What type of food do degus eat?
- 1- Vegetables. Your degu needs vegetables, but not all of them can be given all the time. They have a special feeding...
- 2- Fruits. Do not give your degu any fresh fruits except apples since the natural sugars involved are not going to be...
- 3- Herbs and flowers. The following dried herbs can be given once a week. ...
What do degu’s Eat?
Here is a list of safe foods for degus: A Degu’s diet should mostly consist of quality hay, which includes Meadow Hay or Timothy Hay. The hay should not be green, brown, as green hay may cause bloating.
What kind of hay should I Feed my degu?
Grass hay (timothy hay for example) should be available at all times. Hay plays an important part in keeping their digestive system and teeth healthy, roughage that is high in fibre is in important part of their diet and wellbeing. A small amount of alfalfa hay can be added to help give the overall hay a more palatable taste to the degu.
How do you take care of a degus?
1 – Hay. A Degu’s diet should mostly consist of quality hay, which includes Meadow Hay or Timothy Hay. ... 2 – Degu Specific Food and Pellet. Your pet can have these as they contain every necessary mineral and vitamin suitable for Degus. ... 3 – Minerals and Vitamins. ... 4 – Vegetables and Fresh Herbs. ... 5 – Fruits. ... 6 – Treats. ...
What is the best food mix for degus?
By using a recommended food mix you greatly reduce the chance of health conditions like diabetes and cataracts. Food specially formulated for degus are low in sugar, and do not contain molasses. Molasses is a food additive used in some pet foods to make it more palatable, it is however very bad for degus.
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What do baby degus eat?
What do domesticated degus like to eat?Hay: The majority of a degu's diet should consist of good quality hay, such as Timothy Hay or Meadow Hay. ... Guinea pig or degu specific food: You can give these to your degu, as they contain all the necessary vitamins and minerals suitable for your pet.
Can degu eat apple?
Fruit (the occasional bit of apple is OK but anything else should be avoided) Sweet potato skins. Hamster and gerbil foods (too high in protein for degus)
Can degu eat lettuce?
Overfeeding of fresh greens, in particular lettuce, cabbage and peas, can cause bloating55, but most vegetable types are safe for degus to eat (a list of degu-safe veg can be found in the guide via the button above).
What fresh veg can degus eat?
Vegetables – degu's should be fed green vegetables, peas, beans, dandelion and broccoli. Cabbage can cause bloating so should be avoided. All greens should be washed before feeding.
What is a degus favorite food?
Feeding. The basis of a good degu diet is a combination of high quality chinchilla or guinea pig pellets, and rodent blocks. Grass hay (such as timothy hay) should be available all the time (you can get small hay racks to make this easier), and a small amount of alfalfa hay can also be offered.
Can degus have pea flakes?
Exotic Nutrition Pea Flakes are a healthy all natural treat for small animals such as Chinchillas, Prairie Dogs, Guinea pigs, Sugar Gliders, Degus, Skunks, Backyard Chickens, Rabbits and other pets.
Can degu eat carrots?
Many fruits can be high in sugar, so don't give these to your degus. Some vegetables - such as carrot, sweet potato, beetroot and parsnips - can also be high in sugar, so should only be given in very small pieces as an occasional treat. Be wary of commercial treat products, as these can also be too sugary.
Can degus have cucumber?
Compared to other green vegetables, such as celery and broccoli, cucumbers prove to have more carbohydrates and sugar in them. Thus, having too much of cucumbers can be harmful for your degus. While celery and broccoli can be given to them once in a week or two, it's advisable to restrict cucumbers to once a month.
Can degu eat broccoli?
Vegetables – degu's should be fed green vegetables, peas, beans, dandelion and broccoli. Cabbage can cause bloating so should be avoided. All greens should be washed before feeding.
Can degus eat fruit?
In the wild, degus will sometimes eat fruit and vegetation. If you are feeding your degu good quality herbage and specialist degu food, it might not be necessary to give them fruit and vegetables as well.
How do you fatten up a degu?
1. Chuck out the treats! Degu treats such as peanuts and seeds should be the first to go, as they're often high in fats and protein. Treats like this aren't essential to your degus health, if you need to use treats for weighing or training purposes switch to shredded wheat or rolled oats instead.
Can degus eat carrot tops?
Thus, pet degus should not be fed sugary treats but should be offered commercially available rodent pellets or blocks (those made for rats are generally fine) along with leafy greens, such as dark lettuces and dandelion greens, plus vegetables, such as sweet potatoes, cucumber, bell peppers, and carrots, and unlimited ...
Can degus eat fruit?
In the wild, degus will sometimes eat fruit and vegetation. If you are feeding your degu good quality herbage and specialist degu food, it might not be necessary to give them fruit and vegetables as well.
Do degus get lonely?
Degus do not thrive alone, they should never be kept alone.
Can degus have carrots?
Many fruits can be high in sugar, so don't give these to your degus. Some vegetables - such as carrot, sweet potato, beetroot and parsnips - can also be high in sugar, so should only be given in very small pieces as an occasional treat. Be wary of commercial treat products, as these can also be too sugary.
Can degus see in the dark?
While degus can slightly see in the dark they actually have very poor night vision. Like most rodents, they don't rely solely on their sight to get around in the dark. They instead, use most of their other senses to move around accurately at night.
What Do Wild Degus Eat?
In the wild, a Degu’s diet contains 60 percent dietary fiber. The remaining portion consists of the vegetation on Chilean mountains and plains—which are part of its natural habitat.
Best Food for Pet Degus
The best way to keep your pet degus healthy is to feed them a variety of food and provide them with a balanced diet. Here is a list of safe foods for degus:
Toxic Food for Degus
Atlhgough degus have a diversified diet, there are foods that are bad or toxic for them. Here are a few examples of food you should avoid feeding to your pet degus:
Do Degus Eat Hamster Food?
Gerbil and hamster food contains plenty of highly proteinous seeds. Consumption of excess protein can lead to illness in your Degu, so you want to avoid feeding your Degu with hamster food.
How Often Should I Feed My Degu?
Ensure to always make hay readily available for your Degu, while the remainder of their dried food should be provided at regular intervals.
Why Is My Degu Not Eating?
If your Degu is losing weight and struggling to eat, it can be very problematic. It can be caused by several factors, which include:
Wrapping Up
Like with humans, eating the wrong type of food can have a negative impact on your Degu’s health. And as with humans, Degus love their meal, even if it isn’t good for them. Degus can eat anything; hence, you shouldn’t be deceived.
Nutrients and healthy diets
The main feed for a degu is a specially formulated dried food mix, these are available from pet stores and online retailers. You can find some degu specific food mixes, but guinea pig and chinchilla mixes are fine too. They contain all the necessary minerals, vitamins, and other nutrients a degu requires as part of a healthy balance.
How much do degus eat?
An adult degu will eat around 10g of dry food mix a day. You do not need to measure this out as a science, drop in roughly this amount per degu and monitor how long it takes to all disappear.
Make any diet changes gradually
If you realise you need to make some changes to the diet of a degu you need to implement it slowly. Degus are creatures of habit, and when faced with a dramatic change in anything they can become stressed.
Feeding your degu hay
Grass hay (timothy hay for example) should be available at all times. Hay plays an important part in keeping their digestive system and teeth healthy, roughage that is high in fibre is in important part of their diet and wellbeing.
Feeding your degu fresh vegetables
Fresh vegetables play an important role in the diet of all herbivores. Hard food and dry mixes are great and are specifically formulated to contain all the nutrients the animal needs, but vegetables provide a different way to deliver these nutrients.
Water
You should have water available at all times. The best way to provide this is via a water bottle attached to their cage, this way they cannot damage or overturn it like they can a bowl. Their natural curiosity will enable them to find the bottle when they need it, so don’t worry about showing a new bottle to them.
In summary
Although I have gone into some detail about vitamins, minerals, and nutrients in this article, you do not need to over think or complicate feeding a degu. You will get the bulk of their diet from pre-packed dry foods designed for them, adding pellets and some vegetables will help round off their diet and ensure they are healthy.
Degu Appearance and Behavior
As big as a guinea pig but with brown fur and a long, thin tail, degus look like oversized gerbils. They have round, squat bodies, weigh between a half pound to a pound, and grow to about 10-12 inches long, from nose to tail tip.
Degu Activity Levels and Personality
Unlike many other rodents such as hamsters and chinchillas that are active at night, degus are active during the day and sleep at night, making them more suitable as pets. Pet degus live, on average, 6-9 years with proper care and nutrition.
Building the Habitat: The Best Cages and Toys for Degus
Since degus have continuously growing teeth, they have a constant need to gnaw and must be housed in secure cages on which they can’t chew their way out. The larger the cage, the better. Metal, multi-level cages meant for chinchillas or pet rats are usually fine for housing degus.
Diet: The Best Foods for Degus
Degus are herbivores (vegetable-eaters) that eat leaves and shrubs in the wild. As a consequence of feeding on high fiber grasses in the wild, degus’ gastrointestinal tracts are intolerant to sugar. When fed too much sugar, degus develop diabetes and as such have been used as research models for understanding human diabetes.
Degu Health Concerns
Degus are generally hardy rodents when cared for and fed properly. If they are fed an appropriate diet, they do not need supplemental vitamins or minerals. They also do not require vaccinations.
Where Can You Get a Degu?
Degus are available for adoption from rescue facilities where they end up often when frustrated or disappointed owners, who loved the novelty of having a pet degu but who were ignorant about the care these animals require, leave them. Degus also are sold in pet stores in states in which these pets are legal to keep.
What does baby deer eat in the wild?
Wide baby deer under 12 weeks of age can only consume their mother’s milk. If the fawn has lost its mother or you are raising it on your farm, you can feed it with goat milk or a milk substitute. These are safe alternatives.
How often do baby deer eat?
Eight times a day is the feeding intensity that is suitable for baby deer.
How much should a baby deer eat?
Baby deer get hungry very quickly. So you can bottle-feed young deer as much milk as they want.
How to feed baby deer?
When bottle-feeding the baby deer with milk replacer, strictly follow the manufacturer’s instruction of water mixing ratio. Don’t forget to warm it to body temperature before giving.
When to wean the baby deer?
You can wean the deer at its 12th-15th week of age. This number isn’t one-size-fits-all but depends on the development of each deer.
Some notices
During the first few weeks, the fawn might have difficulties in urinating or defecating as it has no experience of doing so.
Related questions about Baby Deer feed
Fawns can try tasting a bit of green grass as early as 2-3 weeks of age. At this stage, milk is still the main source of nutrients for the baby deer to develop, and introducing grass is merely to help it gradually adapt to a new type of food.
