Topics of this subpage:

• Species-appropriate degu nutrition - what is allowed and what is not
• My feed mixes
• Mix properly - mix / buy list yourself
• Shopping list of individual ingredients (pdf) / nutrition list (pdf)
• Consequences of improper nutrition
• Wrong ingredients
• Single ingredients picture gallery

Degus count among the so-called colon digestions, ie the digestive tract is designed for a diet rich in raw fiber and fiber. In order to avoid diet-related diseases, the feed should be based on the eating habits of wild animals. Because although degus have been kept as pets for decades, the digestive tract and thus their metabolism have not changed.

In the wild, degus feed mainly on herbs, grasses and shrub leaves (approx. 75% of the diet) and seeds of herbs, grasses and bushes (approx. 25%). Animal food in the form of insects is rarely eaten. Degus therefore need a sparse, low-sugar, but balanced diet. Your digestive system is adapted to these conditions, so it is particularly important that dried feed (herbs, leaves, flowers) and hay is always available.

A low-sugar diet is very important for degus as they are very prone to diabetes. Diabetes can lead to blindness on both sides via clouding of the lens (cataract).

Therefore: no fruit, no sugary treats and nuts only rarely.

Basic food includes high-quality roughage such as hay, which must always be available in sufficient quantities. In addition, degus get a feed mixture consisting of dried herbs / flowers / leaves. To do this, the diet should be supplemented with seeds and rarely dried vegetables. Seeds should consist of grass and various wild seeds, see a list below. Water bowls are suitable to cover the water requirement, as they ensure a natural posture while drinking.

• hay
• 85% herbs, flowers, leaves
• max. 15% dried vegetables + treats 
• + Seeds (70% oily, 30% farinaceous)
  
• + Fresh food, branches

Seeds are only given as an addition 1-2 times a week (approx. 1 teaspoon per degu), the proportion of seeds should only be increased if the degus do not gain weight. Younger animals and females that are pregnant or are in the rearing phase can tolerate a little more seeds. 3: 1 or 4: 1 oily: farinaceous. At best, treats should only be given nuts, other treats (including those recommended below) are not the most optimal feeding method.

There is also food or food supplements for degus that should NOT be on the nutritional plan, they are incompatible or even toxic / dangerous.

The lists relate to an order from Hansemanns, the lists serve as a guide for other sites. The lists reflect WHAT everything can be ordered and offer newcomers to feed mixers an initial orientation aid. I do not lay claim to the completeness of the lists. Additions at your own discretion are of course always possible.

German Shops: https://www.hansemanns-team.de/ & https://deguladen.de/

For everyone who wants more variety in their feed. Various herbal feed mixes are bought here; Herbs / leaves / flowers / vegetables / seeds that can be mixed as desired. Not all mixes need to be ordered.

Some ready-made feed mixes that are commercially available and contain essential components of a Degu feed, see list below. Ready-made feed in general never fulfills a 100% suitable composition, therefore it is recommended to add herbs / leaves to every ready-made feed. No feed mix available in retail stores is really suitable for daily nutrition. However, below I would like to name the “least worst”.

Recommended finished feed mixes:

Unsuitable finished feed mixtures:

Due to the composition, the following mixtures should be avoided.

The digestive system of degus can unfortunately also be very prone to failure. Degus always need more food to be able to transport the food from the stomach to the intestines. The small intestine adjoining the stomach is mainly used for digestion and absorption of protein, fat and carbohydrates (starch) by the body's own enzymes. The food residues (plant-based structural substances), such as cellulose, hemicellulose and pectins, which have not been digested by these enzymes, pass through the small intestine largely unchanged and migrate to the large intestine.

A prolonged lack of food intake due to long feeding intervals as well as feeding low-quality raw fiber or high-starch feed (grain) can result in serious illnesses. Above all, digestive disorders (flatulence), stomach ulcers, behavior disorders, disturbed mating behavior, dental problems and urinary stones should be mentioned here. Grain mixes and some unhealthy delicacies do not induce the animal to nibble and grind the food extensively. Insufficient tooth abrasion and thus excessively long teeth and injuries in the oral cavity are the consequences. Feeding is now associated with pain, so that the animals only consume little food and there is a risk of dangerous weight loss. A high-starch diet (cereals) also leads to serious disorders in the large intestine.

An imbalance (dysbiosis) occurs in the intestine and the first digestive disorders appear. Essential metabolic products such as vitamins can no longer be synthesized to a sufficient extent. 

Since the ingested feed remains in the animal for 4-5 days from supply to complete digestion and the animals are also not able to vomit, it is of particular importance to feed roughage of perfect quality. The quality of the forage depends largely on the starting product.

Text source of the feed shop

Ingredients of many ready-made mixes that are NOT suitable - explanations of the individual names:

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