Degou is small (trunk length up to 12.5 cm, tail length 10.5 cm) shrubby rats. The animal's tail is adorned with a charming tassel. Animals to the content of the house are rather unpretentious, practically do not have unpleasant odors and are easily tamed. All this makes degu one of the most beloved pets. But no matter how degus are unpretentious, nevertheless, the basic rules of care and content are worth knowing.
How to care for degu
If we talk about the care and content of degu, then the first thing to discuss is the place where the degu is kept. For these animals are suitable as metal cages, and glass terrariums. The latter option is preferable for those who are principally important cleanliness and silence in the apartment. But terrariums also have a number of drawbacks. First and foremost, this is insufficient height, we have to limit ourselves to a running wheel, ground toys and a house for degus. Although for animals is preferable to 2 tiers (or more) - the placement of pallets is necessary for training the muscles of degu. The advantage of purchasing a terrarium for degus are plastic shelves, plexiglass walls, which prevents their gnawing. Dego is very fond of gnawing thin metal bars, and wooden houses are gnawing in a few days. If silence is not important, then it is better to choose an enclosure with a frequent metal grille. But in any case, the enclosure for degus should be quite spacious, since animals like to run, climb, they are generally very mobile.
In the enclosure it is necessary to place a drinking bowl, a pallet, a nursery for hay and a feeding bowl. A nesting house is also needed. Plastic as well as a tree degu remarkably gnaw, so it is better not to choose houses from these materials. If the house is made of wood, then it must be coniferous, they have a bitter taste, and rodents grind their teeth less willingly about them. For shelter, non-varnished and unpainted vases or pots with a chipped (rounded, not sharp) flank are also suitable.
For wood fillers, it is good to use wood chips or shavings. When cleaning the cell, the pallet must be removed, the sawdust should be poured into the bag, and the pan should be thoroughly washed and dried.
Place the animal in a warm cage (at least 18 ° C, ideally 24-25 ° C), protected from drafts. Lighting for degus is required, but protection from direct sunlight is needed. Strong smells of degu will be unpleasant, but because the kitchen and the place where you are accustomed to smoking, for the animal will be unacceptable.
Food for degus
When moving to a new place for degu, a smooth transition to a new feed is desirable, and therefore, when purchasing, it is necessary to clarify what is habitual for the animal. It is obligatory to give degu all year round hay, in the summer it can be replaced by dried grass or juicy forages. To the last little animal must be accustomed gradually, so as not to cause digestive disorders. It will be good to add to the feed grain mixture of wheat, barley, oats. Food for degu can include lettuce, clover, alfalfa, plantain, dandelions, linden leaves, apple, pear and linden. Food of animal origin, fat (nuts), as well as sweets - dried apricots, raisins - degus can be given very rarely, since animals are susceptible to diabetes mellitus. Water needs to be changed every day.
Degu diseases
Proper care of degus and compliance with conditions of detention do not always allow avoiding diseases. Degus can get injured, can begin to get bald, poison or catch a cold. Alopecia can be caused by allergies, fungus, parasites or eating disorders. To determine the exact causes of the disease, the animal must be shown to a specialist. With a cold, the animal can be watered from the pipette with a warm decoction of lime with the addition of honey or a decoction of calendula flowers.
In case of stomach upset, the animal should be given ¼ tablets of activated charcoal. Also, pay attention to the food of the degus and completely eliminate the fatty and sweet food.