Can Hedgehogs Eat Apples? (The Sad Truth)

Apples are a perfect treat for both humans and animals. They come in a perfect package, almost perfectly made for consumption. There are still some questions about whether everyone can eat this delicious fruit and if there are any side effects from doing so. I did some research about it and wrote this post about it.

Hedgehogs can eat apples as long as they aren’t eating the seeds. Hedgehogs require a lot of protein in their diet, which the apple lack. You can feed hedgehogs apples, as long as it is in moderation and not every day. The best way is to offer it as a treat after their regular food and not before.

This way, the hedgehog won’t fill their stomach with apples and don’t be motivated to eat the more healthy and, for them, more beneficial food.

Can hedgehogs eat apples?

Hedgehogs can eat apples as long as they are given in moderation, in small pieces, and not the seeds. It isn’t necessary to remove the peel if you are going to feed your hedgehog some apples. However, I recommend you cut the apples into small pieces and put them in a food processor. The food processor will have it much easier to mash the apple into apple sauce. You can press out the liquid before feeding small portions to your hedgehog.

A hedgehog requires between 30% to 50% protein in their diet, and apples are only 0.3%. It’s therefore essential you limit the amount of apple you are giving to the hedgehog.

Hedgehogs don’t have a cecum. The cecum is a pouch full of symbiotic bacteria that aid in digesting cellulose (plants). This means hedgehogs can’t properly digest fruits and vegetables. It won’t kill the hedgehog, but it doesn’t feel pleasant for them. Imagine giving a lactose intolerant person a glass of milk.

Can hoglets eat apples?

The baby hedgehog’s mother weans them their first four to six weeks. After four weeks, they can eat a tiny bit of apples in their diet. You can also give them wet cat food or dry kitten food soaked in water. This makes it easier for them to eat.

Do hedgehogs like apples?

Hedgehogs don’t actually have a sweet tooth, and it all depends on the taste of the apple and the taste buds of the individual hedgehog. From what I’ve gathered, different types of apples can make a difference in how hedgehogs pursue them. While some hedgehogs like Granny Smith, others prefer Golden Delicious. However, you shouldn’t be discouraged if your hedgehog doesn’t like any apple type; there are plenty of other foods available for them.

Are apples harmful to hedgehogs?

Apples aren’t harmful to hedgehogs. That said, apples don’t contribute as much to the health of their diet as an apple would do to a human diet. Apples lack the most important thing in the hedgehog’s diet – protein. Since hedgehogs require between 30% to 50% of protein in their diet and apples only contribute 0.25%, it’s not crucial to feed apples to hedgehogs.

Table of nutrients comparing 100g of apples with and without skin

Nutrient (unit)	Apple with skin	Apple without skin
Weight standard (g)	100	100
Energy (kcal)	48	58
Energy (kJ)	200	242
Carbohydrates (g)	10.58	13.4
Fat (g)	0.05	0.1
Protein (g)	0	0
Fiber (g)	2.32	0.9
Water (g)	86.88	85.1
Alcohol (g)	0	0
Ashes (g)	0.23	0.3
Monosaccharides (g)	6.54	7.5
Disaccharides (g)	3.38	3
Sucrose (g)	3.38	3
Sugars (g)	9.9	10.5
Total saturated fatty acids (g)	0	0.02
Fatty acid 4: 0-10: 0 (g)	0	0
Lauric acid C12: 0 (g)	0	0
Myristic acid C14: 0 (g)	0	0
Palmitic acid C16: 0 (g)	0	0.01
Stearic acid C18: 0 (g)	0	0
Arachidic acid C20: 0 (g)	0	0
Total monounsaturated fatty acids (g)	0	0
Palmitic acid C16: 1 (g)	0	0
Oleic acid C18: 1 (g)	0	0
Total polyunsaturated fatty acids (g)	0	0.03
Linoleic acid C18: 2 (g)	0	0.02
Linolenic acid C18: 3 (g)	0	0
Arachidonic acid C20: 4 (g)	0	0
EPA (C20:5) (g)	0	0
DPA (C22:5) (g)	0	0
DHA (C22:6) (g)	0	0
Tiamin (mg)	0.01	0.02
Riboflavin (mg)	0	0.01
Vitamin C (mg)	4.8	8
Niacin (mg)	0.12	0.1
Niacin equivalents (NE / mg)	0.12	0.13
Vitamin B6 (mg)	0.04	0.05
Vitamin B12 (µg)	0	0
Folate (µg)	2.9	0.4
Retinol (µg)	0	0
Vitamin A (RE/µg)	2	2
β-Karoten (µg)	22	24
Vitamin D (µg)	0	0
Vitamin E (mg)	0.32	0.5
Vitamin K (µg)	2.7	N/A
Phosphorus (mg)	6.8	9.9
Iodine (µg)	0	0
Iron (mg)	0.09	0.1
Calcium (mg)	3	3.9
Potassium (mg)	61.6	109
Magnesium (mg)	3.6	3
Sodium (mg)	0	0.9
Salt (g)	0	0
Selenium (µg)	0	0
Zinc (mg)	0.03	0
Cholesterol (mg)	0	0
Whole grains total (g)	0	0
Waste (shell etc.) (%)	8	20

Do hedgehogs eat fallen apples?

Hedgehogs are opportunistic eaters, and if apples are presented to them in the wild while other foods are scarce, they will eat fallen apples. However, they would still prefer live feed like bugs, insects, and other small animals.

Can hedgehogs eat raw apples?

Hedgehogs can eat raw apples. It’s important you feed the apple in moderation and small pieces. Preferably as a sauce which you press out as much of the liquid from before feeding it to them. The liquid can upset their stomachs due to the acid.

Can hedgehogs eat cooked apples?

Feeding cooked apples to hedgehogs can be a good idea if the apples are cut into small pieces, haven’t been exposed to any spices, and are given in moderation, depending on how the apples have been cooked. If the apples have been exposed to heat, they have lost some liquids inside, making the apple stiffer. It would be a good idea to chop the apple into smaller pieces. An easy way to do this is to use a vegetable chopper, so the pieces are small enough for them to eat.

Can hedgehogs eat the apple skin?

Hedgehogs can eat the skin of the apple. It’s actually in the skin, where most of the nutrients are.

Since you cut the apple into smaller pieces, you don’t need to worry about the skin getting stuck in their throat. However, it’s always important to clean the apple before feeding it to the hedgehog. Humans are more resistant to the chemicals to which the apples have been exposed. Hedgehogs don’t have the same resistance and would benefit from having the apples cleaned before.

Can hedgehogs eat the apple seeds?

You shouldn’t give the apple seeds to the hedgehogs. Apple seeds contain amygdalin which is a type of cyanide that can be lethal for you, your hedgehog, and your dog. However, it would take many apple seeds to kill a human, but since hedgehogs are pretty small in comparison, it doesn’t require many to be lethal.

🥦 Hedgehogs love to eat vegetables and are specially fond of some. Do you know what vegetables hedgehogs love to eat?

Can hedgehogs eat the apple stalk?

It would be best not to feed your hedgehog the apple stalk. The stalk doesn’t provide any nutritional value, is hard, and doesn’t taste great. Remove it, and add it to your compost instead.

Can hedgehogs drink apple juice?

It’s not a good idea to give your hedgehog apple juice. Apple juice you buy from the store has added sugars, preservatives and is pretty acidic. The juice you gain from crushing apples should also be avoided given to hedgehogs due to the amounts of acid. Acid upset their stomachs and may cause them to ache.

Can hedgehogs at frozen apples?

Hedgehogs can eat frozen apples as long as you defrost them first and cut them into smaller pieces. The best way of cutting an apple that has been frozen is to use a food processor and then press or strain out the liquids from it.

Can hedgehogs eat unripe apples?

Although unripe apples aren’t dangerous, they aren’t that fun to eat. They are both sour and hard, which makes them hard to ingest and digest. It’s much better to wait until the apples are ripe or not feeding them at all.

🍍 Hedgehogs can eat most fruits, as long they are served in moderation. Do you know what fruits you can give to hedgehogs? Hint: One is banana.

Can hedgehogs eat moldy or rotten apples?

You should never feed a hedgehog or any other animal food that has mold or has rotten. Mold is toxic and can be lethal. Even if the animals haven’t eaten the moldy food but have been exposed to it, they can still inhale toxic fungus.

Can hedgehogs eat brown apples?

The only bad thing about apples which turned brown is the aesthetics. Brown apples are safe for hedgehogs to eat. However, you will still need to cut the apples into smaller pieces and remove the seeds before feeding them.

How do you cut apples for hedgehogs?

The best way to cut apples for hedgehogs is to make them as small as possible. Hedgehogs have really tiny mouths, and the smaller the piece, the better. Using a veggie chopper really does help when giving your hedgehog a bit of apple. Don’t forget to feed apples in moderation and on rare occasions.

Safe ways of feeding apples to hedgehogs

Feeding apples to your hedgehogs don’t provide them any beneficial nutrition in any way, and you would be better of not giving them apples at all. The only reason for feeding apples to your hedgehog would be if they really liked it, and even if so, you would only give it some small portions on rare occasions.

When feeding your hedgehog apple, it is important to be aware of doing it in moderation, in tiny cubes or mashed up, and rarely.

Unsafe ways of feeding apples to hedgehogs you should avoid

There are some things to be aware of when feeding apples to hedgehogs which you should avoid.

Below are seven things to avoid.

1. Feeding the hedgehog too much of apples

Apples aren’t bringing too many benefits to the table for hedgehogs. Hedgehogs require a high protein intake and apples only contain 0.25%.

2. Feeding too big apple pieces to the hedgehog

A hedgehog’s mouth is really tiny, and while they do their best to chewing everything, there is always that choking hazard when eating too big pieces. When feeding apples to hedgehogs, try feeding them crushed apples or apples chopped into tiny cubes. You can use a food processor to make apple sauce or a veggie chopper to make perfect-sized cubes.

3. Feeding apples too often to the hedgehog

Hedgehogs shouldn’t eat apples too often. It’s important to only treat it on rare occasions if the hedgie enjoys eating apples. Since hedgehogs don’t have a cecum, they can’t digest cellulose (plant matter), which causes a strain on their digestive system. Feeding them fruits and vegetables too often may cause them stomach aches.

4. Feeding moldy apples to the hedgehog

Feeding moldy food to an animal is animal abuse. Mold is toxic and can be lethal. Even if the animal is only exposed to the smell and can inhale the toxic fungus, it can be harmed. Throw away moldy food.

5. Feeding the apple stalks to the hedgehog

Stalks are hard, don’t taste good, and can harm the inside of the hedgehog. They don’t provide any nutrients and can be thrown away.

6. Feeding the apple seeds to the hedgehog

Apple seeds contain amygdalin which is a type of cyanide that can be lethal for both you and your hedgehog. It requires plenty of seeds to be lethal to humans, but for a tiny hedgie, it requires much less.

7. Feeding apple juice to the hedgehog

Apple juice you buy from the store is often concentrated, added with sugar, is acidic, and contains preservatives. Nothing than benefits the hedgehog. Apple juice you make yourself shouldn’t either be given to your hedgehog. There are still acids in apple juice that may cause stomach aches.

🥜 You can give hedgehogs nuts from time to time. But there are some nuts you shouldn’t feed hedgehogs. Check out which here.

How often can I feed apples to my hedgehog?

You shouldn’t feed apples to your hedgehog often. Apples should only be given as an occasional treat if your hedgehog really appreciates it. Apples can cause stomach aches, so; feeding apples too often would be cruel. If you promptly want to give your hedgie apples, aim for a maximum of one treat per month.

How much apples can I feed my hedgehog?

When feeding apples to hedgehogs, moderation is key. Hedgehogs don’t have a cecum which makes it harder for them to digest plant-based materials. Feeding apples as little as possible is the best way, and you shouldn’t overdo it. Aim for 1/5 of an apple at most.

🥣 Leftovers from last dinner? Check out what human foods you can give hedgehogs here. Hint: One of them isn’t oatmeal.

Conclusion

Hedgehogs can eat apples, but in small portions and on rare occasions. Hoglets can also eat apples, but first after four weeks of age. After they’ve turned four weeks, they should eat dry kitten food soaked in water.

Apples aren’t harmful to ducks per say, but they aren’t providing the hedgehog with the most important nutrients. Hedgehogs require a lot of protein in their diet, and apples carry 0.25%.

Hedgehogs can eat both raw and cooked apples. They have no problem with eating the skin.

You shouldn’t give hedgehogs:

• Apple seeds
• Apple stalks
• Apple juice
• Moldy apples

You shouldn’t feed apples to your hedgehog often. Apples should only be given as an occasional treat if your hedgehog really appreciate it. Hedgehogs don’t have a cecum which makes it harder for them to digest plant-based materials. Feeding apples as little as possible is the best way, and you shouldn’t overdo it. Aim for 1/5 of an apple at most.