For the diet of your degu, you should give them vegetables and hay every day. These are the most nutritious foods for degus. They can eat various kinds of vegetables and hay every day. You can also mix veggies and hay for your degu.
What do degus eat in captivity?
Degus are herbivores and – in the wild – will feed on grasses, leaves and the occasional seeds. They live in an arid environment and are used to eat high fiber food. In captivity, the degu isn’t very demanding when it comes to their diet. The only thing you really need to watch out for is that you don’t feed them foods with high sugar content.
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 for degu pellets?
Since degus are becoming popular as a pocket pet, commercial degu pellets were developed to meet the specific needs of degus. Supreme Pet Foods have a special pellet food for degus that contain the right amounts of nutrients and has no added sugars.
What should I Not Feed my degus?
You should avoid giving food that’s high in sugar to your degus as this might lead to diabetes. If you only feed small pieces of apples once per month the risk of diabetes will be minimal. If your degus already have diabetes you shouldn’t give apples to them. Can degus eat lettuce? Lettuce is a vegetable that is low in sugar content.
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What degus should not eat?
What should I avoid feeding my degus?Food containing molasses.Rabbit food (often contains wrong nutrients and sometimes has ingredients toxic to degus)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)More items...
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).
Do degus need vegetables?
Fresh veg is really important! Although it is important that your degus have regular access to fresh vegetable matter, too much of it can lead to other problems such as bloating and diarrhoea, both of which are very uncomfortable for your degus. Therefore getting the right balance is the key.
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.
Can degu eat 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 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.
What is the best degu food?
Chinchilla and guinea pig pellets are generally good for degus, as long as they do not contain any of the ingredients just discussed. It's also important to provide your degu with plenty of hay.
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 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 degu eat kale?
Lettuces, parsley, dill, coriander, basil, mint, watercress, dandelion leaves, celery leaves, beet greens, chicory, escarole, rocket, kale, Brussels sprouts, collards and carrot greens are well appreciated by chinchillas and degus. High sugar vegetables such as carrots or peppers can be offered in limited quantities.
Can degus eat sunflower seeds?
For treats, most degus relish seeds (e.g. sunflower seeds), peanuts, and whole nuts in the shell. However, these should only be an occasional treat, due to the high fat content.
Can degus have salt licks?
A variety of wood blocks and chews as well as branches can be provided. Willow balls and toys made for rabbits are great for degus, and cotton rope and wood toys designed for large parrots are also a good choice. A mineral or salt block designed for rodents can be attached to the cage.
What should a degu eat?
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. Throw away white or pink hay as it signifies the presence of mold.
Why does my Degu lose appetite?
Loss of appetite in your Degu can be caused by spurs (sharp edges that mostly occur on the molars). When a Degu’s teeth don’t align correctly, they won’t wear down easily.
Is rabbit food bad for degus?
Coccidiostat is harmful to degus. Also, rabbit food doesn ’t contain the right amount of minerals and vitamins.
Can Degus eat humans?
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.
What is the diet of a degu?
A diet which is high in fibre. Compared to some other rodents, degus in the wild consume large amounts of fibre. Degus should have constant access to good quality hay. Hay is much more important than commercial degu nuggets and should constitute the majority of the degus diet.
Can degus eat guinea pigs?
A diet which is low in sugar and fat. Degus are prone to type two diabetes. Never feed guinea pig or chinchilla pellets that contain molasses to degus as these are very high in sugar. Many fruits can be high in sugar and should not be given to degus. Some vegetables for example carrot, sweet potato, beetroot and parsnips can also be high in sugar, ...
What do degus eat?
Degus are herbivores and – in the wild – will feed on grasses, leaves and the occasional seeds. They live in an arid environment and are used to eat high fiber food. In captivity, the degu isn’t very demanding when it comes to their diet. The only thing you really need to watch out for is that you don’t feed them foods with high sugar content.
What is the best food for a degu?
Hay. Hay is sometimes used as a bedding material but is more important as a primary food source for your degus. In fact, about 80 % of your degu’s diet will need to consist of good quality hay. Hay is the most important source of fibers in the degu diet and is essential to maintain the gut function.
What kind of hay should I give my degus?
You’ll need to provide your degus with quality hay, like meadow hay or timothy hay. Make sure that the hay isn’t green, white or pink. Hay that’s green will lead to bloating of your degus while pink and white hay indicates that the hay contains mold. The best hay has a brownish color and has a sweet smell.
How much water does a degu drink?
A single degu will drink about 500 ml per month depending on the temperature and exercise levels.
How much pellet food should I give my degu?
If you don’t remove the old hay it can get moldy. For convenience, place the hay in a hay rack or a ceramic bowl. pellet food: give a total of 10 grams of pellet food per degu each day. You can give all of it in the morning or evening or choose to divide it between the morning and evening.
What vitamins do degus need?
Vitamins and mineral supplements. Degus are able to develop their own vitamin c and don’t necessarily need it in their diet. However, vitamin c (also called ascorbic acid) is important in the prevention of heart disease, cancers, and cataracts in your degus.
How to give a degus water?
You have two options to give water to your degus: a water bottle or a water dish. I would recommend that you use a water bottle and attach it to the outside of the cage. This way your degus can’t chew on the bottle and it doesn’t take away flooring area of the cage.
What kind of cage should I use for a degus?
Metal, multi-level cages meant for chinchillas or pet rats are usually fine for housing degus. Different cage levels satisfy degus’ need to climb and run. Wire mesh cages provide good ventilation and should have solid-bottomed floors and ramps connecting the levels so that degus’ little toes don’t get caught in the mesh.
How hot do degus need to be?
Dust should be removed in between baths, or degus may soil the bath with feces. They prefer living at temperatures from about 65-75°F, as they cannot sweat and become overheated at temperatures close to 80°F. Finally, degus do need time every day out of their cages to run around and get exercise.
How old do degus have to be to have babies?
Finally, if a male and female degu are to be housed together, the male should be neutered. Degus reach sexual maturity after about six months of age, and females can give birth to litters of 1-12 babies after 90 days of pregnancy. They also can become pregnant again immediately after giving birth.
How long do degus live?
Pet degus live, on average, 6-9 years with proper care and nutrition. They have excellent vision and can actually see ultraviolet (UV) ...
Why do degus have cataracts?
Young degus may also develop cataracts as a result of a congenital eye defect unassociated with diabetes. Regardless, all degus with cataracts should be checked for diabetes.
Why are degus so prone to diabetes?
Although degus can be kept generally healthy with proper care and preventative check-ups, they are prone to developing certain conditions, such as diabetes, due to their sensitivity to dietary sugars. They also develop cataracts (milky, hazy looking lenses in their eyes), often as a consequence of developing diabetes.
What to use to cushion degus feet?
Cages should be lined with paper-based bedding to cushion degus’ feet against pressure sores and should contain a wheel to run in for exercise. Commercially available paper bedding or shredded recycled paper is ideal, as it is not toxic and is digestible if eaten.
How to feed a degu?
Remember degus have small stomachs, but it is still good to give them a selection of veg to choose from (see below). 2. Divide your fresh veg between the degus' feed bowls, so you can keep an eye on how much and what sorts of veg each degu is eating.
Can degus eat hay?
While hard feed includes all the vitamins and minerals your degus are likely to need that they cannot extract from hay, there are certain essential nutrients that are vital to the body's health, which feed manufacturers are unable to incorporate into dry feed due to their natural instability.
Can degus have diarrhoea?
Although it is important that your degus have regular access to fresh vegetable matter, too much of it can lead to other problems such as bloating and diarrhoea, both of which are very uncomfortable for your degus. Therefore getting the right balance is the key. 1.
