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What you should know about Degus
Avoid sudden movements and loud noises, so your degus will trust you
and let you handle them easily. Degus are full of curiosity, and may
sniff or gently nibble your fingers. Children should always be
supervised when holding degus, to prevent accidental falls and
injuries. Regular exercise outside the cage, in a degu-safe room, is
vital to good health, and a bath in Chinchilla Dust 2-3 times a week
will be greatly enjoyed.
Housing
Degus need room to exercise, so choose as large a cage as as
possible. Metal cages with solid multi level floors are best, as
degus can chew through both wood and plastic. Wire floors and
exercise wheels are unsuitable for degus, they can injure feet and
tails. Cover the floor with safe bedding, such as Aspen shavings or
Carefresh, and add shredded paper in a wood nesting house. Do not
use pine or cedar shavings, as they contain harmful oils.
Diet
A healthy diet is based on specially formulated degu pellets or half
chinchilla and half guinea pig pellets mixed, plus good-quality
Timothy or alfalfa hay, available at all times. Supplement this with
small amounts of fresh vegetables, especially leafy greens and
carrots or sweet potatoes, with a few seeds or nuts. Water should
always be available in a sipper bottle.
Cleaning
Clean soiled areas daily and change the bedding weekly. Food dishes,
water bottles and the cage bottom need washing weekly. Always rinse
and dry the cage well before adding fresh bedding.
Fertility
Female degus can become sexually mature as early as 8 or 9 weeks
old. To avoid health risks and unwanted babies it's important to
accurately sex and separate degus no later than two months of age.
Health
Degus are generally hardy animals, but if they are fed sugar they
may suffer from diabetic-related illnesses, such as cataracts,
weight-loss, kidney damage, blindness, and loss of circulation.
Mouth problems include overgrown teeth and white teeth. Be alert and
consult an exotics vet if you notice signs of illness or injury.
Warnings
Never give your degus any food containing sugar, or they will become
ill. Also, remember not to hold them by the tail, as it will break
off.
Additional Reading
Degus: A Complete Pet Owner's Manual, by Sharon Lynn Vanderlip.
Barron's.
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Pet Rats, Mice, Gerbils, Jirds, Voles,
Lemmings and other Rodents
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