Degu Advice

Degu Facts

1. Degus are usually about 25cm to 30cm long and weigh between 170 to 300 grams.
   
   
2. Degus come all the way from Chile in South America!
   
   
3. They are very social animals so don’t like to live on their own.
   
   
4. Like us, Degus are more active during the day and sleep at night.
   
   
5. Degus love to chew!  Their teeth are continuously growing so it is important for them to have things to chew on.

What type of house would my degu like to live in?

Because Degus like to chew, a metal cage is best to make sure they can’t chew their way out!  The floor of the cage needs to be solid though, not wire as this would hurt your degu’s feet.
Degus need space as they like to move around and climb so their cage needs to be big enough for this and with different levels for them to climb on. 
Your degu will also need a nesting box to sleep in.  This can be a wooden box filled with hay.

Make sure there are always things for your degu to chew in their cage.  You can buy special gnawing blocks, chew toys or pieces of cuttlebone to keep your degu’s teeth healthy. 
 
What should I give my degu to eat?

In the wild, degus eat mainly grass and shrub leaves.  Degus don’t cope well with sugar and are very prone to developing diabetes if they are fed an incorrect diet that contains the wrong sugars.

You should give your degu hay to eat every day along with a specially formulated degu food.  Make sure not to give your degu food designed for other pets as it may have too much sugar for them and make them poorly.

Remember to always make sure your degu has fresh clean water to drink. 

Handling your degu

You can get your degu used to you by starting by putting your hand into their cage to feed them.  Once they are comfortable with this you can start picking them up.  Never pick your degu up by its tail though because this will really hurt them.   

Any more degu questions?

Just ask the team at your local Vets4Pets practice and they will be happy to help.