Basic Degu Care

Many pet stores today still do not carry degus, the main reason for this is that they are not yet as popular as chinchillas or guinea pigs. One of the main reasons that they are not as popular is the lack of literature on them. I have heard them call degus an Australian rat, an Australian gerbil and a South American squirrel! The goal is to continue to provide owners of domestic degus with relevant and accurate as possible information so their degus can lead long and happy lives.

Degus are from Chile . They are for the most part confined to one area in Chile where they are abundant. They inhabit the west coast area from the plains up into the Andes Mountains to about 1.5 km of elevation. They live in large colonies and are said to be very social. In their "society" their position seems to be affected by the size of the mound of sticks and other stuff on the top of their burrows. The bigger the mound is, the higher their position in society. If a degus mound were to be lost, it would lose its position in society.

Housing

Degus are very active animals and the size of their cage should reflect this. Ideally they should be in a large cage with several different levels with ramps separating them. It is best for it to be made of wire mesh for optimal ventilation. These cages can be expensive but in the end will be a good investment as a degu housed in one of these will be able to get lots of exercise and have lots of room to play in. Make sure that the cage has a solid bottom, cages with mesh bottoms and rodents do not mix. They also need a wheel to run in. The wheel should be a large one, preferably a guinea pig wheel as they need something that big. Plastic wheels are unacceptable as they will be chewed until they are destroyed. The wheel needs to be made of metal.

An aquarium is okay for a degu but since they provide poor ventilation they are not too good. If you cannot afford one of those big cages then an aquarium is okay, but make sure that it is at least a 30 to 40 gallon one or about 60cm long, 30 cm tall, and 30 cm wide. Anything less is too small. The lid should be wire mesh to allow for good ventilation.

Also much like hamsters they cannot have a water dish, it gets very messy. A water bottle is a great substitution. Just make sure that if you use a water bottle, to check it every day to make sure that they are able to get water out of it.

For the litter, a single layer is enough. Care fresh, recycled paper and kiln dried pine are fine. If it must be softwood, then only use kiln dried pine. Cedar is unacceptable as it has oils which are bad for degus and other rodents' lungs.

The temperature of where they're kept should be 65-75 degrees Fahrenheit or around 20 Celsius. Beyond that temperature range they will be uncomfortable. They cannot sweat to keep cool.

They benefit from having a small wooden nest box. Put a handful of Timothy hay in it once a week, and then give them a few paper towels to tear up and carry into the nest box. A 12" wheel is a must for them to get their exercise. Some male Degus keep "trinket piles" of rocks, stones, wood pieces, old keys - anything shiny, but never plastic. Their trinket pile is their status symbol. They sometimes become annoyed if someone disturbs their trinket pile (although this is necessary for cleaning). Many domestic male Degus have lost this instinct, however.

Like chinchillas, Degus need a "dust bath" to maintain the health of their fur and skin. Provide a "bathtub" (e.g. a plastic container) with about ½" of chinchilla dust for half an hour once or twice a week. Don't leave it in the cage too long, or your Degus will use it as a potty stop. Replace the dust after several uses.

Diet

It is important to be careful of what you give your degus. A degu will eat just about anything it is given. Unlike North American rodents and guinea pigs degus lack the ability to properly digest sugar. This is not the result of a failed organ but instead an evolutionary thing. In the part of Chile that degus are located there really isn't very much in the way of fruit, very much like in the prairies. As a result of this, degus have evolved a body that cannot digest sugar simply because it is not the kind of thing that they can get in the wild. Never give your degu's anything with sugar! When a degu eats anything with sugar in it, and this includes natural sources such as fruit, they suffer the same effects a diabetic people do without insulin. Logically you cannot give them insulin so obviously it is best to simply avoid the sugar. The kind of food that is okay to give a degu is food that is meant for the kind of animal that they are. They do like small animal food, but the corn and sunflower seeds in it are not good for them.

Sunflower seeds have too much oil and fat. Corn has too much oil. Carrots are okay in a small quantity, like a one inch cube per day, per degu. Carrots also have a lot of sugar. That is why the yellow vegetable of choice should be Sweet Potato (yam is similar but lower in vitamins). In laboratories, degus are fed rat chow (also called lab blocks or rat blocks) and they do well but you can be sure that they are not all that happy eating it. You can also be well fed if you drank only a liquid called "ensure" but you wouldn't be happy eating that all the time. Degus should have a yellow vegetable (sweet potato), a green vegetable (dandelion is loved by them but beware of pesticides), but any very green leaf vegetable, preferably not from the cabbage family is okay.

Here is a list of vegetables in the cabbage family.

Also give them some Guinea Pig pellets - not a mix of seeds and stuff, just the pellets. Then some form of hay - timothy hay, alfalfa - oat hay - but some form of hay. Alfalfa blocks are better than no hay.

DON'T give your degus treats of large amounts of fruit or peanuts. Degus cannot metabolize simple sugar such as is found in fruit, and they will develop diabetes and cataracts if fed surgery fruits and vegetables. They love raw peanuts but the fat collects in their livers, and is harmful - particularly to pregnant females. A few sunflower seeds are beneficial to your Degu, but not more than 6 per day. Guinea pig pellets are rich in Vitamin C and will keep your degu's teeth and gums healthy. Food dishes should be cleaned weekly, with hot water. Their water bottle should be rinsed and refilled every day.

Maintenance

Degus are normally like rats and other rodents, very clean animals. Despite this, however they must have their cage cleaned on a regular basis. Hygiene is as important for a degu as it is for any other animal. You should clean their cage out at least once a week, but that changes depending on the size of the cage. It is best to use water to get out all traces of the old wood chips and to get urine smell out.

Do not use any chemicals or soaps that may be poisonous or otherwise allergic reaction forming to degus.

Just using water and if applicable a good scrubber (like a shower scrub, not an SOS pad) is enough. You don't need to fully water the cage down each time, only if the smell is really bad or if it's been too long since last clean. If you can get the litter out completely without water and there is no smell (which is normal) you should be ok. It is best however to water it down totally every couple of months even if it doesn't seem needed to remove germs etc. Where you put your degu during the cleaning process is important. They must be put in a safe place that they cannot get away from. Finally, an important issue is what type of bedding to use in your degus cage. Basically it is best to use what you would use for a guinea pig or hamster. Recent developments have evidence that using soft wood, such as wood chips can cause problems for rodents, and it is best to use hard wood whenever possible. Pine and Cedar are soft wood. Cedar is apparently the worst kind to use because of chemicals. Young rats raised on it have a high mortality rate. Pine is okay, but make sure it is kiln dried, as this gets rid of harmful chemicals. Aspen appears to be the best softwood because it smells good. There are other alternatives that are okay. Please ask us in the store, for what we suggest.

What kinds of things make them good pets?

Degus make excellent pets for similar reasons to other rodents, but there are some things that they can do that other rodents cannot, such as exhibit advanced behavioural characteristics. One of these is their ability to recognise people, sounds, and even objects. If a degu sees a person that it knows as someone that gives it attention it will usually immediately run up to the side of its cage and stand on its hind legs practically begging to be let out. Should you not get it out then it will sometimes squeak quite loudly. When you do get it out it usually warbles with joy. If a degu sees another degu that it knows then it will react accordingly. If it knows the degu as a mate it will usually sing out in joy and warble quite loudly. If the other degu hears this it may and usually will respond in the same way. If the degu sees another degu that it does not like then it will chatter and even squeak out loudly. They eat politely with their fore paws like other rodents and will not gulp all their food down in seconds. They seem to have very good eyesight and a highly developed sense of hearing. They can recognise objects and people with great accuracy and ease. If they see a person that they know and approach their cage they will react instantly in an appropriate way. When they hear a sound that they recognise such as another degu or a persons voice they will also look in that direction to see who it is. As you can see, a degu is a very fun little creature that has many physical and mental traits that are very well developed.

In conclusion, a degu is an animal that makes an excellent pet. They have many characteristics that are very desirable in a pet. They are very cute and affectionate. They are clean and do not require a very large cage and will only bite if severely provoked. Their longer than average life span means that they will provide you with many years of entertainment and affection. They are truly wonderful little mammals.