The primary food source of degus is hay. Despite their name, these adorable creatures should not be fed treats made from meat, bones, or nuts. Instead, you should provide them with leafy vegetables and fruit. Nuggets also make good snacks because they provide fiber and protein. Organic treats should be organic, which is guaranteed to be free of pesticides and other chemicals. However, non-organic snacks should be cleaned to prevent contamination.
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Avoiding degu snacks
You’ll want to avoid giving your degu the wrong snack items. While degus are known for their love of chewing on things, sugary foods and snacks are not good for them. It’s best to give your degu a balanced diet with plenty of hay, but you should also limit their sugary treats. Selective Naturals is an excellent brand of healthy degu snacks with no added sugar. The following are some other things to avoid.
Bananas are a common degu treat, but avoid giving them any more than once a month. The natural sugars in bananas can contribute to diabetes in degus. Besides, degus can also benefit from fiberous grass to wear down their front teeth. Avoid cabbage, though. It can cause bloating, so be sure to wash all greens thoroughly before feeding your degu. The same goes for tomatoes and okra.
Leafy vegetables are good for degus
Although leafy greens like lettuce and spinach are good for degus, they should not be given to them in large quantities. You can use a mixture of fresh and dried vegs. Besides, the green ones can cause bloating. So, it’s important to rotate the different kinds of vegetables that you give your degu. If you’re unsure of what kind of veggies to feed your degu, you can look up the list below.
One litre of water is enough for two degus to drink for a month. If your degus are drinking three tablespoons of these vegetables per day, you may be exposing them to a health problem. Leafy vegetables, however, are the best option for a degu. Their digestive system works well with all types of plant-based foods, so adding them to their diet can give them the nutrition they need.
Hay is the primary food source for degus
Since degus are prey animals, they need access to hay whenever they need it. Hay has many health benefits and should be a primary source of degu snacks. In addition to hay, degus should also have degu-specific food regularly. A 10g portion of dry degu food should be provided to an adult degu once a day. Another food source that can provide important vitamins and minerals for degus is vegetables. You can slice up some carrots or celery and place these in a small bowl with enough hay to cover the bottom.
While degus can eat a variety of types of hay, meadow and Timothy hay are the best choices for them. Hay that is white or pink will likely cause mould to grow and is unsatisfactory for degu snacks. If you cannot find meadow hay or Timothy hay, you should consider alfalfa hay instead. The latter has high protein and is good for degus, but be sure to monitor your degus while they play with their hayball.
Nuggets are a good source of fiber
While commercially prepared degu nuggets and treats are an easy and convenient way to feed your degu, these products do have their drawbacks. Although formulated with profit in mind, commercially prepared foods are generally healthier and tend to contain higher levels of fiber and fewer processed ingredients. However, they should not be given any added sugar. Degus will likely not eat food that has added preservatives or sugar, so opting for a mix is a good idea. In addition, homogenised nuggets and treats remove the option of selective feeding.
Whether or not your degu consumes these degu snacks or pellets, they need a high-fiber diet for optimal health. The high-fiber content in degu food wears down their constantly growing teeth and keeps their digestive tract clean. However, be careful not to give them too much sugar because degus are prone to diabetes. As they are sensitive to sugar, avoid giving degus food that contains syrups or molasses, as these can increase their sugar intake and be detrimental to their dental health. Instead, give them degu-specific kibbles that contain hay or pellets.
Sunflower seeds contain Coccidiostat
A common source of coccidiostat is rabbit food. This ingredient is harmful for degus. It is commonly used in the animal feed industry to treat degus for coccidiosis, a parasitic disease caused by the bacteria Eimeria and Isospora. Vitamin C is made in the body by humans and some primates from glucose, but birds do not synthesize this vitamin due to a lack of an enzyme.
Many pet stores do not sell degu foods. A degu’s diet should consist of vegetable-based food that is high in fiber. Fresh hay is also very important to their digestion. Nutrient-rich pellets are also the staple of the degu’s diet. However, degus may occasionally enjoy snacks or treats as a reward. Ideally, these snacks should not contain sugar or Coccidiostat and should only contain small amounts of other ingredients.
