Hides and houses
Shelves and ledges
Foraging and toys
Cage accessories
Kits and bundles
Fairy forest
Spooky mischief
Sweetie stash
Game mode
Forest floor
Castles and cathedrals
What do degus eat?
Degus eat mostly hay. They are strict plant-eaters, and the RSPCA says good-quality hay should be available all the time and make up most of the diet. Wood Green puts it at about 80% hay, 5% nuggets and 15% natural forage such as dried herbs and safe twigs. Fresh veg is a small weekly extra, and fruit is barely on the menu, because degus are prone to type 2 diabetes. How much of each to feed, and how to choose nuggets, is in our degu diet guide.
Two rules cover almost everything. First, introduce any new food slowly, one at a time, as the RSPCA advises, because a degu's gut is easily upset. Second, if a food is sweet to you, it is probably too sweet for a degu. Our page on degus and sugar explains why.
What veg can degus eat?
Most leafy green veg is safe in small amounts. Degutopia suggests a few thumbnail-sized pieces per degu once or twice a week, with the types rotated, and PDSA gives the same once or twice weekly. Wash shop-bought veg first. This table brings together the safe lists from Degutopia, PetMD, Burgess and the RSPCA.
| Vegetable | Verdict | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Dandelion leaves | Good | A favourite fresh or dried; pick away from roads and sprays |
| Broccoli (leaves and stalk too) | Good | A source of vitamin C; see can degus eat broccoli |
| Red or green pepper (bell pepper) | Good | Remove seeds and stalk |
| Celery | Good | Cut small so the strings don't tangle |
| Green beans | Good | Raw; frozen ones cool degus down in summer |
| Cauliflower leaves and stalk | Good | Degutopia lists the leaves and stalk |
| Carrot tops | Good | Leafy and low in sugar, unlike the root |
| Fresh grass | Good | Picked from an untreated lawn, away from roads |
| Courgette (zucchini), asparagus, leek, radish, spring onion (scallion) | Fine in small pieces | All on the Degutopia safe list |
| Cucumber | Fine, a little | Watery; see can degus eat cucumber |
| Romaine or leaf lettuce | Fine, a little | Too much bloats; see can degus eat lettuce |
| Cabbage, Brussels sprouts | Fine, a little | Can cause bloating; don't give two days running |
| Peas, sweetcorn (corn) | Rarely | PetMD lists them with sugary, starchy foods to avoid |
| Carrot, sweet potato, beetroot, parsnip | Rarely | The RSPCA calls them high in sugar; tiny pieces, occasionally |
| Pumpkin, butternut squash | Rarely | Burgess lists a small cube as an occasional treat |
| Cherry tomato | Rarely | On Degutopia's list but sweet; see can degus eat tomatoes |
| Potato | No | PetMD lists potatoes as too starchy |
Degutopia says to give sugar-containing veg only about once a month and never to a diabetic degu. The RSPCA is just as firm about carrot and the other roots. Our carrots page has the detail.
What herbs and flowers can degus eat?
Herbs are the best fresh treat you can give a degu: tasty, low in sugar and good for tempting a fussy eater. Degutopia lists oregano, mint, parsley, basil, chives, comfrey, lemon balm and coriander (cilantro), fresh or dried. For dried forage it adds dandelion, marigold flowers, rose petals, rosehips and hazel leaves. Wood Green suggests dried herbs and seed pods such as mallow root as everyday forage.
Dried rosehips are high in vitamin C but can be sweet, so Degutopia limits them to one per degu a week.
What fruit can degus eat?
Almost none. The RSPCA says many fruits are high in sugar and should not be given, and PDSA says to avoid fruit except an occasional bit of apple. Degutopia allows fresh fruit only in small amounts about once a month, and at most one raisin per degu a month. A diabetic degu should have no fruit at all.
| Fruit | Our verdict | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Apple (no pips) | A thumbnail piece, about monthly | The one fruit PDSA allows; pips contain cyanide compounds. See can degus eat apples |
| Pear | Twigs yes, fruit no | The wood is a safe chew; the fruit is sweet |
| Grapes and raisins | No | Very sugary; see can degus eat grapes |
| Banana | No | High in sugar and starch; see can degus eat bananas |
| Strawberries and other berries | No, or a crumb | Sweet; see can degus eat strawberries |
| Dried fruit of any kind | No | Concentrated sugar; the RSPCA rules out mixes that contain it |
None of these charities or clubs rates every fruit one by one for degus. The verdicts above follow the rule they all give, that fruit is too sugary for this species, so we've taken the careful side every time.
Seeds, nuts and other treats
Seeds and nuts are high in fat and protein, so treat them as rewards, not food. Sources disagree here. Degutopia allows one or two sunflower or pumpkin seeds per degu several times a week, one unsalted peanut a week and one hazelnut in its shell a month. Burgess says to avoid sunflower seeds and peanuts altogether, and PetMD lists seeds among foods to avoid. We'd keep seeds for taming, one at a time, and skip them for any degu that is overweight. See can degus eat sunflower seeds and can degus eat peanuts.
Other treats on Degutopia's list: plain puffed rice or puffed wheat with nothing added (good for training), a pinch of rolled oats, small pieces of hard dry bread, plain Ryvita or melba toast, and dried pasta to gnaw. Burgess suggests hay-based bars for hand-feeding.
Safe branches and chews
Degus need to gnaw every day, and branches are food and toy in one. Degutopia lists apple, pear, hazel, hawthorn, kiln-dried pine and lime (linden) as safe woods. Wood Green adds willow, and Burgess adds ash, beech and oak. The wood must be untreated and free of pesticides and paint. Burgess suggests washing branches and baking them on a low heat for an hour before use. If you're unsure about a wood, leave it out. Our degu enrichment guide has more ideas for chews.
What can't degus eat?
- Sugar in any form: honey, syrup, molasses, sweets, yoghurt drops
- Dried fruit, fruit juice and most fresh fruit
- Chocolate and anything with caffeine
- Rabbit, hamster and gerbil food, and muesli mixes
- Human breakfast cereals, crisps and salty snacks
- Potato, and only rare peas and sweetcorn
- Meat, egg, cheese, milk and other dairy
- Apple pips, fruit stones and any wood that has been treated or sprayed
- Houseplants: remove them before free-roam time
How to add a new food safely
- One new food at a time. Pick something from the "good" list and give one thumbnail-sized piece per degu.
- Watch for 24 hours. Check the droppings stay firm and dry and that your degus eat their hay as normal.
- Build up slowly. If all is well, offer it again a few days later, then add it to the rotation.
- Stop at the first sign. Soft droppings or a bloated look mean drop that food and go back to hay and nuggets.
For the rest of the routine, from cage to vet checks, see our degu care guide.
Degu food questions
What do degus eat in the wild?
Wild degus in Chile eat grasses, leaves, bark, roots, stems, seeds and, PetMD notes, cactus fruit and tubers. Most of it is tough and fibrous, and Degutopia says fibre can make up to 60% of their wild diet. That is why hay, not nuggets or fresh food, has to be the base of a pet degu's diet.
What fruit can degus eat?
Very little. A small piece of apple with no pips is the fruit PDSA allows, and only occasionally. Degutopia says fruit should be a small amount about once a month, with one raisin a month at most. We'd treat all fruit as an occasional extra for healthy adults and give none to a diabetic degu.
What do degus need in their cage?
A tall metal cage with a solid roof, several levels and ramps, a nest box big enough for all of them, a hide each, a solid wheel at least 30 cm (12 in) across, deep paper bedding, a hay rack, a water bottle and safe branches. Add a sand bath two or three times a week.
Can degus eat lettuce?
Yes, a little. PetMD lists romaine and green or red leaf lettuce among safe greens, but Degutopia warns that too much lettuce can cause bloating. Give a torn leaf or two once or twice a week, mixed with other greens, rather than a pile of lettuce on its own. Iceberg is mostly water and adds little.
Can degus eat bread?
Only hard, dry bread, and only as a small chew. Degutopia lists hard dry bread, plain Ryvita and melba toast as occasional treats for gnawing, in small pieces because of the added salt. Soft fresh bread is starchy and easy to overeat, so it is not worth giving.
What should I do if my degu ate something sugary?
One small slip is unlikely to cause harm in a healthy degu. Remove what's left, give plenty of hay and water, and watch for loose droppings, drinking much more than usual or seeming flat. If that lasts more than a day, or your degu is diabetic, ring an exotic vet for advice.
