Hamster food usually is filled with seeds that are rich in proteins. High amounts of protein are dangerous for degus since they can cause kidney problems. Avoid giving hamster food since it will probably make your degus sick.
Gerbil food usually is also filled with seeds that are rich in proteins. Cucumbers are fruit and are high in sugar content. They contain 1. If you only feed small pieces of cucumber once per month the risk of diabetes will be minimal. Carrots are vegetables that are high in sugar content.
They contain 4. If you only feed small pieces of carrots once per month the risk of diabetes will be minimal. Watermelons are fruit that is high in sugar content. They contain 6. If you only feed small pieces of watermelon once per month the risk of diabetes will be minimal. Bananas are fruit that is high in sugar content.
They contain If you only feed small pieces of bananas once per month the risk of diabetes will be minimal. Apples are fruit that is high in sugar content. If you only feed small pieces of apples once per month the risk of diabetes will be minimal.
Lettuce is a vegetable that is low in sugar content. It contains 1. You can safely give this leafy vegetable each day. Hay is much more important than commercial degu nuggets and should constitute the majority of the degus diet.
A small measured portion of degu nuggets and some leafy vegetables should also be part of their daily diet. Foods formulated for other species such as rabbits, hamsters and gerbils are not suitable for degus, neither are chinchilla mixes that contain dried fruit. Recognising pet obesity, the associated health risks and how to prevent them. Share this A healthy diet for degus. Ensure your degu has a healthy diet Degus need: Constant access to clean drinking water from a drinking bottle.
Ideally, hay should be kept off the floor and supplied via a hayrack, but giving it in a food bowl is fine. There are many varieties of hay to choose from, and various people recommend different varieties. The most suitable for your degus is good quality meadow hay 69 , or Timothy hay.
The hay should be brown, not green in colour green hay can cause bloating 69 and have a fresh, sweet smell. Hay that smells musty or appears pink or white in places must be discarded, as these are signs of mould.
To increase the palatability of hay, it is possible to mix a small amount of alfalfa hay with it Alfalfa hay should not be fed in large amounts due to its high protein and calcium content 69 , the harmful effects of which overfeeding can cause need further research 69 , but in degus the excess protein content can put strain on the kidneys, while the extra calcium can contribute to kidney stone formation.
It should be pointed out that alfalfa pellets do not pose the same risk Degus should have a certain amount of fresh vegetable matter in their diet 36 , but restrict fruit as most types of fruit contain sugar Fresh veg contains levels of essential amino- and fatty-acids that are an important part of the herbivore diet, and which cannot be easily incorporated into dry feed.
Overfeeding of fresh greens, in particular lettuce, cabbage and peas, can cause bloating 55 , but most vegetable types are safe for degus to eat a list of degu-safe veg can be found in the guide via the button above. Degus also enjoy fresh herbs, such as basil, mint and parsley. As a rough guide, each degu should get a selection of a few thumbnail sized bits of veg once or twice per week. Fresh fruit should be only given in small amounts once per month, unless your degu is diabetic in which case no fruit should be provided.
Your degus should have set times at which they receive their daily hard feed portion although access to hay should never be restricted. Remember that, like most 'prey' animals, degus thrive on a stable, regular routine that they can learn to anticipate, and this can be incorporated into their training.
You can either give them one 10 g meal daily in the morning or early evening is best due to their crepuscular rhythm , or divide this into two 5 g portions twice daily. Remember that your degus should not get too much hard feed, nor too little; If food is scarce, your degus may not be able to extract the right amount of energy and nutrients from the food they do get 8. However, research has shown that if food is continually available, degus eat more than normal 8 , This could lead to obesity 36 if your degus are fed more than they need to eat on a regular basis.
Obesity can be extremely stressful for your degu Degus are known to coprophosise. This is the act of defecating and then re-ingesting feces droppings that are rich in short-chain fatty acids and microbes Degus are thus able to benefit twice from food; firstly by microbial digestion and secondly by re-ingestion of caecal products in the stomach When degus' food is restricted, they will coprophosise more than usual 8.
This is done to maintain constant digestive function in order to increase the overall efficiency of gut use 8. It's worth pointing out here that wild degus will spend most of their time foraging 28 , which is mostly due to the poor quality of the food available to them. Pet degus have a very good diet and so are fed less, and although they are more active than wild degus as a consequence of a richer diet 28 , they still need to forage as this is a natural behaviour to them. However, degus are very versatile and find adapting to new environments easier and less stressful than other mammals Degus are semifossorial and live in elaborate burrows in the wild 2 , 52 that they dig themselves.
Degus prefer to dig in soft soil than in hard soil as they can dig out more soil using the same amount of energy 2. For this reason, degus prefer to dig their burrows in the winter when the soil is more moist 2 , or after rainfall. Degus use their teeth and front feet 2 to shear soil when digging burrows, whilst combining rear and front foot motion 2 to shift loose soil out behind them.
Digging activity may be interrupted whilst the degu brings out large chunks of debris from the tunnel 2 , after which the degu may sit on top of the excavated dirt mound and remain vigilant watchful for some time 2.
Degus have also been observed breaking up the roof of tunnels with their head 2. However, degus are comparatively poorly adapted for digging as they have large eyes, long toes and nails instead of claws 2. Digging out burrows benefits the degus by providing increased independence from variable environmental factors 2 such as shelter from hot weather and a place to hide from predators 2.
It also provides a place to store food and to nest 5 , However, digging out burrows uses a lot of the degu's energy and time 5 , hence it is more beneficial to live in groups 2. Spending time underground in enclosed spaces has caused the degu to evolve unique responses to the lower oxygen levels and higher carbon dioxide concentration Degu burrows have a diameter of cm, are dug to a depth of cm and may have a total length of 2 or more metres 5!
The entrances are often covered with cow dung and sticks Degu burrows are connected on the surface by a system of runways 29 that radiate out from burrow entrances ; bare patches of ground marked out by constant use Degus will leave these runways only to forage or engage in social activities Immediately outside the entrances to burrows are large areas of cleared land 29 that degus use frequently to engage in behaviours such as agonistic encounters, play, social grooming, dust bathing, vigilance, resting and burrow maintenance Degus also spend much time on the surface, where they do most of their foraging for food 2.
They spend between hours per day foraging The main activity peaks of foraging are at dawn and dusk 11 , 52 , , particularly in the summer when it is cooler to be on the surface at these times.
At all times of year, degus begin foraging shortly after emerging from their burrows
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