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Degu Care Sheet - Octodon
Degu Care Sheet
The degu care sheet (pronounced dee-goo) lists top tips for a healthy Degu.
Degus make great pets for adults and older children and are not really suitable
for small children as they do tend to wriggle about a bit when held until tamed.
Never pick your degu up by the tail as this can damage the tail skin, stripping
it back to the bone!
 A degu
cage should be a large wire cage with multiple floors - as big as you can afford!
Similar to the rat cage shown left.
They are easy to feed and water. They will thrive on guinea pig pellets, good
fresh smelling hay and fresh water with the occasional root vegetable or hard
fruit - don't feed sugary or honey coated treats as degus are prone to developing
diabetes.
Degus need occupational wooden toys capable of being gnawed. These are an
essential part of your degu's daily life. The gnawing action wears down their
teeth and prevents overgrowth. Don't give them pinewood or cedar as the resins
are toxic to degus.
Provide a dust bath for an hour or so daily, filled with a proprietary 'chinchilla
sand', to give your degus the opportunity to groom themselves. Remove after use
to avoid your degus using it as a toilet.
Degus are naturally clean, so their cage, equipment and toys should be cleaned
every week using a pet-safe disinfectant.
If your degu shows any signs of illness contact your vet immediately.
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