Degu Care
About: Degus are native to Chile in South America. They are herbivores. They are highly social and love to nest in burrows. Degus love to jump around and are very fast!
Housing: Degus love to hop around and need a cage with many ledges that give them the opportunity to do so. Degus require a minimum of 12 cubic feet for two, and 3/8 inch bar spacing to prevent any risks of them escaping or injuring themselves (1/2 inch at the very most). They require a home that is temperature controlled as they cannot tolerate temperatures over 78 degrees. Because they can jump, there’s also a risk they can fall so you must ensure their enclosure safely allows them to climb.
Out of Cage Time: Every animal would benefit from out of cage time! But you must ensure their free roam space is safe. They are one of the smallest domestic herbivores, they can easily slip through xpens or jump their way out of flimsy playpens.
Toys/Enrichment: Degus, like many others small mammals, have ever-growing teeth! They need lots of chew toys to keep their teeth filed down. Pumice/lava ledges, hay chews, or apple sticks are some great options. They should also have access to an upright solid-surface running wheel that’s at least 12 inches in diameter. Because they will chew on anything, you should avoid adding any plastic to their enclosure.
Diet: Unlike many other small mammals, degus cannot eat any fruits or digest sugar. Their diet mainly consists of hay and a fortified pelleted hay. They can have a very limited amounts of veggies. We recommend feeding a mix of different types of hay (Timothy and Orchard) as well as feeding a high quality hay based pellet (such as Sunseed Vita Prima for degus). A degu specific pellet may be hard to find, a safe alternative is Oxbow’s Garden Select for Chinchillas or Guinea Pigs, as both formulas do not contain cane molasses.
Nest Box: Similar to chinchillas who are den animals, degus love to nest and need to have opportunities to burrow and nest in their enclosure.
Grooming: Degus do their best to clean themselves, much like a chinchilla or bunny. But they do also need to be given dust baths on a regular basis in order to keep their fur clean. They should be given a bath daily but they should not have unlimited access to a dust bath, as over bathing can cause issues for their fur. Typically we offer them a dust bath for about 15-30 minutes a day.
Housing: Degus love to hop around and need a cage with many ledges that give them the opportunity to do so. Degus require a minimum of 12 cubic feet for two, and 3/8 inch bar spacing to prevent any risks of them escaping or injuring themselves (1/2 inch at the very most). They require a home that is temperature controlled as they cannot tolerate temperatures over 78 degrees. Because they can jump, there’s also a risk they can fall so you must ensure their enclosure safely allows them to climb.
Out of Cage Time: Every animal would benefit from out of cage time! But you must ensure their free roam space is safe. They are one of the smallest domestic herbivores, they can easily slip through xpens or jump their way out of flimsy playpens.
Toys/Enrichment: Degus, like many others small mammals, have ever-growing teeth! They need lots of chew toys to keep their teeth filed down. Pumice/lava ledges, hay chews, or apple sticks are some great options. They should also have access to an upright solid-surface running wheel that’s at least 12 inches in diameter. Because they will chew on anything, you should avoid adding any plastic to their enclosure.
Diet: Unlike many other small mammals, degus cannot eat any fruits or digest sugar. Their diet mainly consists of hay and a fortified pelleted hay. They can have a very limited amounts of veggies. We recommend feeding a mix of different types of hay (Timothy and Orchard) as well as feeding a high quality hay based pellet (such as Sunseed Vita Prima for degus). A degu specific pellet may be hard to find, a safe alternative is Oxbow’s Garden Select for Chinchillas or Guinea Pigs, as both formulas do not contain cane molasses.
Nest Box: Similar to chinchillas who are den animals, degus love to nest and need to have opportunities to burrow and nest in their enclosure.
Grooming: Degus do their best to clean themselves, much like a chinchilla or bunny. But they do also need to be given dust baths on a regular basis in order to keep their fur clean. They should be given a bath daily but they should not have unlimited access to a dust bath, as over bathing can cause issues for their fur. Typically we offer them a dust bath for about 15-30 minutes a day.
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Resources/References:
Disclaimer: Any information posted on Lala's Playhouse and Rescue's website is for general information purposes only and should not be used as medical advice, medical opinion, diagnosis, or treatment. Any information given is not to be substituted for medical attention. Always seek licensed veterinary care for your pet's health and treatment. All information on this website is given "as-is." Lala's Playhouse and Rescue is not liable for any direct, indirect, incidental, punitive, or consequential damages of any kind whatsoever with respect to the use of this website. You agree that you are using this website solely at your own risk.
