Degu

[Louise21]

We are considering getting 2 degus and just wanted some information about them by people who have had them before.

Thanks

 

[chesterscot]

not had any myself but i know some forum members do keep them so be patient lol someone will get back to you
in the mean time i will do my best to dig out a link for you
regards

 

[MBOU]

1- METAL cage, they have the most destructive teeth of any rodent i've ever seen!! They can even chew through plastic and thin wire...

2- DONT feed them anything with sugar in, use a degu or chinchilla food mix, treats 1 peanut occasionally of some veg (introduced to the diet slowly or they will get diarrhoea). No fruit should be fed, sugars are bad as they dont break it down very well and are seriously prone to diabetes.

3- They need LOTS of hay and maybe some grass in the summer (no pesticides etc).

4- HUGE cage needed, minimum for a pair i would say as at least 1 meter square but you can go taller as they climb like mad, they are incredibly hyperactive, super fast and make rats look stupid. It was my collage project to come up with methods of environmental enrichment to keep them occupied as when bored... they chew!! A ceramic dog bowl covered in mesh just big enough for their paws, fill with hay or grass and hige a few peanuts in their so they have to dig for it.

5- Breed like absolute rabbits, get same sexed pair!! Because of this, their are huge amounts of degus needing rescuing all the time, dont pay money to shops as they will buy these from a mass breeder with no idea about their health problems and are not bred for quality...

6- Can get really tame and cuddly but arent a childrens pet, they are fast and have needle like scritchy claws and they prefer to explore rather than be handled. Just dont let it escape near wires and cables!!!!!!

That said, they are hilarious, they have a huge range of vocal sounds and chatter and wheek and talk to you, responding if you ask them questions, they are fun to watch and a great project to tame and a great feeling to rescue as a lo9t of people just dump them.

 

[nessar]

Pretty much everything has been said except:

Lots of the cages sold for them are chinchilla cages, and so have wire floors, dont get these cages or your degus will get deformed feet, its called 'bumble-foot'. Some people find a cat litter tray that is a similar size to the bottom of the cage so the degus have a solid floor

As said above they are prone to diabetes, I wanted to mention that they are so prone to it they are actually used for diabetes research.

Get two that have lived together for a long time, or siblings. They can squabble a lot.

Provide branches and they will leap around them like little squirrels.

But make sure there are no huge drops, as in put platforms at the open spaces so they cant fall too far, one of mine died from falling awkwardly.

They are noisy, would not reccommend for a bedroom. They are not supposed to be nocturnal but mine decided to wake me up most nights!

Get a very large wheel. They like to run in it side by side So cute!

If you are in the UK, look on Preloved, its a site of classifieds ads, and last time i checked there were quite a few people selling or giving away degus with their cages! Bargain and they've been tamed for you! The pet shops sell them for ridiculously high prices.

Degus can bite, and when they do they hold on. Ouch. They can be tamed, but it takes a lot of patience. They wont sit on your lap for a cuddle, they prefer to jump around.

Finally, its good youre getting two because they are very social animals, living happily in groups of over 20 in the wild. Remember if one dies you should really get the other a friend, as they kind of just fade away on their own. Oh and their teeth are meant to be orange, dont worry!

oh and i would say they are the best rodent to own and very amusing!

 

[Louise21]

Thanks for your help.
Ive been on preloved it is a great website and theres someone giving them away free which compared to pets at home 2 for £45!!! is brilliant.

Just need to sort out a cage ive found one on ebay for £45 a 3 tier one as well. Just need to cover up the mesh. What would you advise??

 

[MBOU]

Hard to say, they will chew both wood and plastic so nothing expensive!!! Id go for planks of wood to be on te safe side and replace it as they chew it!!

 

[nessar]

just make sure the wood isnt varnished or treated with anything.

You can use anything to cover the mesh floors, as long as its solid and safe to chew

Oh i forgot to say make sure you give them a bed box of some sort they like to snuggle up together.

And they LOVE dust baths in chinchilla sand they chuck it everywhere though so get a deep-ish bowl or an actual chinchilla bath, or chinchilla spa i think they can be called. Pets at home do them, but quite expensive.

I bet they'll love that cage plenty of climbing room

just realised i made a line of smileys lol