Brambles Pet and Wildlife

Brambles Pet and Wildlife is a family owned company and the team have been involved in developing products for animal welfare since 1990. The Managing Director has a scientific background in Biological Sciences.

They have combined their experience and expertise to formulate foods that are nutritionally beneficial to wild animals and ensure that they do not contain any added sugar, colours, or artificial flavours. They also do not use other ingredients that are commonly used in other commercial foods, such as mealworms, that are potentially dangerous to Hedgehogs in particular. All their foods are sourced and made in Great Britain.

As hedgehogs are now on the endangered list they need all the help they can get and many people are rising to this challenge. However, it is very important to feed them nutritionally beneficial food as many rescue centres are reporting hogs with dental disease caused by foods containing sugar. Sugar can also lead to obesity & associated cardiovascular issues and too much fat in food can lead to Fatty Liver Disease that can quickly become fatal to the animal.

Also, increasingly hedgehogs are being seen with Metabolic Bone Disease in which bones & teeth are soft, deformed and easily fractured. The cause of this disease is Calcium to Phosphorus ratio imbalance in the blood due to food containing too much Phosphorous. To redress this blood imbalance Calcium leaches out of the bones and teeth resulting in very painful bone and dental abnormalities.

They do not recommend giving Hedgehogs any foods containing high levels of Phosphorous such as:
Mealworms
Peanuts
Sunflower Hearts

It's worth noting that hedgehogs are particularly fond of mealworms and will ‘cherry pick' them if mixed in with other foods leaving the more nutritious parts of the blend uneaten. The same, to a slightly lesser degree can be said of dried fruit, peanuts and sunflower hearts. Therefore, these foods should not be given in any circumstance as there's no way of knowing how much the hedgehogs are eating and it stops them eating other nutritionally beneficial foods.

Foods with high levels of fat such as suet should be avoided.

In addition hedgehogs lack the enzyme Lactase and so cannot digest lactose found in milk. If given milk they can get digestive problems and diarrhoea.

At Brambles Pet and Wildlife they are passionate about wildlife. Their vast experience enables them to produce a range of quality foods that keep wild animals in tip top condition in today's challenging times. Many Wildlife Centres throughout the UK are using their Hedgehog Foods and, Swan & Duck Food, and they are working with them to promote the message about good hedgehog nutrition. They have also advised the RSPB on hedgehog food and they now stock all of Brambles hedgehog foods.

Brambles Crunchy Hedgehog Food and Brambles Meaty Hedgehog Food are complementary foods specially formulated to give the right balance of nutrients, vitamins & minerals for wild hedgehogs and, due to its crunchy texture, it is also great for dental health. The foods are also suitable for badgers and foxes.

Brambles Swan & Duck Food is a complementary food specially formulated to give the right balance of nutrients, vitamins & minerals for swans and ducks. It is also suitable for geese, moorhens and coots and as it floats people can easily see when it is time to stop feeding the birds. Available in 1.75 Kg & 12.55 Kg sizes.

Brambles Pet and Wildlife Ltd