Degus

Degus make very interesting pets; they can be social and are always keen to explore. They do have a few special requirements which will not suit every family.

Environment

A suitable living environment

Diet

A suitable diet

Behaviour

To be able to behave normally

Companionship

To have appropriate companionship

Health

To be protected from pain, suffering, injury and disease

Environment

A suitable living environment

Diet

A suitable diet

Behaviour

To be able to behave normally

Companionship

To have appropriate companionship

Health

To be protected from pain, suffering, injury and disease

Did you know?

The likely lifetime cost of owning a pair of degus could be up to £3,000. This includes dental check-ups, appropriately sized accommodation and a healthy diet. However, this does not include veterinary fees for illness or injury. When choosing to take on a pet, it is important to remember that under the Animal Welfare Act 2006, and similar legislation in Scotland and Northern Ireland, a child under the age of 16 cannot have legal responsibility for an animal’s welfare – it is the responsibility of the child’s parents or carers to ensure that the animals’ needs are met.

5-8 years life expectancy (some will live for longer)

Requires the companionship of at least one other well-matched degu, can be housed in same sex pairs or groups

Herbivores: constant access to quality hay and dried herbs, a small amount of fresh food such as broccoli, 1-2 spoons of nuggets daily and fresh clean drinking water

Housing: spacious indoor enclosure, to enable behaviours including exploring, running, climbing and foraging

Are Degus right for me?

Degus have become very popular over the last few years; however, many find themselves in rescue centres looking for a new home as they do not suit all families. They are one of the longer-lived small pets. Some degus can enjoy being handled, especially those who have been carefully and gently handled from a young age. They can also enjoy coming out for supervised free-range time in a secure room. However, as a prey species, many degus can find handling scary and would prefer not to be handled; they can bite if frightened. Degus like to live in small groups. If they are frightened, they can make a loud repetitive squeak for several minutes. Degus are very interesting to watch and appreciate your efforts to be creative with enrichment as they are very curious and love to explore. With any new pet, it is very important to take the time to learn as much as possible about the modern way of caring for your chosen pet.

Not sure where to start? Click on any of the charity links at the bottom of this page for lots of up to date advice and support

Which small pet is right for you?

Degus can be very active and enjoy exploring their surroundings. They are able to gnaw through plastic very easily so choosing a large metal cage with a solid metal floor is recommended. Degus need lots of vertical space to allow them to climb. They also need constant access to nest boxes filled with hay for resting and sleeping in. Degus also need to be kept in a quiet and cool room away from direct sunlight, radiators and other sources of heat. Natural enrichment is very important for degus - rocks, sand trays, willow tree logs, wooden hides, ceramic tunnels and plenty of hay to browse on all make ideal enrichment for degus.

Degus are herbivores. A healthy diet plays a big role in helping to prevent dental disease in degus. They should have constant access to good quality hay; in fact their diet should consist of 85% good quality green hay, 10% fresh and dried safe plants (such as herb pot marigold flowers and rose hips to bramble leaves and willow stems), 5% dry pellet feed and a large bottle or ceramic bowl of fresh clean drinking water. Muesli type feed and a lack of hay can lead to life threatening dental disease. High sugar fruits & treats should also be kept to a minimum for degus as they are prone to diabetes.

Degus are very active and inquisitive animals; they enjoy keeping busy exploring their surroundings and interacting with their companions through vocal sounds and grooming behaviours.

Some degus can enjoy socialising with their humans; they can become hand tame and enjoy taking treats from you and having a little chin rub. Providing degus with the ability to spend time coming out of their cage for some free-range supervised time in a secure room will give them even more opportunities to explore and play.

They also like to dig and burrow so provide them with a deep layer of bedding material for them to do this. They should also have access to a clean dust bath two or three times a week for about 20 minutes each time. You can fill a shallow bowl with chinchilla sand - make sure the bowl is big enough and you give them enough sand (about 4cm) to roll around in.

Degus are very social animals who prefer to live with at least one degu companion. They are best housed in same sex pairs or can be as a castrated male and a female. Naturally degus would live in large groups; a lone degu is likely to be less happy than one living with a well-matched companion degu. Many rescues offer a mixing service for single degus looking for a new companion. The following PAAG members often rescue and rehome degus: Wood Green the Animals Charity, Scottish SPCA, Raystede, RSPCA and Blue Cross.

Degus can be prone to diabetes and sometimes dental disease; however, the risk of these illnesses can be reduced if fed a healthy diet. Incorrect handling can cause stress and fear, as well as tail injury or loss. Degus should be gently scooped up or encouraged to climb onto your hands in their own time.

You should register your degus with a vet who will be able to provide you with more advice on things like neutering and general health care. Some vets have more experience with degus than others.

Check before you buy

Please consider contacting your local animal rescue/rehoming centre

Many rescue centres who take in multi species rescue and rehome degus. All reputable rescue centres will have health checked, neutered where required and socialised each degu prior to rehoming. The average fee is often the same as purchasing a degu from another source, except degus from elsewhere will often not have had the above done and may come with considerable financial and emotional implications. Check out the charity links below for your nearest rescue centre with degus available for rehoming.

Ensure you are 100% confident that the degu(s) is the correct gender that you have been advised it to be

If you are unsure, speak to your vet for further advice. Unexpected litters & accidental pregnancies are common with small pets as people don’t always ensure the sex of their new pets.

Spend plenty of time with the degus to ensure their character will suit your family

Ask lots of questions – reputable establishments will be happy to answer these for you.

Always health check any degus you intend to purchase prior to taking them home

Healthy degus should be:

Alert & inquisitive
No hair loss
Eyes bright with no sign of weeping
Clean nose
No tail injury
Teeth meeting each other and yellow/orange in colour
Eating well without signs of discomfort