Tall multi-level cage 90x60x60cm+ for a pair/group
Social needs
Highly social; must live in pairs or groups
Diet
Strict herbivore; sugar-free, high-fibre
Time
Medium; daily interaction and cleaning
Cost
Medium
Overview
Degus are small, highly social rodents from the Chilean highlands, related to chinchillas and guinea pigs.
Unlike most pet rodents they are diurnal, so they are active during the day.
They are intelligent, vocal, and curious, using a rich repertoire of calls.
They are obligately social and suffer if kept alone, so they must always live with at least one compatible degu.
Their long lifespan and special dietary needs make them a serious commitment for an attentive owner.
Housing
Provide a tall, multi-level metal cage of at least 90x60x60cm for a pair, larger for groups, with narrow bar spacing and solid (not wire) platforms.
Degus are powerful chewers and diggers, so avoid plastic, which they destroy and may ingest.
Include a deep digging area, hides, and platforms for climbing.
They need a dust bath several times a week to keep their coat in good condition, plus a large solid running wheel.
Keep the cage out of direct sun and below about 26C, as they are heat-sensitive.
Provide constant safe chew material.
Diet
Degus are strict herbivores that cannot process sugar properly and are prone to diabetes, so their diet must be low in sugar and starch and very high in fibre.
The foundation is unlimited grass hay, supplemented with a small amount of degu- or chinchilla-appropriate pellets and fresh leafy greens.
Never feed fruit, carrots, sweet vegetables, or sugary treats, and avoid sugary commercial rodent mixes.
Constant fresh water and unlimited hay support both their teeth and gut.
Safe gnawing wood helps wear their continuously growing teeth.
Health
Diabetes is the signature degu disease, linked to sugary diets and causing cataracts and weight loss.
Their teeth grow continuously and can overgrow or develop painful malocclusion without enough hay and gnawing material.
Cataracts, bumblefoot, and tail-skin injuries are also common.
Never pick a degu up by the tail; the skin can slough off ("tail degloving"), after which the bare bone is amputated.
Cloudy eyes, weight loss, excessive drinking, or drooling all warrant a prompt exotic-vet visit.
Temperament
Degus are bright, busy, and playful, forming strong bonds within their group and grooming and "talking" to one another constantly.
With gentle, frequent handling from a young age they become tame and interactive, often climbing onto trusted owners and learning simple routines.
They are fast and can be nippy if startled or rough-handled, so calm consistency works best.
Their daytime activity makes them more interactive than nocturnal rodents, but a lone degu becomes stressed and unhealthy.
A good fit for
Owners wanting an active, daytime rodent
Keepers who can house a bonded pair or group
People committed to a strict sugar-free diet
Those wanting a long-lived, intelligent small pet
Common mistakes to avoid
Keeping a single degu alone
Feeding fruit, carrots, or sugary mixes (diabetes)
Lifting by the tail (causes degloving)
Plastic cages and accessories they chew and ingest
Small mammals are prey animals. They mask pain and illness by instinct, so by the time something is obvious it is usually already advanced.
Go now
Not eating, or eating far less than normalCall an exotics vet. Bring a recent weight if you have one. In a hindgut fermenter the gut slows and then stops when food stops moving through it. This is the single most common emergency in small mammals.
8 hours
No droppings, or droppings suddenly tiny, misshapen or scarceCall an exotics vet now. Take a photo of the litter tray. Output is the most reliable read on gut movement there is, and it fails before the animal looks unwell.
8-12 hours
Sitting hunched, pressed to the floor, unwilling to moveGo now. A hunched, still posture in a prey animal is a pain posture.
Now
Audible teeth grinding or crunchingGo now. Soft tooth purring is contentment. Loud, slow grinding is pain.
Now
Hard, bloated or drum-tight abdomenGo now. Do not offer food or attempt to massage the abdomen. Gas or an obstruction can become fatal within hours and needs imaging, not home care.
Now
Laboured breathing, open-mouth breathing, or clickingGo now. Keep the animal cool and undisturbed in transit. Most small mammals are obligate nose breathers; open-mouth breathing means they are already struggling.
Now
Maggots or fly eggs anywhere on the animal, especially the rearGo now. Do not attempt to wash them off first. Flystrike can kill within a day. Risk rises sharply in warm weather and in any animal with a dirty or damp rear.
Now
Today
Head tilted persistently to one side, or circlingBook today. Several causes, most of which respond far better to early treatment.
Today
Weight down 5 percent or more since the last weighingCall today, and bring the weight history. Weight falls before appetite visibly changes. This is why weekly weighing is worth the two minutes.
Today
Soon
Drooling, wet chin, or dropping food while trying to eatBook a dental check. Continuously-growing teeth can overgrow into the tongue or cheek long before the animal stops trying to eat.
A few days
Scratching hard enough to break skin, or bald patches spreadingBook an appointment. Mites and fungal infections spread, and some transfer to other animals in the household.
A few days
Have the number of an exotics-competent practice saved before you need it. Most general small-animal clinics do not treat rabbits or rodents out of hours, and finding one at 11pm is not realistic.
This is general guidance for a healthy adult, not a diagnosis. An exotics vet who knows your animal always overrides it — and the time to find one is before you need one.
Can a degu eat that?
Most small companion mammals are hindgut fermenters: the gut is a fermentation vessel that has to keep moving, and sudden rich food stops it.
Never (19)
AlcoholNo safe amount at any body weight on this site.
never
AvocadoPersin, concentrated in the skin, stone and leaves. Implicated in cardiac damage across birds, rodents and reptiles.
never
Bread and baked goodsRefined starch ferments in the hindgut and causes gas and stasis. No nutritional case for it either.
never
CaffeineCoffee, tea and energy drinks. Cardiac and neurological toxicity at tiny doses for an animal this size.
never
ChocolateTheobromine and caffeine. Small mammals and reptiles cannot clear either.
never
DairyAdults are lactose intolerant and the gut flora cannot handle it.
never
Dried fruitSugar concentrated several times over, and it sticks to the teeth. Most commercial small-pet treats are exactly this.
never
GarlicSame allium toxicity as onion, and more concentrated by weight.
never
Iceberg lettuceAlmost entirely water with negligible nutrition, and it contains lactucarium, which causes diarrhoea in quantity. It displaces food that would have been useful.
never
LeekAllium family. Same mechanism as onion and garlic.
never
MeatA hindgut fermenter has no way to process animal protein. It disrupts the gut flora the animal depends on.
never
MushroomsNot part of any of these animals' natural diet, and the risk from misidentified varieties is not worth the zero upside.
never
NutsFat and phosphorus loads a herbivore is not built for, and a choking risk.
never
OnionOrganosulphur compounds damage red blood cells. The whole allium family is out.
never
PotatoSolanine in the skin and any green part, plus a starch load the hindgut cannot handle.
never
Raw beansLectins. Also a gas producer in a species that cannot vomit or belch.
never
RhubarbVery high in soluble oxalate, high enough to cause acute kidney injury. The leaves are worse than the stalks.
never
Salty or seasoned human foodSalt, oil and seasoning. Crisps, chips, seasoned leftovers and processed meat are all out.
never
SweetcornThe hulls are indigestible and are a recognised blockage risk in small herbivores.
never
Rare treats (13)
AppleSugar. The seeds contain a cyanogenic compound and must be removed. A thin slice, once or twice a week. Never the seeds or core.
rare treat
BananaVery high in sugar and starch, and most animals will overeat it given the chance. A slice the width of a fingernail, rarely.
rare treat
BlueberrySugar, but a small portion size makes it easy to control. One or two berries, twice a week.
rare treat
Brussels sproutsHighly gas-forming. Half a sprout, rarely.
rare treat
CarrotSold as the archetypal rabbit food and it is nothing of the kind: carrot is a root vegetable with a high sugar content. The leafy tops, by contrast, are an excellent green. A thin slice as a treat. The tops can be fed freely.
rare treat
CauliflowerOne of the most gas-forming brassicas. A very small piece, occasionally.
rare treat
GrapesVery high in sugar. Halve them, because a whole grape is a choking hazard. One halved grape, rarely.
rare treat
OrangeAcidic and sugary; can irritate the mouth and gut. A tiny segment, rarely if at all.
rare treat
PearSugar. Remove the seeds. A thin slice occasionally.
rare treat
PeasHigh in starch and sugar. The pods and leaves are better than the peas. A few pods occasionally.
rare treat
StrawberrySugar, though lower than most fruit. The leaves are actually the better part. Half a small berry, once or twice a week.
rare treat
TomatoThe ripe flesh is safe in small amounts. The leaves, stems and any green fruit contain solanine and must never be offered. A small piece of ripe flesh, occasionally. Never the plant.
rare treat
WatermelonSugar and a very high water content, which together can loosen the gut. Remove the seeds. A small cube in hot weather, rarely.
rare treat
Occasional (17)
BasilSafe and well liked. Rotate rather than relying on it. A few leaves.
occasional
Bok choyGood green, mildly goitrogenic like other brassicas. A leaf or two a few times a week.
occasional
BroccoliNutritious but a notable gas producer. Leaves and stalk are better tolerated than the florets. A small floret or a piece of stalk, twice a week.
occasional
CabbageA brassica. Gas-forming in quantity, and goitrogenic with heavy long-term feeding. A small piece, once or twice a week.
occasional
CelerySafe and well liked. Cut across the stalk so the long fibres cannot catch. A short piece, cut into segments.
occasional
ChardSame oxalate issue as spinach. A small leaf, occasionally.
occasional
CourgetteSafe and mild. Serve raw. A few slices a few times a week.
occasional
CucumberSafe, but it is mostly water with very little in it. Useful for hydration in warm weather, poor as a staple. A few slices.
occasional
DillSafe in rotation. A few fronds.
occasional
Green beansSafe cooked or raw in small amounts. Gas-forming in quantity. One or two, occasionally.
occasional
KaleHigh in calcium and a mild goitrogen. Genuinely nutritious, but not the everyday green it is often sold as. A leaf or two, two or three times a week.
occasional
MintSafe in small amounts; strongly flavoured and not every animal wants it. A leaf or two.
occasional
ParsleyNutritious but relatively high in calcium. Fine in rotation, not as the whole green portion. A few sprigs, a few times a week.
occasional
PumpkinSafe and well tolerated in small amounts. A small cube occasionally.
occasional
RocketPeppery and well tolerated in rotation. A small handful, a few times a week.
occasional
SpinachHigh in oxalates, which bind calcium and contribute to bladder sludge and stones in animals prone to them. A single small leaf, no more than once or twice a week.
occasional
WatercressNutritious, strongly flavoured, high in calcium. A small handful occasionally.
occasional
Everyday foods (6)
Bell pepperOne of the best everyday vegetables here: high in vitamin C, low in sugar, no oxalate problem. Remove the seeds and stalk. A few strips daily.
everyday food
Carrot topsThe leaves are a proper green and much better food than the root. A handful as part of the daily greens.
everyday food
CorianderWell tolerated, aromatic, and most animals take it readily. Part of a daily mixed handful.
everyday food
Dandelion leavesOne of the best greens available, and free. Pick well away from roadsides and anywhere that may have been sprayed. A generous handful daily.
everyday food
Grass hayShould be about 80 percent of what this animal eats, available at all times. It is what wears the teeth down and what keeps the gut moving. Unlimited, always.
everyday food
Romaine lettuceDark leafy lettuce with real nutritional content and a good water balance. A generous handful daily as part of a mixed selection.
everyday food
That food is not on our list. Do not offer it on a guess — check with an exotics vet, or leave it out. Nothing in a small mammal's diet is urgent enough to risk it.
Introduce any new food one at a time, in a small amount, and wait two days before adding another. A change in droppings is the earliest signal that something did not suit.
Setup, monthly, first year and across a whole life, itemised and with the electricity worked out from the actual wattage. Published figures for the same animal disagree by a factor of four, so the calculator shows ranges rather than picking one.
Intermediate
Intermediate
Intermediate
Intermediate
Intermediate
Intermediate