Fellow Creatures
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Degu
Small Pets

Degu

Octodon degus

Diurnal, chatty, diabetes-prone herd rodentsIntermediate

Lifespan
6-9 years
Size
10-12 in including tail
Weight
6-11 oz
Social needs
Highly social; must live in pairs or groups
Time
Medium; daily interaction and cleaning
Cost
Medium-High
Diet
Strict herbivore; sugar-free, high-fibre

Overview

What is this animal?

  • Degus are small, highly social rodents from the dry scrubland (matorral) of central Chile, related to chinchillas and guinea pigs.
  • Unlike most pet rodents they are diurnal, so they are active during the day.
  • They are intelligent, vocal, and curious, using a rich repertoire of calls.
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  • They are obligately social and suffer if kept alone, so they must always live with at least one compatible degu.
  • Their long lifespan and special dietary needs make them a serious commitment for an attentive owner.

Temperament

  • Degus are bright, busy, and playful, forming strong bonds within their group and grooming and "talking" to one another constantly.
  • With gentle, frequent handling from a young age they become tame and interactive, often climbing onto trusted owners and learning simple routines.
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  • They are fast and can be nippy if startled or rough-handled, so calm consistency works best.
  • Their daytime activity makes them more interactive than nocturnal rodents, but a lone degu becomes stressed and unhealthy.

A good fit for

  • Owners wanting an active, daytime rodent
  • Keepers who can house a bonded pair or group
  • People committed to a strict sugar-free diet
  • Those wanting a long-lived, intelligent small pet

Common mistakes to avoid

  • Keeping a single degu alone
  • Feeding fruit, carrots, or sugary mixes (diabetes)
  • Lifting by the tail (causes degloving)
  • Plastic cages and accessories they chew and ingest

Enclosure

Minimum 22 sq ft of floor, for the pair

Cannot be kept alone. The minimum is 2, and the space above is for that group.

  • Give a pair or small group a tall enclosure with at least 21.5 sq ft of floor and 6.5 ft of height, in metal or glass with narrow bar spacing, and add at least 5.5 square feet for each degu beyond four.
  • Fill the height with several connected full or part levels, at least 12 in apart, and solid (not wire) platforms, arranged so that no fall anywhere is longer than 20 in.
  • Degus are powerful chewers and diggers, so avoid plastic, which they destroy and may ingest.
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  • Include a deep digging area, hides, and platforms for climbing.
  • They need a dust bath several times a week to keep their coat in good condition, plus a large solid running wheel.
  • Keep the cage out of direct sun and draughts, in a room of about 64-72°F (the RSPCA advises no warmer than 68°F) and never above 77°F: degus cannot sweat, so heatstroke comes on quickly.
  • Provide constant safe chew material.

Check your enclosure

Supplies

Setup

  • Enclosure with 21.5 sq ft of floor and 6.5 ft of height, or larger
  • Water bottles, bowls, hides and enrichment
  • Carrier and travel box
  • Digital kitchen scale

Ongoing

  • Grass hay in bulk
  • Sugar-free degu or chinchilla pellets (check for molasses on the label)
  • Fresh leafy greens for daily feeding
  • Dried herb forage mix (dandelion, nettle, plantain)
  • Untreated apple or willow gnawing wood
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  • Water bottle plus brush
  • Hay rack
  • Kitchen scale for weekly weigh-ins

Safe substrate: Dust-extracted paper bedding · Kiln-dried aspen shavings · Hemp bedding

Work out the cost

Care routine

Daily

  • Company and time out
  • Feed and clear yesterday's leftovers
  • Fresh water
  • Spot-clean the enclosure
  • Top up unlimited hay
  • Watch them while they are awake

Every few days

  • Offer a dust bathevery 3 days
Show 9 more

Weekly

  • Check labels on anything new
  • Check the teeth are orange
  • Deep-clean and change bedding
  • Hands-on health check
  • Rotate enrichment
  • Weigh-in

Every few weeks

  • Replace chews and wooden furnitureevery 2 weeks

Monthly

  • Check nails and teeth
  • Check supplies and dates

Vet: Annual exam with a diabetes check, every 12 months (every 6 months from 4 years old)

Tools

Is your enclosure big enough?Check your measurements against the recommended sizeWhat will it cost?Setup, monthly and over its whole life, itemisedCan it eat that?Search 61 foods, from everyday to never

Care in depth

Diet

Strict herbivore; sugar-free, high-fibre
  • Degus are strict herbivores that cannot process sugar properly and are prone to diabetes, so their diet must be low in sugar and starch and very high in fibre.
  • The foundation is unlimited grass hay, supplemented with a small amount of degu- or chinchilla-appropriate pellets and fresh leafy greens.
  • Never feed fruit, carrots, sweet vegetables, or sugary treats, and avoid sugary commercial rodent mixes.
  • Constant fresh water and unlimited hay support both their teeth and gut.
  • Safe gnawing wood helps wear their continuously growing teeth.

Health

Signs of good health, and the common problems
  • Diabetes is the signature degu disease, linked to sugary diets and causing cataracts and weight loss.
  • Their teeth grow continuously and can overgrow or develop painful malocclusion without enough hay and gnawing material.
  • Cataracts, bumblefoot, and tail-skin injuries are also common.
  • Never pick a degu up by the tail; the skin can slough off ("tail degloving"), after which the bare bone is amputated.
  • Cloudy eyes, weight loss, excessive drinking, or drooling all warrant a prompt exotic-vet visit.

Is this urgent?

11 warning signs and how fast to act, 7 of them right away

Small mammals are prey animals. They mask pain and illness by instinct, so by the time something is obvious it is usually already advanced.

Go now

Not eating, or eating far less than normalCall an exotics vet. Bring a recent weight if you have one. Loss of appetite is serious in every small mammal. In hindgut fermenters such as chinchillas and degus the gut slows and then stops when food stops moving through it, which makes this one of the most common emergencies in those species. In a hedgehog, appetite loss is often the first visible sign of illness, and a hedgehog that stops eating can quickly develop fatty liver.
8 hours
No droppings, or droppings suddenly tiny, misshapen or scarceCall an exotics vet now. Take a photo of the litter tray. Output is the most reliable read on gut movement there is, and it fails before the animal looks unwell.
8-12 hours
Sitting hunched, pressed to the floor, unwilling to moveGo now. A hunched, still posture in a prey animal is a pain posture.
Now
Audible teeth grinding or crunchingGo now. Loud, slow grinding is a pain signal.
Now
Hard, bloated or drum-tight abdomenGo now. Do not offer food or attempt to massage the abdomen. Gas or an obstruction can become fatal within hours and needs imaging, not home care.
Now
Laboured breathing, open-mouth breathing, or clickingGo now. Keep the animal quiet and undisturbed in transit, at its usual temperature: never chilled, never overheated. Most small mammals are obligate nose breathers; open-mouth breathing means they are already struggling.
Now
Maggots or fly eggs anywhere on the animal, especially the rearGo now. Do not attempt to wash them off first. Flystrike can kill within a day. Risk rises sharply in warm weather and in any animal with a dirty or damp rear.
Now

Today

Head tilted persistently to one side, or circlingBook today. Several causes, most of which respond far better to early treatment.
Today
Weight down 5 percent or more since the last weighingCall today, and bring the weight history. Weight falls before appetite visibly changes. This is why weekly weighing is worth the two minutes.
Today
Drooling, wet chin, or dropping food while trying to eatBook a dental check today. Dropping food means eating less. In rodents, continuously growing teeth can overgrow into the tongue or cheek long before the animal stops trying to eat; chinchillas and degus have this in every tooth, mice and gerbils in the incisors. In hedgehogs, whose teeth do not keep growing, the usual cause is gum disease, tartar, an abscess or a growth in the mouth.
Today

Soon

Scratching hard enough to break skin, or bald patches spreadingBook an appointment. Mites and fungal infections spread, and some transfer to other animals in the household.
A few days

Have the number of an exotics-competent practice saved before you need it. Most general small-animal clinics do not treat rabbits or rodents out of hours, and finding one at 11pm is not realistic.

This is general guidance for a healthy adult, not a diagnosis. An exotics vet who knows your animal always overrides it, and the time to find one is before you need one.

Bedding and substrate

6 safe, 3 with a caveat, 6 to avoid

Bedding has three jobs: absorb, stay dust-free, and, for the species that burrow, let the animal dig. Anything aromatic is failing the second one.

Safe

Dust-extracted paper beddingThe default for almost every small mammal. Look for 'dust extracted' on the label rather than 'natural'.
safe
Kiln-dried aspen shavingsThe usual safe wood: a hardwood low in the aromatic oils that make pine and cedar a problem. Kiln-dried matters.
safe
Hemp beddingVery absorbent and low dust. More expensive per gallon but goes further.
safe
Soft meadow hay as a top layerFood and bedding at once for herbivores such as degus. Never the only absorbent layer.
safe
Plain shredded paper or paper stripsUnprinted or soy-ink only. Cheap nesting material; poor as the main absorbent layer.
safe
Fleece liners over an absorbent layerOnly works with an absorbent layer underneath and a wash every few days. Fleece alone holds urine against the skin.
safe

With a caveat

Cardboard-based beddingFine, but it goes soggy quickly and needs changing more often than paper.
with a caveat
Sand bathsCorrect and important for chinchillas, degus and gerbils. Use chinchilla bathing sand or a chinchilla dusting clay, never talc or builder's sand.
with a caveat
Hemp or straw pelletsGood absorbency, but too hard to burrow in. Use under a soft layer, not as the whole substrate.
with a caveat

Never

Pine and cedar shavingsThe aromatic oils that make them smell pleasant are the problem: they damage the liver and kidneys and the cells lining the airway. Laboratory work found liver enzyme changes in mice after roughly a day of cedar exposure, taking well over a week away from it to settle, and enlarged livers in mice kept on pine for months.
never
Raw corncobTwo separate problems. It is swallowed and causes intestinal blockage, and it grows mould readily once damp.
never
Cotton wool and fluffy nesting materialSold as bedding, and it wraps around limbs and is swallowed. Repeatedly implicated in amputations in hamsters.
never
Scented or perfumed bedding of any kindAdded fragrance is an airway irritant in an animal whose nose is centimetres from the bedding all day.
never
Clumping cat litterSwallowed during grooming, and it clumps just as effectively inside the animal.
never
SawdustDust plus, usually, softwood. Both problems at once.
never

This is our general list for small pets. We have not built one specific to Degus yet.

Depth matters as much as material for burrowing species. A hamster or a gerbil needs about 16 in of substrate it can actually tunnel through; shallow bedding on a large floor is still an inadequate enclosure.

Top resources for more info

Independent creators and organisations we would send a friend to. We have no affiliation with any of them, and nothing here is sponsored. Links checked 2026-10-22.

Sites

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Is your enclosure big enough?

These are the smallest sizes that give good conditions, not legal minimums. More room is always better.

Minimum 22 sq ft of floor, for the pair

Every figure, and where it comes from

Swiss Animal Protection STS and the Swiss Federal Food Safety and Veterinary Office (BLV) recommend at least 22 sq ft of ground floor and 6.5 ft of height for two to five degus, with several connected levels inside, and that is what this checker tests. TVT and the charity bmt also ask for 22 sq ft for two to four (TVT: better 32 sq ft), but they count the levels toward it, on a ground floor of at least 39 x 20 in with levels at least 12 in apart. So a smaller footprint with enough levels meets their standard, though this checker will mark its floor short; 22 sq ft of ground floor with levels on top reaches TVT's better 32 sq ft. Add at least 5.5 sq ft for each degu beyond four, and keep every possible fall under 20 in.

Minimum floor area22 sq ft of continuous, unbroken floor
Height6.5 ft minimum. This species climbs, so height is not optional.
CompanyCannot be kept alone. The minimum is 2, and the space above is for that group.
The recognised standards do not agree on this one
Swiss Animal Protection STS (degu care sheet): At least 22 sq ft at 6.5 ft high for a group of two to five, with several connected levels. The figure this site uses. Checked 2026-10-23.
Swiss Federal Food Safety and Veterinary Office (BLV) and Swiss Animal Protection STS, joint brochure on rodent enclosures (2017): A ground floor of at least 22 sq ft and 6.5 ft of height for two to five degus, with levels inside. The same figure, stated as ground floor. Checked 2026-10-23.
TVT, the German veterinary association for animal welfare (Merkblatt 154, Degus): At least 22 sq ft, better 32 sq ft, of usable area for two to four, which may be spread over levels at least 12 in apart on a ground floor of at least 39 x 20 in; 5.5 sq ft more for each further degu; no fall higher than 20 in. The same area, counted with the levels. Checked 2026-10-23.
bmt (Bund gegen Missbrauch der Tiere), a German animal-protection charity: At least 22 sq ft of floor, all levels counted together. The same area, counted with the levels. Checked 2026-10-23.
Wood Green, The Animals Charity (UK): At least 48 in high, 37 in wide and 25 in deep for two to four degus. A welfare charity's cage minimum, well below the figure used here. Checked 2026-10-23.
Degutopia (UK degu welfare site): 28 x 18 in of floor and 28-39 in high, for at most two degus let out at least an hour a day. A cage minimum; bigger again for degus that get less time out. Checked 2026-10-23.
Austria, 2. Tierhaltungsverordnung: 39 x 20 x 39 in per pair, plus 20 percent more floor for each further adult. A legal minimum, recorded for context. Checked 2026-10-23.
Switzerland, Tierschutzverordnung (Anhang 2, Tabelle 1): 5.5 sq ft of floor and 12 cu ft for up to five, plus 2.2 sq ft for each further degu, with bedding at least 12 in deep. A legal minimum, recorded for context. Checked 2026-10-23.

What it really costs

Setup, monthly, first year and across a whole life, itemised and with the electricity worked out from the actual wattage. Published figures for the same animal disagree by a factor of four, so the calculator shows ranges rather than picking one.

Can a Degu eat that?

Degus are herbivores prone to Type 2 diabetes: unlimited hay, a small measured portion of sugar-free pellets, leafy greens, and no fruit or sweet vegetables at all.

The full list: 61 foods

Never (33)

AlcoholNo safe amount at any body weight on this site.
never
AppleDegus are prone to Type 2 diabetes and cannot process sugar properly, so fruit is not a moderation issue: leave it out. The RSPCA and our degu guide agree.
never
AvocadoPersin, concentrated in the leaves, skin and stone. It damages the heart in birds and in many mammals, rabbits and rodents among them; it has not been studied in reptiles, so treat it as unsafe for them too.
never
BananaDegus are prone to Type 2 diabetes and cannot process sugar properly, so fruit is not a moderation issue: leave it out. The RSPCA and our degu guide agree.
never
BeetrootA sugary root. The RSPCA allows only very small, occasional pieces; this guide leaves it out.
never
BlueberryDegus are prone to Type 2 diabetes and cannot process sugar properly, so fruit is not a moderation issue: leave it out. The RSPCA and our degu guide agree.
never
Bread and baked goodsRefined starch ferments in the hindgut and causes gas and stasis. No nutritional case for it either.
never
CaffeineCoffee, tea and energy drinks. Cardiac and neurological toxicity at tiny doses for an animal this size.
never
CarrotOne of the sugary roots the RSPCA allows only in very small, occasional pieces; this guide leaves it out for a species this prone to diabetes. The leafy tops are a different food.
never
ChocolateTheobromine and caffeine. Small mammals and reptiles cannot clear either.
never
DairyAdults are lactose intolerant and the gut flora cannot handle it.
never
Dried fruitDegus are prone to Type 2 diabetes and cannot process sugar properly, so fruit is not a moderation issue: leave it out. The RSPCA and our degu guide agree.
never
GarlicSame allium toxicity as onion, and more concentrated by weight.
never
GrapesDegus are prone to Type 2 diabetes and cannot process sugar properly, so fruit is not a moderation issue: leave it out. The RSPCA and our degu guide agree.
never
Iceberg lettuceAlmost entirely water with negligible nutrition, and it contains lactucarium, which causes diarrhoea in quantity. It displaces food that would have been useful.
never
LeekAllium family. Same mechanism as onion and garlic.
never
MeatA hindgut fermenter has no way to process animal protein. It disrupts the gut flora the animal depends on.
never
MushroomsNot part of any of these animals' natural diet, and the risk from misidentified varieties is not worth the zero upside.
never
NutsFat and phosphorus loads a herbivore is not built for, and a choking risk.
never
OnionOrganosulphur compounds damage red blood cells. The whole allium family is out.
never
OrangeDegus are prone to Type 2 diabetes and cannot process sugar properly, so fruit is not a moderation issue: leave it out. The RSPCA and our degu guide agree.
never
ParsnipA sugary root. The RSPCA allows only very small, occasional pieces; this guide leaves it out.
never
PearDegus are prone to Type 2 diabetes and cannot process sugar properly, so fruit is not a moderation issue: leave it out. The RSPCA and our degu guide agree.
never
PeasStarchy and sugary, and overfed peas bloat a degu (Degutopia).
never
PotatoSolanine in the skin and any green part, plus a starch load the hindgut cannot handle.
never
PumpkinA sweet vegetable, which our degu guide rules out.
never
Raw beansLectins. Also a gas producer in a species that cannot vomit or belch.
never
RhubarbVery high in soluble oxalate, high enough to cause acute kidney injury. The leaves are worse than the stalks.
never
Salty or seasoned human foodSalt, oil and seasoning. Crisps, chips, seasoned leftovers and processed meat are all out.
never
StrawberryDegus are prone to Type 2 diabetes and cannot process sugar properly, so fruit is not a moderation issue: leave it out. The RSPCA and our degu guide agree.
never
Sweet potatoA sugary root. The RSPCA allows only very small, occasional pieces; this guide leaves it out.
never
SweetcornThe hulls are indigestible and are a recognised blockage risk in small herbivores.
never
WatermelonDegus are prone to Type 2 diabetes and cannot process sugar properly, so fruit is not a moderation issue: leave it out. The RSPCA and our degu guide agree.
never

Rare treats (4)

Brussels sproutsHighly gas-forming. Half a sprout, rarely.
rare treat
CauliflowerOne of the most gas-forming brassicas. A very small piece, occasionally.
rare treat
Sunflower seedsThe one savoury treat our degu guide names. Fatty, so keep it tiny. One or two per degu, a few times a week (Degutopia).
rare treat
TomatoThe ripe flesh is safe in small amounts. The leaves, stems and any green fruit contain tomatine, a glycoalkaloid related to the solanine in potatoes, and must never be offered. A small piece of ripe flesh, occasionally. Never the plant.
rare treat

Occasional (18)

BasilSafe and well liked. Rotate rather than relying on it. A few leaves.
occasional
Bell pepperDegutopia names red pepper as a vitamin C source, but fresh vegetables stay small for a degu. A thumbnail-sized strip, once or twice a week.
occasional
Bok choyGood green, mildly goitrogenic like other brassicas. A leaf or two a few times a week.
occasional
BroccoliNutritious but a notable gas producer. Leaves and stalk are better tolerated than the florets. A small floret or a piece of stalk, twice a week.
occasional
CabbageA brassica. Gas-forming in quantity, and goitrogenic with heavy long-term feeding. A small piece, once or twice a week.
occasional
CelerySafe and well liked. Cut across the stalk so the long fibres cannot catch. A short piece, cut into segments.
occasional
ChardSame oxalate issue as spinach. A small leaf, occasionally.
occasional
CourgetteSafe and mild. Serve raw. A few slices a few times a week.
occasional
CucumberSafe, but it is mostly water with very little in it. Useful for hydration in warm weather, poor as a staple. A few slices.
occasional
DillSafe in rotation. A few fronds.
occasional
Dried herbsDandelion leaf, nettle and plantain are fibrous, sugar-free and well liked. A pinch.
occasional
Green beansSafe cooked or raw in small amounts. Gas-forming in quantity. One or two, occasionally.
occasional
KaleHigh in calcium and a mild goitrogen. Genuinely nutritious, but not the everyday green it is often sold as. A leaf or two, two or three times a week.
occasional
MintSafe in small amounts; strongly flavoured and not every animal wants it. A leaf or two.
occasional
ParsleyNutritious but relatively high in calcium. Fine in rotation, not as the whole green portion. A few sprigs, a few times a week.
occasional
RocketPeppery and well tolerated in rotation. A small handful, a few times a week.
occasional
SpinachHigh in oxalates, which bind calcium and contribute to bladder sludge and stones in animals prone to them. A single small leaf, no more than once or twice a week.
occasional
WatercressNutritious, strongly flavoured, high in calcium. A small handful occasionally.
occasional

Everyday foods (6)

Carrot topsThe leaves are a proper green and nothing like the sugary root. A few sprigs, as part of the measured greens portion.
everyday food
CorianderWell tolerated, aromatic, and most animals take it readily. Part of a daily mixed handful.
everyday food
Dandelion leavesOne of the best greens, and free. Pick well away from roadsides and sprayed ground. A few leaves daily, as part of the measured greens portion.
everyday food
Degu pelletsA degu food, or guinea pig or chinchilla pellets with no molasses, fruit or seeds. Read the label: sugar hides in mixes marketed for degus. A small measured portion daily, about 0.35 oz per degu (Degutopia), never free access.
everyday food
Grass hayShould make up the majority of the diet and be there at all times (RSPCA). It wears the continuously growing teeth and keeps a low-sugar gut moving. Unlimited, always.
everyday food
Romaine lettuceDark leafy lettuce with real nutritional content, but overfed fresh greens, lettuce especially, can bloat a degu (Degutopia). A small handful daily, as part of the measured greens portion.
everyday food

That food is not on our list. Leave it out and check with an exotics vet. For a degu the label of anything new matters more than its name, because sugar hides in mixes and treats.

Check every mix and treat label for molasses, honey, fruit and syrup. Most rodent treats sold in shops are unsuitable for degus.