Historical post first published on 4 May 2022. Events, figures, plans and appeals describe that period.
This historical post compares the volumes occupied by different foods of the same weight. In 2022, we used a working example of 20 g of food per day, alongside roughly 10–20 g of hay, and suggested weighing the food to monitor intake and body weight. Those figures are examples, not a universal daily prescription or a limit on hay: degus should have constant access to suitable hay, and the amount of other food must suit the animal, the product and its health.
The original guidance allowed up to 1–1.5 g of treats per day. In our own routine, we did not give separate treats; instead, we took plants from the daily ration and offered them by hand whenever we wanted to give a reward. The amount and type of any additional food should be considered within the whole diet.
Measuring concentrated foods can help prevent them from displacing hay. Hay supports digestive and dental health. A degu’s diet needs plenty of fibre and an appropriate mineral balance. The original article quoted 1% calcium and a calcium-to-phosphorus ratio of 2:1; these are not established universal targets for every individual’s complete ration.
Chewing is important too. In the wild, degus spend hours selecting plants and moving between feeding sites, eating mainly stems and leaves that require prolonged chewing. Pellets do not provide the same eating pattern, which is one reason hay matters for tooth wear and oral health. See our feeding articles for the wider context.
For comparison, the photographs show different foods in the same 400 ml breakfast bowl: 20 g of dry SAB Degu Mix, made up of 16 g dried plants and 4 g seeds; 20 g consisting of 16 g fresh plants and 4 g SAB Degu Mix seeds; and 20 g of Versele-Laga Complete Chinchilla & Degu pellets. The final photograph shows 15 g of hay.
Suitable fresh plants can be introduced gradually to a healthy degu. These photographs illustrate volume only: equal fresh and dry weights do not provide equal dry matter, energy or nutrients, and the pictured portions do not establish that the diets are nutritionally interchangeable.
Sources
Octodons.fr (2022). [BLOG] Ration alimentaire de l'octodon. Original post, 4 May 2022. https://octodons.fr/blog-ration-alimentaire-de-loctodon/
RSPCA (n.d.). What To Feed a Pet Degu. https://www.rspca.org.uk/en/adviceandwelfare/pets/rodents/degus/diet
Edwards, M. S. (2009). Nutrition and Behavior of Degus (Octodon degus). Veterinary Clinics of North America: Exotic Animal Practice, 12(2), 237–253. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cvex.2009.01.003