How long do degus live? Lifespan and life stages

How long do degus live as pets?

Plan for 6 to 8 years. Good sources give slightly different ranges, which is normal for a species that has only been kept as a pet for a few decades. The RSPCA points out that experts are still learning how best to care for degus, and lifespans have been creeping up as diets improve.

We'd use PDSA's 6 to 8 years for planning. It sits in the middle of the sources, and it's long enough to make you think about where you'll be living, who will look after them on holiday and whether a child will still be at home in year seven.

If you're still deciding, our guide to degus as pets covers the rest of that commitment.

Degu life stages

Degus grow up fast and then stay adult for a long time. These stages come from Degutopia's breeding guide and breed standard, a long-running UK degu care and breeding site.

What shortens a degu's life?

Most early deaths in pet degus trace back to a handful of problems, and nearly all of them are linked to how they are kept.

Sugar and diabetes

Degus are prone to diabetes. PDSA links it to diets high in carbohydrate and sugar, and PetMD lists diabetes, obesity and cataracts among the most common health problems. Fruit, sugary treats, molasses-coated foods and seed mixes are the usual culprits. Our guide to degus and sugar explains why, and the degu diet guide shows what a safe daily menu looks like.

Teeth

Degu teeth grow all their lives. PDSA says dental problems are often caused by a diet without enough hay, which is the food that wears them down. The RSPCA notes healthy teeth are yellow-orange, and white teeth can be a sign of poor health.

Heat

Degus can't sweat and overheat easily. Burgess and the RSPCA both say to keep them below 20°C (68°F), indoors and away from sun, radiators and draughts.

Dusty bedding and dirty cages

PDSA links respiratory disease to dusty bedding, poor ventilation and dirty enclosures. The RSPCA lists pneumonia and other breathing infections among degu illnesses.

Loneliness and stress

The RSPCA warns that degus kept alone can become depressed. PetMD adds that lonely degus may self-harm. Stress also matters for the tail: PDSA explains tail slip, where the skin comes away, happens with extreme fear or poor handling.

Inbreeding

Degutopia warns that many coat colours are recessive and producing them has often meant inbreeding, which harms health and shortens lifespan. It notes coloured degus often have shorter lives than the natural agouti (brown) type. More on this in our guide to degu types and colours.

How to help your degu live longer

1. Keep the sugar out. Unlimited grass hay, about an egg cup of plain degu pellets per degu a day (Burgess), leafy greens, and no fruit, seeds, nuts or sweet treats.
2. Never keep one alone. A same-sex pair or small group, as the RSPCA advises, with a nest box big enough for all and a hide for each.
3. Keep them cool. A steady room at or below 20°C (68°F), out of direct sun. See our degu temperature guide.
4. Use dust-free bedding. Paper-based bedding with hay on top, and a clean cage with good airflow, to protect their lungs.
5. Check teeth weekly. The RSPCA asks you to look at colour, length and shape at least once a week, and only a vet should correct teeth.
6. Weigh them weekly. Kitchen scales and a notebook. Weight creeping up or dropping is often the first sign that something is wrong.
7. See an exotic vet yearly. The RSPCA recommends a health check at least once a year, with a vet who knows degus.

Caring for an older degu

An older degu needs the same care with a few small changes. No source we trust gives a degu-specific senior care plan, so these are sensible adjustments based on the common problems above.

• Watch the eyes: PetMD lists cataracts as common, and the RSPCA flags opaque whitening of the eyes as a warning sign
• Keep weighing weekly and ask your vet whether checks should be more often than once a year
• Add ramps or lower shelves if climbing gets harder
• Keep food and water within easy reach on every level
• Look for eating less, dropping food or fewer droppings, which can mean teeth trouble
• Keep their companion with them: older degus still need company

Our degu health guide lists the signs of illness and how fast to act on each. When the time comes that a degu is unwell and not recovering, your vet can talk you through the kindest options, and the companion left behind will need a new friend.

Do degus live longer than other small pets?

Yes, by a long way. Hamsters, gerbils, rats and mice are old by the age when a degu is still a young adult with years ahead. Only chinchillas and rabbits, of the common small pets, are in the same league. That long life is one of the best things about degus, and one of the reasons PDSA doesn't recommend them as a first pet: you are signing up for most of a decade.

The rest of their needs are in our complete degu care guide, and where to get a degu covers finding healthy, well-bred animals.