These small mammals are from Chile. They’re brown and look a lot like a squirrel or gerbil. Their latin name is Octodon Degus. This is because of the worn enamel surface on their teeth that forms a figure eight pattern.
In their native home of Chile they live in large colonies and are agricultural pest. Whether these little critters are rodents is still up for debate. Originally they were brought to Europe and America for use in labs. Since they can’t digest sugars they were used in diabetes research. Recently they began being kept as pets. Since they’re not popular they’re still considered exotic pets and not many know much about them.
These intelligent little critters make great pets because not only are they small but they’re easy to keep and friendly. When they’re taken care of properly they can live as long as ten years. The average however is about six or seven years.
Handling:
Tame Degu can be scooped into your hands. Be sure that you cup your hands slightly to prevent them from jumping. A jar can be used to transfer skittish Degu. They can also be lured with treats or Chinchilla bath dust which they can’t resist. Never grab a Degu by it’s tail. Losing a tail is not only painful but they are unable to grow it back.
Handling them roughly or against their will may result in bites or scratches and breaks their trust. These smart animals have excellent memories and will remember how they’ve been handled and treated.
New Degu don’t like feeling restrained and holding them for more then a few minutes at a time should be avoided. Allowing them to gain your trust and come to you is much better. You can do this by using their favorite treats as bribe and trust tools. Once a Degu is tame they usually enjoy sitting in your hand, sleeping in a hoodie, or perching on a shoulder.
Taming:
Degus are fairly easy to tame as they’re quite fearless and usually very inquisitive. The first few days talk to your Degu gently while offering it small treats. Once it’s used to you then you can leave your hand in the cage with a treat. In time your Degu should hop on your hand and eat the treat. Continue to do this for awhile until the Degu is comfortable with just sitting still in youor hand. Then you can try lifting your hand a little and putting it down. Once it’s okay with your hand moving you may begin slowing trying to move your hand out of the cage.
Another bonding method is sitting in your bathtub and allowing the Degu to run around and climb on you. This is a good bonding method that helps them get used to you. Being very food motivated using treats is another good way to socialize them. Some people even recommend wearing an old shirt for awhile then placing it in the cage for the Degu to learn your scent.
Behavior:
Being social creatures they shouldn’t be housed alone. Living alone may cause depression, aggression, health issues, and shorter live spans.
These athletic and energetic animals love to play, run, climb, and jump. To keep busy they should be given a lot of toys. Things to chew on such as flavored wood chews are also a good idea. Their teeth grow constantly throughout their lives so they need things to chew on to keep them worn down.
Degu communicate vocally and with body language.
- Hair-raising- Alarmed and feels threatened. Usually only a behavior shown by a new Degu.
- Squeaks- Nervous or annoyed behavior. If frightened they may squeak for several minutes. Also if another grooms too roughly.
- Chirping- Communicate with each other. Also during courtship.
- Squeal- Pain or extreme upset.
- Tooth chatter- Uneasy or annoyed.
- Clucking- Social call used by young. Also when young ones are groomed.
- Chuckle- Call to young and used during grooming.
- "Chuck-Wee"- Greeting call. May use this to greet you.
- Gurgle- How baby communicates with parents and littermates.
- Growl- Aggressive behavior, feels threatened.
- Whimpers- Social call and way to keep track of everyone by whimpering back and forth.
- Dust bathing- Dust baths to stay clean and to stay socially acceptable by having the same scent.
- Grooming each other- Groom each other as a friendly gesture. Like each other. May even try to groom it’s owner.
- Huddling and snuggling- When bonded they will huddle together. Gives them sense of security. In groups they will sleep together in a huge pile.
- Hops, jumping, running, and body twisting- Playful behaviors indicates they’re happy. Especially in young ones.
- Isolation cry- A call young will use when separated from littermates.
- Scent marking- Mark territory.
- "Boxing", Shoving- Arguing. Although aggressive you shouldn't worry unless you see bloodshed.
- Post-copulatory squeaks- After breeding males make squeaking sounds similar to a warning squeak repeatedly for about 5-15 minutes.
- Tail rump display- Defensive or submissive posture when facing an aggressive rival. Also in courtship.
- Tail wagging- Alert or aroused. Will see this behavior during mating.
Housing:
Cages are better then tankjs as they allow air to circulate. Since Degu love to climb around on the bars a multi level cage is best. If a tank is used be sure that it’s large. The bare minimum would be 29 gallons. It’s also important that thy have plenty of toys and things to climb. Don’t forget they can jump very high and are escape artists so a secure screen lid is essential.
Toys are ideal in keeping your Degu busy and healthy. They need something keep their teeth worn. Wooden blocks or sticks can be used for their teeth. Pumice stones can be helpful for not only the teeth but to help keep their nails short as well. Other items such as cardboard tubes, branches, flavored chews, bird toys and ladders are also fun ideas for your Degu.
It’s recommended that you have more then one food dish as they often fight over food. Make sure these dishes are ceramic or some other chew proof material. Water bottles should be glass if hung inside the cage. Plastic ones can be used if you hang them outside of the cage. Remember Degu love to chew so anything and everything is a target for those teeth.
Be sure they have some type of nest box or hut. Wooden ones work well. Another favorite item is a wheel. Remember not to buy the plastic type or they’ll chew it. However, be cautious of any that have large spacing between the wires as their tails may get caught. Shredded paper towels or paper can be used for nesting material. Some Degu may choose not to nest but you may want to offer these materials just in case.
The bedding should be aspen or a paper based product such as Care Fresh or something similar. Cedar and Pine are not safe choice for these small animals. These products have been known to cause respiratory issues. Plenty of timothy hay should also be provided for them to chew on. Alfalfa is not a good idea as it contains too much calcium. A hay rack can be used to hold the hay or if you prefer to spread it around on the cage floor that is fine as well. Just know that if on the floor it’ll most likely need to be changed out more often.
Feeding:
There are some products available especially made for Degu like Brisky’s Diet or Sun Seed Sunscription Vita Degu Formula. However, they may not always easy to find. Be sure to check the ingredients of any food mix prior to feeding your Degu. Anything containing sunflower seeds, corn, fruit, molasses, high fat or sugar should be avoided. If you’re not able to find a diet specifically made for Degu you can feed them a mix of Guinea Pig and Chinchilla pellets.
Fresh vegetables should be fed daily.
Broccoli, romaine lettuce, parsley, carrot greens, escarole, zucchini, chicory, cucumbers, and celery.
Should avoid anything too high in calcium: mustard greens, dandelion greens, spinach, turnip greens, collard greens, alfalfa greens.
Carrots and cooked sweet potatoes without the skin can be fed once or twice a week as a treat.
Treats: dried carrot slices and sugar free cereals.
Occasional treats: sunflower seeds, corn, and walnuts.
Never feed: sugary or fatty foods, caffeine, chocolate, or alcohol.
Remember to always provide fresh water.
Provide unlimited supply of timothy hay.
Best to avoid fruits completely rather then risk too much sugar intake as they aren’t able to digest sugars properly.
Cleaning and Grooming:
Cleaning should be done at least once a week for a pair of Degu. If they tend to be messy you may have to clean more then once a week. Once a month an entire scrubbing of the cage, dishes, and toys should be done. If the Degu are litter trained then the litter box will need to be cleaned out at least every other day. Bedding should be changed once a month.
Water should be changed every other day and the water and clean the bottle daily as they’re prone to mouth diseases.
Although they groom themselves they’ll still need to have dust baths, A special Chinchilla dust can be purchased at any pet store. You simply pour some dust into a container and place it into the cage. The Degu will instinctively know how to use it. It’s not recommended that you leave it in longer then ten minutes or it’ll most likely be used as a toilet. Dust baths are needed at least once a week though they can have them daily.
It’s essential for a Degu to have dust baths. It helps to keep their fur healthy. Some people leave the baths in the cage and change the dust daily. The Degu will use it like a litter box and it can make cage cleaning easier.
Some Degus may need their nails clipped on occasion. A vet can show you how to safely do this. Nail clippers used for dogs or cats can be used. Simply clip the very tip of the nail that way you don’t risk clipping the quick. Teeth may need to be clipped by a vet if they don’t have anything to gnaw on.
Learning it’s name:
Always use their name when addressing the Degu. Stick with just their name and not nicknames. When you use their name and they respond by coming to you be sure to praise them and even give them a little treat. Repetition will result in them coming each time they’re
called.
Shoulder rides:
A difficult task that some may not learn. Once a Degu trusts you and climbs on your hand you can lure it up your arm with a treat. When it learns that part continue the teaching by luring them up to your shoulder. Again, reward the behavior with a beloved treat. While it enjoys the treat praise them for a job well done. If they enjoy being petted you can add that to their reward.
If the Degu steals the treat and runs then you’ll have to hold it. Do this several times over the course of a week. If the Degu starts to get off your shoulder gently put it back on. Give it a treat once it sits still. Often they catch onto this trick quickly.
The next step will be to walk around while they’re perched on your shoulder. Soon they’ll enjoy this new adventure. Always be cautious to prevent them from falling or jumping.
Litter training:
You can leave a dust bath in the cage and the Degu will use it as their litter box. Or you can purchase a small animal litter boxes and put the in the areas your Degu goes to the bathroom. Like most small animals it’ll be in a corner. To attract them you can put some hay in the boxes. When you see them using the boxes praise them. Place any stray droppings in the litter box to remind them where it’s supposed to go. Though many should catch on there will be some that just flat out refuse to ever properly use a litter box.
Exercise and Playtime:
Many Degus enjoy playing outside of their cage. Be sure you take care of any potential dangers before allowing them this bit of freedom. Electrical wires, plants, sharp objects and other chewable objects should be taken care of. Also be sure they can’t squeeze into small spaces, jump or fall off stuff, or climb out of your reach. Bathtubs are a good place to play. Exercise pens can also be used as well. Like with any animal they should never be left unsupervised.
Include things to climb on, places to hide, and even their dust bath in their play area. They should be let out of their cage at least five days a week for about an hour or two. The smaller the cage the more time they should get outside of it.
Breeding:
Degu breeding is not recommended. They can produce a lot of offspring. You won’t be able to separate them after their first litter because they’ll be bonded. Both parents participate in the rearing of the babies.
Females have a post partum estrus which means they can and will mate right after giving birth. This adds stress to the female and should be avoided.
They are usually sexually mature between 9 and 14 months of age. Some have been known to begin as early as 6 months and some not until 21 moths. At 8-9 weeks the females can become pregnant by their father so it’s important that they be separated by that age.
Gestation is about 90 days. Babies are born with fur and open eyes. The average litter is 5 babies but they can have twice that. It’s rare that there’s only 1 baby in a litter. In these rare cases that it does happen the baby usually doesn’t survive.
There is not a lot of breeding information online. It’s best to either completely avoid breeding or seek help from a breeder.
Neutering:
This may not always be an option. Not only is this often expensive but many vets don’t have enough knowledge about these creatures so they won’t perform the procedure.
Diseases:
Usually they’re hardy animal. However, there is always a chance they may become ill.. Here’s a list of common issues to watch for. It’s best to consult an exotic vet if you ever have any issues.
- Diabetes: Degus become diabetic by eating too much sugar. A diabetic degu will usually not last very long (though I've heard of degus living with diabetes for years). To prevent this from happening, don't feed your degu sugary foods. A degu that is drinking and/or urinating more then usual may be diabetic. Sometimes they will also get cataracts.
- Liver Problems: Caused by a bad diet or too many fatty foods.
- Mouth Disease: Prone to mouth diseases. Their teeth will turn white which usually results in death. Change their water and wash the bottle often to help prevent this.
- Cold: Not able to clear it’s nose or having trouble breathing. Antibiotics are needed to help prevent pneumonia.
- Genetic Diseases: Cataracts is a common due to inbreeding, Incurable but a good diet may help.
- Parasites: If scratching a lot check them for fleas, mites, or ticks. It may be an ear infection due to a mite infestation if the ears are painful to the touch or smell bad. Parasites can come from hay, bedding, or even other animals. A vet can give you medication to treat an outbreak.
- Wounds: Usually a result from fighting. Wound should heal on its own, You can put Neosporin on a wound to help prevent infection. However, if it’s large or doesn’t heal quickly a vet should check it.
- Broken leg: May be a result from a bad jump. If a broken leg does occur you should contact your vet. Pain medication might be recommended. Be sure to keep the Degu calm and in a small one level cage with limited access to climbing while it heals.
- Diarrhea: Occurs when too many fresh veggies are fed. Stop feeding any fresh vegs or fruits for awhile and it should go away. Can be a sign of illness so keep a close eye on the situation. Contact a vet if the situation doesn’t clear up or other symptoms come up.
- Constipation: The cause is unknown but it’s most likely due to a bad diet. This is very uncomfortable and causes depression. Some have been able to overcome the situation by massaging the belly with olive oil. If the situation doesn’t’ improve within a few hours go to the vet IMMEDIATELY.
- Tumors: If any tumors are found be sure to consult your vet.
Note - There’s many opinions, conflicting information, and care sheets out there for the way to care for Degus. As with any animal it’s important to always do your research. Be sure to check out many sources.
