgehog with vestibular syndrome who is reluctant to eat due to nausea or has difficulty coordinating the fine motor movements necessary to eat and drink out of a dish.
• Wobbly Hedgehog Syndrome or other illnesses involving paralysis or loss of muscle control, where the hedgehog is unable to eat or drink normally.

Note that the underlying medical problem must be addressed by a vet, but in the meantime, syringe feeding will keep your hedgehog from becoming dehydrated or weak from lack of food.

What supplies are needed?

• Oral syringes to administer the food and/or water (I prefer 3cc or 5 cc sizes)
• A food processor or blender to puree food into a smooth mixture that will flow easily from a syringe

What should be in the syringe?

This depends largely on your hedgehog. The mixture should be appealing to the hedgehog's palate, so toss in any yummies that might tempt him or her. Stay away from foods that upset hedgehog tummies, such as dairy products (yogurt is OK) or very rich foods. My typical syringe feeding puree consists of these ingredients:

• The hedgehog's standard dry kibble, ground up
• Crickets and/or waxworms, also food processed
• Honey for taste and extra calories
• Chicken broth to thin as needed
• Rebound Feline Formula is an electrolyte solution that has also worked well for syringe feeding and could be mixed with other ingredients instead of the broth

I found that one of the very small food processors (1-1.5 cups) is very handy to keep around. Frankly, I like that this food processor is used only for hedgehogs, and not my regular one, since I am grinding up bugs in my puree.

I also mix around 1 tbsp of honey into 1 cup of water for syringe feeding. Microwaving the honey and water for a minute helps it dissolve, but make sure it is cooled completely before giving it to your pet. The sweet taste of the honey helps make it more palatable, and the extra calories in honey is a bonus. Some people will use plain Pedialyte.

How do I syringe feed my hedgehog?

Syringe feeding is a delicate business, and needs to be done carefully so you are not forcing any food or water down the wrong pipe and into your pet's lungs. Before doing this, you can try placing some of the food puree on a spoon and holding it for your pet to see if she will eat it on her own.

• Load your syringe(s) and make sure you have some cleanup materials nearby, as this can be a messy business.
• Gently arrange your hedgehog for feeding. Depending on the personality and mood of your pet, this can be easier said than done. Your pet's head should be upright, not tilted back, which can cause choking when the food is given.
• When you and the hedgehog are ready, introduce the syringe to one corner of her mouth. I like to have a drop of the food already on the outside of the syringe so she can tell it's a treat and not some medicine.
• Gently depress the syringe end to push food or water into her mouth. Do this at a steady but slow rate so that she has ample time to lick the food and swallow it.
• Once you're done, repeat with another syringe of food, one of water until you've gotten a nice amount of food into your pet or she emphatically declines more.
• Clean up your hedgehog, who will likely have a lot of food puree on her.
• Monitor your hedgehog's vitals, including poop and pee output.

I like the Getting It In section of the Syringe Feeding Your Guinea Pig guide, which has some tips for arranging a pet for syringe feeding in particular. While the dietary needs of hedgehogs and guinea pigs are very different, they are about the same size and syringe feeding application will be very similar.

How much should I be feeding my hedgehog?

This will vary depending on the size and normal appetite of your hedgehog, as well as the density of your food puree. A puree thinned with a great deal of chicken broth will be less nutritious than a denser one, so more would need to be given.

In general, I offer food once every 2-3 hours to a hedgehog I'm syringe feeding with a 6 cc syringe. Sometimes, she will eat it all, in which case I offer more, and sometimes, she just wants a little. I try to feed as much as the hedgehog will readily accept. As a point of reference, 1 tablespoon = about 15 cc., to give you some comparison to the amount of food your hedgehog normally eats.