Caring for Your Degus
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Life expectancy: 5-7 years
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Herbivore
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Community-oriented
Some people may say that a degu looks like a large gerbil. While this may be true, the degu is more closely related to the rabbit and is a cousin to the chinchilla. In the wild, they inhabit the mountainous regions of Chile, Peru, Bolivia, and Argentina. Degus are social and active pets that are relatively easy to care for. They are very interactive, intelligent, and will learn to recognize their owners and their owner’s voice, even from another room! Degus will take short “cat naps” by sleeping in cycles of 20-minute spurts.
When degus are happy, they almost sing, and when they are sad, they weep. Their frequent vocalizations to each other reinforce the need to keep more than one. They truly are a communal pet who are happiest with many degus in their unit.
Handling
A degu should never be caught by their tail. The skin may shed away or the end of the tail may drop off and permanently disfigure the degu. This could cause balancing, jumping, and climbing problems. Instead, let the degu first smell your open palm, then gently pick them up around their body. Keep them close to your chest so that they don’t panic and jump away.
Our pet counsellors are small animal lovers; because they are, they hold and play with all the small animals in our store. Our guests also play a big part in our small animal’s social skills. This is why Petland’s small animals are quick to bond with their new owner.
To provide a happy, healthy atmosphere for your degu, Petland recommends the following necessary and fun accessories. We have listed them as your new pet’s 4 Basic Needs: Environmental, Behavioural, Nutritional, and Maintenance. When you meet these needs and provide a loving environment, your degu can live a long and happy life.
ENVIRONMENTAL
Enclosure – A large cage (a minimum 24x18x24” for two degus) with the ability to add levels, climbing materials, and branches, is best to provide your degus with the climbing space they require.
Play Enclosure – Aquariums with a snug-fitting screen lid is not ideal as the primary home because climbing areas and branches cannot be affixed to the walls. However, it makes an excellent play space to allow your degu to create a maze of secret channels. Fill it halfway with bedding and allow your degu to explore and play!
Nesting Material – Nest building is an activity they spend hours working on. This material is specifically made for degus, mice, hamsters, gerbils, and rats. It provides degus an opportunity to gather and chew bedding to form a cozy bed inside their hiding place.
Hiding Place – Every animal needs a space to call their own. A hiding place reduces stress and provides security. Choose a degu-safe home made of ceramic or wood. Avoid items like tissue boxes or toilet paper rolls, which can pose health risks.
BEHAVIOURAL
Chew Blocks – Your degu’s teeth will grow throughout their life. Give them a variety of safe chewing aids to keep their teeth trimmed. A branch from outside may not be safe, nor will a toilet paper or paper towel roll. Small animal chews are generally made from balsa wood, which is hard enough to gnaw on, but soft enough not to splinter or cut.
Exercise Wheel – Degus need exercise to stay healthy and trim. An overweight degu is an unhealthy degu! Providing them with a solid surface exercise wheel will give them hours of running pleasure.
Toys – Degus enjoy playing! Wire cat balls are a favourite to toss and roll around.
Ladders and Branches – Degus love to climb and will often rest at the highest point in the cage. In order to provide them with mental stimulation, exercise, ladders and branches are necessary. Check out the bird department for more options.
Tunnels and Tubes – Degus like to burrow and dig. Providing them with tunnels and tubes to hide and play in will satisfy their fun-loving nature.
NUTRITIONAL
When choosing what food to purchase for your new pet, keep in mind that small animals often get diarrhea when new foods are introduced too quickly or during stressful events like adoption. Stick to familiar foods, including the same pellet brand, to support digestion. When adding new items, especially fresh foods, introduce them one at a time and watch for changes in behavior, appetite, or stool.
Degu Pellets – Pellets are formulated to contain a correct balance of all the essential nutrients that your degu needs each day, and is their primary diet. If there are no degu pellets available, you can combine chinchilla and guinea pig pellets at a 1:1 ratio. Degus are very sensitive to sugar. Being almost diabetic in nature, their bodies cannot process it properly. It is for this reason that their treats and supplements need to be monitored carefully.
Grass Hay – Grass hay is absolutely vital to the digestive health of your degu. It helps prevent obesity, dental disease, diarrhea, and boredom. Grass hays also stimulate natural foraging activities, and are an excellent source of nesting material.
All grass hays, timothy, orchard, oat, and botanical (timothy with herbs), are nutritionally similar, differing mainly in taste and texture. Offering a mix helps prevent picky eating, especially since flavor and texture can vary with the seasons. Note that alfalfa hay should only be used as a treat.
Degus should have unlimited access to grass hay, and eat a pile about the size of their body every day.
Fresh Foods and Treats – Only offer 1/2 tsp of fresh foods or treats daily. Good options include romaine, kale, green leaf lettuce, broccoli, cucumber skins, tomatoes, and cauliflower. A dried carrot can be offered once or twice a week. Steer away from fruits, vegetables and treats (including treat sticks) that are high in sugar due to your degu’s diabetic nature.
Moss Hollow Adapt – Using Moss Hollow Adapt, while minimizing stress, can help your new pet adapt to their new home by promoting relaxation from stress caused by the environment (Echinacea), offering a prebiotic for building gut flora (Burdock Root), easing diarrhea (Psyllium Husk), increasing palatability (Wheatgrass), providing a natural dewormer (Diatomaceous Earth), and nutrient-rich clay (Bentonite). This veterinary health product uses natural ingredients which can aid all small animals before symptoms emerge.
Vitamin and Mineral Supplement – In the wild, animals can choose the foods their bodies require. Even if you give your pet a variety of foods, you may not be providing them with certain vitamins and minerals that they need. Add the supplement to the drinking water or food according to packaging directions.
Mineral and Salt Stone – Degus need a mineral and salt stone available at all times. Salt encourages your degus to drink water, and the water aids in digestion.
MAINTENANCE
Water Bottle – Choosing a water bottle helps to keep their water clean and to conserve any liquid vitamins. Fresh water must be available at all times and replaced daily. If your pet is playing in an aquarium play space, a bottle holder will be required.
Keep water bottles clean to prevent bacteria and sediment buildup from supplements. Use a bottle brush with dish soap and water to clean both the bottle and the inside of the stainless-steel drinking tube.
Ceramic Dishes and Hay Feeders – Ceramic dishes are easy to clean, cannot be chewed, and are difficult to tip over. You will need two: one for pellets and one for fresh foods or other treats. Hay feeders, like a manger, allow your degu easy access to their hay while keeping it clean.
Substrate – Pine shavings, aspen shavings, or paper-based bedding is recommended for your degu. A cage with shavings or bedding and an aquarium full of aspen or paper-based bedding for their play times would be ideal. Use a litter scoop to spot clean the cage regularly.
Litter Box and Litter – With a little patience, your degu can be potty trained! A small animal litter box is easy to remove, reduces the time and cost of maintenance, and cuts down on odour. Place the box in a corner and add a small amount of soiled substrate inside using a litter scoop so that the degu can sniff it out for next time.
Cage Cleaner – Use a pet-safe cleaner, ideally one that is enzyme-based to break down stains and odours. Clean the cage weekly with the cleaner or hot water and mild soap, then rinse and dry thoroughly. Avoid bleach and other household cleaners, as they can irritate your pet’s respiratory system or cause even worse problems.
Dust Bath Powder and Bath House – Degus need regular dust baths to remove excess oils and moisture from their fur. Instead of water, they use fine dust similar to volcanic ash. Provide about 2 inches in a bath house, glass fish bowl, or ceramic dish for 10–15 minutes, ideally in the evening since they’re nocturnal. Sift after each use and replace as needed.
Cleanliness and Safety
All pets can potentially carry diseases that may be contagious to people. Young children, infants, pregnant women, people with compromised immune systems and the elderly are at greater risk of infections and should use caution when in contact with pets or their environments. Regular cleaning of your pet’s environment with a pet safe cleaner may help avoid the spread of contaminants.
Hygiene procedures such as washing your hands before and after handling your pet and/or after having any contact with their habitat, is a necessary routine. Children should be assisted with hand washing and always have adult supervision when interacting with pets.
CHECKLIST
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Enclosure
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(Optional) Play enclosure
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Nesting material
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Hiding place
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Chew blocks
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Exercise wheel
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Toys
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Ladders and branches
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Tunnels and tubes
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Pellets
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Hay
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Treats
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Moss Hollow Adapt
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Vitamin and Mineral Supplement
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Mineral and salt stone
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Water bottle
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Bottle brush
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Ceramic dishes and hay feeder
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Substrate
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Litter scoop
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Cage cleaner
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Litter box and litter
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Dust bath powder and bath house