Can Hedgehogs Eat Apples?

Apples are edible pome fruits that often mature in the late summer or winter. There are over 7,500 types of apples in the world, and over 2,500 of them are grown in the United States. The different types of apples are bred for various uses; eating raw, cooking, and the production of cider. The cooking apples can also be called culinary apples. An apple can be a helpful ingredient while baking pies, or making a salad, and can be consumed as juice. Every part of an apple is suitable for human consumption, except the seed, because eating a large portion of apple seeds is toxic to human health. Some of the benefits of eating apples include:

1. An apple aids digestion
2. Apples help to reduce blood pressure because they are rich in fiber
3. Apples play a role in preventing cancer
4. Apples contain a lot of water which aids in weight loss
5. Apples help to prevent age-related memory loss

CAN HEDGEHOGS EAT APPLES?

Yes, Hedgehogs can eat apples because they are not exactly dangerous or harmful to them in any way. However, apples should not form most of a hedgehog’s diet because feeding too many apples to them could lead to health complications. In other words, apples are not particularly beneficial to hedgehogs. After removing the apple seeds, an apple can be used as a treat for hedgehogs once in a while.

ARE APPLES SAFE FOR HEDGEHOGS?

Before answering the question of if apples are safe for hedgehogs to eat, we must first consider the nutrients contained in an apple. Below is a table showing the nutritional value contained in 100 grams of apple;

Source: USDA national nutrients database

Judging from the contents of an apple as seen in the table above, apples contain nutrients like calcium, Vitamin C, vitamin B-6, and fiber which are essential to a hedgehog’s diet. It is therefore plausible to say that apples are perfectly safe for your hedgehog to eat, but only in moderate quantities. Although hedgehogs can eat apples, they are not healthy because of their acidic nature. This means that before feeding apples to your hedgehogs, you must first consider the benefits and dangers of doing so.

BENEFITS OF FEEDING APPLES TO HEDGEHOGS.

Some of the benefits of feeding apples to your hedgehogs are;

1. Apples contain fiber, and fiber aids digestion in hedgehogs
2. The Vitamin C content in apples; helps keep the immune system of a hedgehog strong.
3. Calcium helps hedgehogs to develop strong and healthy bones.
4. Apples contain Vitamin B-6, which aids the proper body development of a hedgehog.
5. Hedgehogs need a diet low in fat, and apples are low in fat, which makes them the perfect treats for hedgehogs.

DANGERS OF FEEDING APPLES TO HEDGEHOGS.

Feeding apples to a hedgehog is not exactly dangerous. However, overfeeding apples to them could put them in danger. Some of these dangers are;

1. Although calcium is a valuable addition to their diet, too much calcium can lead to kidney stones in little hedgehogs.
2. A hedgehog's meal plan should have an equal amount of phosphorus and calcium. An apple contains more phosphorus than calcium which could lead to metabolic bone disease (MBD)
3. Apples contain a large amount of sugar which is unhealthy for a hedgehog. Feeding too much sugar to your hedgehog could lead to dental issues, diarrhea or obesity.
4. Hedgehogs need a lot of protein for a healthy diet. However, apples are very low in protein; this makes them unfit to form most of a hedgehog’s diet. 

CAN HEDGEHOGS EAT APPLE SEEDS?

Apple seeds contain amygdalin; if eaten, it becomes cyanide when digested. This makes the apple seeds very toxic for consumption; however, hedgehogs are partly insectivorous- they can tolerate the most harmful things; when compared to other animals their size. Despite this, it is not advisable to feed apple seeds to hedgehogs to prevent any danger that might follow as a result of eating too many apple seeds.

CAN HEDGEHOGS EAT APPLE SKIN?

The skin of an apple can be eaten by a hedgehog. An apple’s skin is as harmless as the apple itself but, it is advisable to peel it off to restrain it from getting stuck in the hedgehog's teeth. However, it is not mandatory to peel off the apple skin when feeding your hedgehog; you can feed them the apple along with the skin.

CAN HEDGEHOGS DRINK APPLE JUICE?

Although feeding apples to your hedgehog is not a bad idea, it is not advisable to give apple juice to your hedgehog because; the juice squeezed out of an apple contains a lot of sugar, and feeding sugar to hedgehogs is very unhealthy. Excess sugar could lead to diseases like diabetes, diarrhea, and obesity in the hedgehog. Thus, do not give apple juice to hedgehogs.

HOW OFTEN SHOULD HEDGEHOGS BE SERVED APPLES?

There is no actual benefit to feeding apples to hedgehogs; thus, do not give apples to them every time. Overfeeding apples to hedgehogs can lead to health-related issues such as dental issues, obesity, diarrhea, diabetes, and metabolic bone disease.

GIVING APPLES TO HEDGEHOGS.

Animals are more fragile than humans; hence to prevent diseases, considerations should be put in place when their food is being prepared and apportioned. Here is a step-by-step process on how to serve apples to your hedgehogs;

1. Soak the apple for a few minutes, then wash it thoroughly to get rid of any dirt or chemical on the surface.
2. Peel off the apple skin (optional)
3. Cut the apple into two and remove the seeds
4. Slice the apple into tiny pieces to prevent the hedgehog from choking.

CONCLUSION

Before serving apples to hedgehogs, you should check to be sure that the hedgehog wants them. You can start by feeding them a very tiny piece of apple to see how they would react to it. If there are no side effects, you can continue feeding apples to your hedgehogs. Also, keep in mind how often you apportion apples to your hedgehogs. Serving it to them once a week is the best bet.

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