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1.
Degu’s
housing and
behavior
2.
Health
3. Diet
4.
Offspring
5.
Miscellaneous 1. Degu’s housing and behavior 1.1 Do degus get along with other pets? It may be well possible to allow degus to run freely in company of other rodents or rabbits. Mongolian gerbils and gold hamsters won’t accept another animal in their free space, though. In case you’re letting different species run free, you need to be especially watchful. Keeping degus in one cage with other rodents or rabbits isn’t advisable. Sometimes it might work, but it can also cause heavy fights. The dietary requirements differ completely as well. A chinchilla, who requires almost the same food, won’t appreciate a degu’s company either, for the chinchilla, unlike the degu, is active at night. Dogs and cats are known to react differently to degus. Some immediately start to hunt, others may even try and “make friends”. Birds can scare degus at first, for they make sudden moves and twitter loudly. Daring birds may even pull on the degu’s ear or tail occasionally. 1.2 What size should the cage be? It is the same with all animals: The bigger, the better! You often find 80x40cm as the minimum requirements for 2 degus. However, we recommend cages a lot bigger than this, starting at 100x50x100cm. The cage needs a sufficient height for the degus to be able to climb. If there are additional floors in the cage, they should be adjusted in a way that the degus cannot fall all the way from top to bottom. At http://www.octodons.ch/rechner you can find a calculator which tells you whether your cage is big enough and how many degus can live in there. 1.3 Help, my degus are fighting! Unfortunately, degus won’t always live in peace and harmony. They definitely have to establish their hierarchy. Often, that happens when they box playfully; in some cases, however, the degus really fight. As owner, you shouldn’t interfere, hard as this may be, as long as there are no severe, bleeding wounds. Smaller wounds and scratches may be part of a fight and are not harmful! Anyway, after some time the winner will be determined and the degus are peaceful again. If those fights get too severe and a degu is badly injured, they have to be separated. Throwing a towel over the fighting degus is the most effective way to do this. You should wear thick leather gloves, in case a degu tries to bite you. By exchanging cages, degus who were separated after a fight can be re-united. That means you’re keeping the degus in different cages which you exchange frequently, so no degu will consider his cage completely his territory, for the other’s smell is always present. If this doesn’t work either, your degus may have to be separated forever. Some degus just don’t like each other anymore and definitely don’t want to live together. In such an emergency, it’s best to give the degus new company. 1.4 Can I socialize my old degu(s) with (a) new one(s)? It is of course possible to socialize degus that don’t know each other. There is no guarantee it will work, but here are a few tricks that can increase the chance. The cage should be cleaned well before the new degus move in. Don’t change the bathing sand of the “old” degus for a few days so it smells rather distinctly. If you let the new degus bathe in the old, smelly sand, they’ll smell almost like one “family”. First contact can be made at a wire while you observe the degus’ reactions. It’s best to have them run free on their first encounter; if the degus are very shy, the cage will do as well, though. In case of fighting, don’t interfere at once – that’s part of it! Interfere only if a degu is badly injured. Don’t be surprised if the degus don’t cuddle right away but behave rather weird at first. Part of that may be: shrill squeaking, peeing on each others’ heads (really!) and what looks like attempted sexual intercourse. It is up to you whether you’d rather socialise young or older degus. Personally, I’ve made good experiences in socializing very young to adult degus. The hierarchy is easier established in that case. When the babies have grown up, they’ve already gotten used to each other as a family. 1.5 I’d like just one degu? Is that possible and will it be tamer? “One degu is no degu.” This sentence should say it all. Degus are highly social animals, a partner is very important for them. It doesn’t matter whether males or females live together. One degu on his own doesn’t feel well, he might even become mentally disturbed. To those who really love their animals, the question of tame therefore doesn’t matter anymore. 1.6 Wire cage or terrarium? Advantages terrarium: Bedding and sand can’t fall out. Degus don’t make so much noise. Disadvantages terrarium: Many terrariums spot plastic parts the degus can nibble on. They are hard to decorate because it’s hard to fasten things on the slippery glass panes. It’s almost impossible to provide a water bottle. The animals appear somehow “shut away”. In the summer, the air inside might stop circulating. They are also pretty expensive. Disadvantages wire cage: Most cages available have a plastic bottom, which isn’t suitable for degus as they’ll nibble through it in no time. Self-made cages have to be secured with aluminium profiles if they are made of wood so the degus can’t nibble through. The degus often make more noise, because they are able to nibble on the wire. Advantages wire cage: The cages are easier to decorate. Water bottles are easy to be fastened. Cages can be built much larger than terrariums. You can see a cage gallery in the “Interaktiv” section on www.degus-online.de. 1.7 Do degus need a running wheel? That is a real controversy. Degus do have an extreme need for exercise which cannot be satisfied in a small cage, even if you let them run free on a regular basis. A running wheel can be an alternative. Some degus, however, tend to run the wheel for hours at a time (“stereotypes”), in that case you should provide the wheel on an hourly basis only. Please take into account that degus grow when you’re buying the wheel. The best size is 30 cm / 11 inches in diameter. Wheels mustn’t be made of plastic or wood for the degus will destroy that. Some wheels available have a dangerous spot where the degus can be squeezed in, please be careful to get one where this is taken care of. Some wheels have a cloth cover over the metal steps to avoid the degus’ feet slipping through there. These cloth covers won’t last too long with most degus, as they are nibbled on as well. If your degus have babies, the wheel should be removed over the first couple of days in order to prevent the baby degus from getting hurt. Injuries have occurred with grown degus as well, but in very few cases only. Some adult degus won’t use a running wheel, even if they see other degus using it. That may be because they didn’t grow up with one and don’t know what it’s for. After a survey among German degu owners, it became clear that those in favour of running wheels are the majority. If you choose not to provide a wheel, you need to offer many different ways for the degus to get their exercise. 1.8 My degu nibbles on the wire, is that normal? Yes, most degus who live in wire cages do that. Degus are very curious and always want to expand their territory. They don’t know they have no chance to bite through the wire. If they only do it every now and then, there is no need to worry. If they don’t do anything else, though, it is probably the indicator that they are mentally disturbed. This is quite often due to a too small, boring cage. A bigger cage with many levels and possibilities to climb, nibble and hide may help stop it! 1.9 What’s the best bedding? Most owners use ordinary bedding made of chipped wood shavings. It shouldn’t emit too much dust. As an overcoat, you can provide hay and straw. Pellets are not recommended because they may be eaten and will swell inside the degu’s stomach, causing bad stomach-aches. Cat litter is not recommended either – if it clumps, it might even kill your degus! They don’t produce so much urine that it would be necessary, either. If you like, you can cover the floors without bedding in newspaper – don’t use glossy magazine paper, though! 1.10 Can degus be kept outside? Zoos sometimes keep their degus outside, but it’s not advisable. The climate in Northern and Central Chile, where degus originally come from, stretches from hot to Mediterranean and cannot be compared to our weather conditions here. In the wild, degus dig holes in which they hide from extreme heat or cold; they also collect food reserves for the winter and warm up each other in their group. Since these conditions are not given in captivity, they should rather be kept indoors. Temperatures above 30°C can kill the degus if they don’t have the chance to hide in a cooler spot. So can cold, a steady breeze and too much moisture – degus could catch infections from a cold to pneumonia! 2. Health 2.1 Is it possible to spay/neuter a degu? Look at http://www.degus-online.de/neutering.htm 2.2 My degu is blind/has a clouded lens. Where does this come from? A clouded lens (cataract à see picture) is a pretty sure symptom of diabetes. Degus can live with it rather well after a short time. In spite of the clouding, they can still make out shadows and find their way. At the beginning, you shouldn’t re-decorate the cage, though. There is no known cure for degus who have diabetes. There may also be other reasons for a clouded lens, like some other disease or eye injury. See a vet, he can exclude these. 2.3 How do I recognise diabetes? What should I do with a diabetic animal? Diabetes is one of the most frequent diseases with degus. In genetically “preloaded” families, it occurs even more often. Yet, it does not necessarily mean that it will concern all siblings as well. The degu’s diet may encourage diabetes, but can also prevent it. You’ll recognise a diabetic degu because of its cataract mostly (see 2.2). Another warning is also the reception of exceptionally large amounts of water. There are further symptoms of diabetes, for example wounds that don’t heal as quick as they should, but it’s hard for us to make that out. There is no cure for diabetes with degus yet, but some vets (in Germany) have used medicaments already. It’s not sure yet how effective they are, though. Diabetic animals should be fed almost sugarless, besides they always have to have access to fresh water! 2.4 Help! My degu’s hobbling! As long as you cannot see an open wound, it’s often just a “simple” sprain, in rare cases a fracture, a torn ligament or else. Causes can be for example a fall from the 2nd floor of the cage. It is suggestive to go see a vet in order to find out the exact injury. Bandaging doesn’t make sense, though, for the degus will nibble off the bandage in no time. To keep the degu quiet, you can remove the climbing opportunities; sometimes you may be advised to assure a good supply of vitamins and minerals to favour the healing process. Your vet will tell you more. 2.5 My degu’s urine is orange / red. Is he ill? If urinating doesn’t trouble the degu and there are no other conspicuousnesses, you can assume the degu is healthy. You should keep an eye on him for the next couple of days, though. If the degu’s diet contains carrots or beetroot, the urine can turn orange or red. Mostly, this is the cause for discoloured urine, but it may also be due to an illness. Therefore, you should consult a vet if the discoloration lasts longer or the degu shows unnatural behaviour in other cases, too (changed eating behaviour, pain when urinating, ...). 2.6 My degu’s teeth are yellow/orange! What do I have to do? That is completely normal, no need to worry. Degu babies are born with white teeth. When they grow up, the front teeth turn more and more colour, which can vary from yellow to a dark orange. If an adult degu has bright white teeth, he’s suffering a lack of minerals! 2.7 My degu’s sneezing. Is he ill? Sneezing can have different causes: If the degus sneeze only sporadically and show no other sign of illness, it’s mostly the dust off the bedding or the hay. There is no need to worry, the degus are fine. If the degu additionally is complacent, has watery eyes and a slimy nose, you need to act quickly, though! He’s probably got a respiratory infection (coryza) and needs to be medicated as soon as possible. These illnesses are often fatal! 2.8 My degu’s paws are bald. Why? This often occurs with degus. Often, the degus nibble their fur off themselves. We have actually seen them do that. This is probably related to fur-eating, which is a symptom of boredom or distress and can be eliminated by providing more action, a bigger cage, a friend... If it doesn’t bother the degu, there is no need to worry. If the skin is reddened, itches, is scaly or else looks different, a skin infection may be the cause (fungus or something). Consulting a vet is inevitable in this case. Please note: A degu’s skin colour can vary from pink to dark brown. Dark skin therefore isn’t necessarily the result of an illness, but can be perfectly normal.
2.9 My
degu has diarrhoea. Is that bad? To avoid diarrhoea, you shouldn’t change the degus’ diet abruptly. Always wash vegetables and let them dry completely (!) before giving them to the degus. Don’t give too much fresh food, and never feed it directly from the fridge. 2.10 My degu has a bare spot on his snout. Where does this come from? Many degus lose hair on this spot due to gnawing on the cage’s grids. If the skin is reddened or scaly, itches or else looks different, it may be caused by a skin infection (fungus). This must be treated by a vet. If the degu shows no such symptoms, there is no need to see a vet. The hair will grow back after a while. Please note: A degu’s skin colour can vary from pink to dark brown. Dark skin therefore isn’t necessarily the result of an illness, but can be perfectly normal. 2.11 My degu scratches often. What should I do? Degus scratch pretty often, it’s part of their fur care and has nothing to do with an infection or parasites. However, if the scratching seems compulsive, the degu scratches the same spot over and over again or spots bald patches, this suggests there is something wrong. Your vet will determine what it is. Skin infections caused by fungus are just as possible as parasites such as fleas, mites or lice. 2.12 My degu’s eye is watering. Do I have to see the vet? Sometimes dust or sand get into a degu’s eye, which reacts just like the human eye: It waters in order to wash out the dirt. A clear or white water might be established, which will disappear after some time. If this happens once, if the eye stays clear and the degu is fine, there is no need to worry. If the eye keeps watering for several days, though, if the degu keeps it half shut all the time, if the water turns colour or the degu shows symptoms like listlessness, reluctance to eat or efflux from the nose as well, you should go see a vet. 2.13 How do I recognise a healthy degu? Healthy degus are active and curious, have shiny fur, clear eyes and appear to be happy overall. If a degu takes no notice of his environment, is reluctant to eat, has diarrhoea (clotted anus), looks scrubby and thin, there is most likely something wrong with him. Please note: Degus love to doze and fluff up their fur when sleeping, which makes them look like little fluffy teddy bears. This is no sign of sickness! 3. Diet 3.1 What should the basic food look like? Degus are used to a poor diet in the wild and should be fed as natural as possible in captivity. In contrast to a wide-spread opinion, degus themselves don’t know what’s good for them! It’s not as easy as it sounds to find a suitable basic diet for degus. Most available food, even though marked as suitable for degus, actually is not. They often contain ingredients which are not good for degus, like sugar (in fruit or honey) and high carbohydrates as in sunflower seeds, nuts etc. Many degu owners mix their own degu food. As a basis, they use guinea pig food which mustn’t contain sugar (often hidden in molasses), and add all kinds of things, like dried vegetables, pellets (as far as the degus eat them) etc. The most important part of a degu’s diet is hay, which should always be accessible for them. It should smell freshly, not look grey or dusty and be stored in a dry place. 3.2 What kind of fresh food is OK for degus? Since degus tend to get diabetes, their diet should be as sugar-free as possible. Therefore, fruit is out of question as a regular treat. Occasionally, a piece of apple can be alright, but there are better alternatives, for example vegetables, herbs and fresh branches. You can give the degus carrots (with green), chicory, bell peppers, cabbage and salads. 3.3 What treats are good for degus? Every degu has his own favourites, so you might have to try out what they like best. Sweet treats (like raisins, dried fruit or drops) and nuts are often loved by degus, but since they contain a lot of sugar and / or fat, you shouldn’t feed them. Single nuts every 2-3 weeks are OK, but it’s better not to give any at all. Many degus especially like the following treats: - dried vegetables (pea flakes, carrot flakes, beetroot) - Dandelions, cat grass – very popular especially in the winter Most degus absolutely love pea flakes. You can also feed dry peas. They really love millet as well. If you buy a food mixture, you can sort out the bigger parts and give them as treats as well. Human snacks, like crisps and chocolate, are of course taboo.
No, degus don’t need extra proteins. Various sources state that degus in the wild eat only plants and seeds. They probably eat a small beetle every now and then because it’s accidentally sitting on the grass. It doesn’t harm them. Every now and then, you can provide a buffalo hide bone as for dogs, but this is not necessary. 3.5 Do degus need water? Yes, degus always have to have access to fresh water. Even though they originally come from rather dry areas and don’t drink much there, they have shown to drink quite a lot when kept as pets. If the degus get a lot of fresh food, it may be that they drink only a little or nothing at all, but they should still have access to water. Diabetic degus, for example, need a lot of moisture, and you may never know whether one of your degus is diabetic yet. Most keepers only recognize diabetes after their degu has developed a cataract. If that symptom appears, the diabetes has long broken out. 3.6 What’s better – a water pot or a water bottle? Both are possible! A pot should be placed on a higher spot, like on an upturned plant pot, so they won’t throw all the bedding into the water and are less able to spill it. The water should be changed every day, and the pot should be washed with hot water. If you have baby degus, you should see to that they’re unable to fall into the pot and drown. Water bottles should be re-filled every 2-3 days and cleaned with hot water often. If they show a cover (as of algae), you should better change the bottle. 3.7 My degus don’t drink anything! What should I do? Have you checked the water bottle, is it working correctly? Depending on what you’ve already tried, you might want to change to a pot or vice versa. Are you sure that your degus aren’t drinking anything at all? Some degus only drink very little, and not necessarily when their owner is watching. If you really have degus that despise water, you should give them a lot of fresh food. Provide water every now and then, they might change their minds – or have an increased need of water, because of diabetes. 4. Offspring 4.1 What reasons are against producing degu offspring? Degu offspring is – as pretty much all animal offspring – extremely cute and the family life is fascinating to watch. Easily a degu owner may want to see his own degu babies grow up. However, one should take into account that unfortunately there are often degus in animal shelters which cannot be found a new home. So what happens if there is nobody willing to take the degu babies? Do you have enough room to set up two or even more cages to separate the sexes? You might want to ignore your personal desires for the sake of the degus in animal shelters. 4.2 Is it possible to spay / neuter a degu? http://www.degus-online.de/neutering.htm 4.3 What symptoms does a pregnant female show? Especially in the late phase of pregnancy, the female can gain weight and get bigger. Regular weighing can support a suspicion because they show a continuous gain of weight. The females get bigger especially around the flanks, mostly when they’re having a lot of babies. Drinking more than usual can also indicate a pregnancy. You should definitely try and calculate whether it is possible that your female is pregnant. When did she last have contact with a male? Some females will put more energy into building their nest, whereas others will behave completely normal. 4.4 How long do little degus have to stay with their mother? Degu babies should not be separated from the mother before they are six weeks old. Small litters (2-3 babies) can be separated a little earlier (never before the 5th week!) – but it’s always better to leave them in 6 weeks to be sure they’re fine. 5. Miscellaneous 5.1 How do I recognize my degus’ sex? The distance between the urethra cane and the anus is very small with females, mostly only a few millimetres. You can also see the vagina as a horizontal gap underneath the cane if you look very closely. With males, the distance is almost a centimetre, the skin in between shows a vertical wrinkle. More and some pictures are to be found here: www.degus-online.de/english.htm à sexing your degu. 5.2 Do my degus need a running wheel? See 1.7 5.3 What are blue degus? What other colours are there? The so-called blue degus (-> photo) have a lot of grey in their fur, the reddish-brown shimmering of the agouti colour is missing. There are various different colour intensities, sometimes you can only tell for sure with young degus (which are always a little lighter). Blue degus differ from agouti ones neither in character nor in behaviour. On rare occasions, as in every animal species, there are white degus. In the wild, those animals are unlikely to survive, for they are very obvious for their predators. It is said that there are black degus, but we have never seen a photo or other proof. Furthermore, we have seen sand-coloured degus (-> photo), but they didn’t appear healthy and aren’t bred in Germany or surrounding countries so far. We would be happy if breeding for colour wouldn’t break through here. Those breeds are often related to inbreeding and we don’t know of anybody who knows a lot about degu genetics or has even studied it. 5.4 My degus don’t use a corner as their “bathroom”, but they pee everywhere. What can I do? Degus are territorial animals. They mark their territory using excrements and urine and orientate themselves along their smell. It’s not possible to stop them using the entire cage as their bathroom, it’s their natural behaviour. Both males and females mark territory. Some degus can get used to a bathroom corner (clay pot filled with sand; don’t use cat litter!) and it’s worth a try. Else, you can put newspaper on their favourite corners, e. g. to protect wooden floors from the urine. |