Hi just got 2 female degus yesterday and wanted to ask a couple of questions

When i got them from pets at home yesterday they told me not to use sawdust and to use wood pellets(as thats what they use) But i have heard mixed things on internet. Some say dont use as they can kill the degus if eaten,Some say use sawdust and i have also read just use shredded paper. At moment i have them on wood pellets from pets at home is this okay or should i use something different?

Also what is a good treat to give the degus now and again?

also any other tips you could give me on looking after these would be great i do have a caresheet from pets at home but thought there might be some tips othere people have. Cheers Mike

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I know they cant have raisins or anything sweet as they can get diabetes. I used to have them and kept them on shavings and paper. They used to sing like little warbling birds, sweet little things and very active.Always digging jumping and having sand baths

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Yeah they do sound like birds. I know about the diabities and not to give anything sweet thats why i wanted to know what i can give them as treats I would also like to know if pellets are allright to use as i got told not to use shavings as it makes them sneeze and wheeze.

the pellets are ok but you could probably use shredded paper or newspaper. degus have hay dont they?

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degus need to be fed a specialised diet there can have chinchilla food, degu food of course and i think i read somewhere their can some rat foods, for treats mine get rosewood natural range what you can buy here Acrorats there also need lots of things to chew on as there love to gnaw, what cage do you have for them?
Clare

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Pets @ Home are awful with their degus, they give the wrong info and use the wrong foods etc. Sure, they know what they are talking about for a lot of animals and products, but join any degu forum online and read horror story after horror story. Take anything they suggest with a pinch of salt. They've been caught providing the wrong foods plenty of times.

Here is a good site with a forum so you can ask questions! It has a good caresheet etc and lots of info about these gorgeous guys! Degu World-Home

Amazing animals, they deserve better than what P@H can do for them.

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My pet hate: it is impossible to be heterozygous for RAPTOR.

They are prone to diabetes, so watch their diet carefully. They also produce pretty potent, smelly urine that does stain things, so if you are using a wooden cage, make sure it's properly sealed. They are very active, intelligent and vocal. The first pair I ever had came to me as a rescue in a fishtank with woodshavings (similar to a gerbil setup). I changed them over to a chinchilla-style tall cage, with kitty litter, and the change in them was astounding. They went from being highly possessive over their wheel, and downright aggressive if you went near them, to being really loving, secure, handleable pets.

Mine had branches and shelves in their cage (photo at the end of this post), along with a nest box (half way up on the right, with access for them from below. The whole top lifted off for cleaning) that was filled with hay. As they got older one became less mobile, and the other would move the nest from the nest box down to the ground for it, so I started giving them a nest there. Both managed to use the whole cage right up until the day they died; one started using it less and less as she got older and stayed on the ground and the first shelf (the feeding shelf).

I don't know what the official line is with regards to wheels; when I got mine, the only continuity they had ever had was their wheel; they were very possessive over it, and were aggressive if you got too near to it, so I decided to leave it in their new cage as a bit of security. Once they had gotten used to the "new" way of things with me, they became far more tolerant of people and weren't so bothered about the wheel, although they did use it a lot. The enclosed shelf 2/3 up on the left was their sand bath; they used it pretty frequently.

One thing I found with mine was that they were both possessive over their food bowls, as well as their wheel. I don't know if this was due to them being rescues, but it ended up being easier to put two bowls in, and each had its own bowl that only it would use.

My two were pretty quirky little things (possibly due to their start in life...??), but were definitely amongst the most intelligent of rodents that I've ever worked with. I would have said they were more intelligent and showed a wider range of social interactions than rats etc, and were certainly right up there with chinchillas in terms of being demanding, and their problem-solving abilities.

This was their cage; 3' x 2' x 6', with a mesh front but solid sides to make them feel safer. As said, the difference in their personalities and general "secureness" was incredible when I gave them an adequately-sized cage, rather than the fishtank that they had been used to:



Andy

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The cage i have is this one:
Chinchilla and Degu Cage by Thickets House-Cages and stands-Pets At Home
I have wood pellets on floor with a nest(hay inside), A hay Rack,Water Bottle,Food Bowl,Tube And a couple of flavoured wood things too chew.
The food they have is Pets At Home guinea pig nuggets thats what they had been feeding them and told me to do the same.
I have dust and container for there dust baths, Also have mineral stone(but dont know if i should put block in or break it up?) and i have some vitamin supplement to go into there water once a week.

Rats are definatly affected by wood shavings, a lot of people say it can have an effect on other rodents breathing and general health, so I'd go with something like yesterdays news, I started using it when I got my rats and now use it for all my rodents!

Hi well i have had my degus for years on sawdust and they have all been fine including the 2 litters i had! They can not eat anything with sugar in as they are diabetic including things like banana. They do like carrot though! and mine go mad for fresh grass!