Offbeat: it's the Atkins diet hedgehog

**TheGuru** · 22-04-2008, 01:30 PM

An overweight hedgehog has seen the pounds drop off after adopting the Atkins diet plan.George weighed 2.2kg (4.8lb) when staff at the Wildlife Aid Centre in Leatherhead, Surrey, discovered him in a volunteer's garden.

He was put on a high protein diet in November before starting a daily exercise regime in February, reports the BBC.

He now weighs 1.7kg (3.7lb) shedding 500g (1.1lb) on the strict diet.
Becky Banning, General Manager at the Wildlife Aid Centre, said George had originally grown overweight due to eating high fat foods intended for birds.

"Hedgehogs normally feed on whatever they find in the garden, so George was picking up peanuts and bread.

"Now he's on a strict food regime, so he's fed cat food once a day in the evening, and no bread," she said. "It's the hedgehog equivalent of the Atkins diet, and it's about keeping him away from the fat and giving him more protein," she added.

Staff at the Wildlife Aid centre said the average adult hedgehog should weigh between 600 and 700g (1.3 and 1.5lbs).
They expect George to reach that weight in 4 to 5 months.