What Food Do You Feed a Degu?

what food do you feed a degu

Degus need a mixture of indigestible and digestible fibre. Fibre cannot provide them with adequate nutrition when it first passes through their digestive system, so they must ingest food that is high in both kinds. However, degus do not need fibre exclusively – they also need a small amount of indigestible fibre, which moves through the digestive system twice and excretes in the form of round, hard droppings. They need both forms of fibre to maintain a healthy digestive system and to stimulate appetite.

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Contents

Natural food

If you want to give your degu the best possible diet, you should buy natural food. A degu’s gastrointestinal system is not muscular, so the food it eats needs to be replenished often. Natural food for degus is best, because it contains ingredients that are well-suited to this particular animal. Degus should have access to dry hay throughout the day, and it is also important to provide fresh vegetables.

Generally speaking, degus live in groups of up to 100. They are highly social and prefer to be around people as much as possible. Their diurnal lifestyles make them very sociable, but they also need plenty of exercise. Unlike many pets, degus can be a nuisance in the home, so you must give them exercise and social interaction to avoid boredom. In addition to these two main requirements, you should provide your degu with fresh fruit and vegetables to supplement their natural diet.

Commercial food

While the commercial diet for degus is a good option, fresh greens should only be fed in limited amounts. Commercial foods for degus contain very little protein and sugar and are high in fiber. Because of their unique diet, it can be challenging to find a shop-bought food suitable for degus. Commercial diets for degus are available in pellet and ‘nugget’ forms, which contain the right amount of nutrients for a degu’s body.

Degus are vegetarians and live in northern and central Chile. Their diet consists of fibrous vegetation found in the country’s mountains and plains. Since degus have constantly growing teeth, their diets must include fibrous foods to ensure normal digestion and wearing down their teeth. This process is known as coprophagy. As with any other pet, degus should be given fresh water throughout the day.

Fresh veg

As part of their diet, degus require regular access to fresh vegetable matter. As their stomachs are small, too much vegetable matter can lead to bloating or diarrhoea. Nevertheless, degus can eat a variety of fresh vegetables as well as frozen ones. You can use the following list of veg to feed a degu:

In the wild, degus focus on dietary fibre. This is because about 60% of their diet is made up of this material. Nevertheless, when you’re feeding your degu, it’s important to keep a close eye on the foods that it consumes. Fresh vegetables are best, and you don’t have to cut them into tiny pieces. As a bonus, degus love to chew on things, so a combination of vegetables will satisfy both your pet and your pocketbook.

Nuts

When you want to provide your degu with a nutritious and tasty treat, consider giving them nuts. Nuts are excellent for degus because they’re high in protein and fat and have many benefits. Even though they’re high in fat, nuts have many health benefits, including supporting the immune system, promoting growth and maintaining cells. Nuts also contain essential nutrients such as vitamin E, which neutralizes free radicals that harm degus.

In the wild, degus feed primarily on dietary fibre. In fact, over 60% of their diet consists of dietary fibre. You should avoid giving your degu pellets or food that contains high sugar content. Degus need more than pellets to get all of the necessary vitamins and minerals. Nuts are a natural source of fibers and other nutrients. In addition to nuts, degus also enjoy raisins.

Seeds

A degu’s dietary requirements can vary greatly, and you may find some foods more suitable for degus than others. It’s also important to note that certain fruits and vegetables have high fat content, and degus should never eat the seeds. Additionally, many fruits and vegetables contain cyanide, so ensure that you remove these from your degu’s diet. As with any other pet, make sure you provide your degu with the appropriate amount of daily exercise.

If you plan to feed your degu a diet that’s low in fat and sugar, you can introduce some of the following seeds: pumpkin seeds and sunflower seeds. These contain about 40% fat and 25% protein and are rich in antioxidants, phosphorous, zinc, and B vitamins. They are excellent sources of vitamin E and support degu bone health. They also improve the appearance of the degu’s fur.

Grain

A fully grown degu can eat ten grams of food each day, about one tablespoon. Ensure that the food does not contain too much sugar as degus are prone to diabetes. Avoid food containing molasses or syrups as these will increase sugar and can harm dental health. To provide your degu with all the nutrients and vitamins he or she needs, you can feed them a small amount of vegetables every day. Cut the vegetables into small pieces and cover the bottom of the bowl.

Degus can eat vegetables that are low in sugar, such as dandelions. Seeds, peanuts, and whole nuts are also appropriate. However, you should use them sparingly as they are high in protein and fat and can damage the degu’s kidneys and liver. You can also give your degu a small amount of veggie sticks with their hay. Some degus enjoy fresh vegetables, but you should avoid giving them raw ones.