Hi! For a while now, I've been looking into adopting degus.

In the midst of my research, I got curious and decided to look into what I would need to do if I got bitten by one pretty hard.

That's when I fell into an internet rabbit hole of horror stories about degu bites, finger/hand swelling, bites that almost hit the bone, anti-biotics, trips to the ER, people not being able to move their hand... I have always been pretty nervous about getting bitten by rodents, and that hasn't really put my fears to rest.

Is this something I should be seriously worried about? How common is it? Can it actually get that bad, does it often? Please let me know ! <:)

(P.S: I've gotten bitten by a gerbil before, if anybody is able to compare the pain to that, that'd be awesome! )

During roaming time one of my degus climbs on top of me and scratches and nibbles on my ear, when I put her down she climbs on my shoulder and does the same with my other ear. Is this normal?

One of my degus passed away a couple of months ago during a surgery attempting to remove an odontoma. I have two remaining degus and I am struggling to help them through this loss.

The one that passed was the leader of the pack and the bravest one of them. She gave them a big sense of security and it’s been clear now that their bravery in the past was directly tied to them feeling like they can follow her and trust her judgment. Without her, they are both very skittish and seem a lot more stressed. Also, despite having each other, I think they both are seeming rather depressed- neither of them were ever as close with each other as they were with the one that passed and it’s been seeming like they aren’t enough for one another.

Does anyone have any suggestions on what I can do to try to help them?

I’ve been highly debating whether or not to get one or two new degus for them, because I could see that going either very positively or horribly. If one of the new ones were to have a bold personality then she could stand in as a new leader to help them feel secure again, or even just the increase in pack size could be a bit of comfort for them. At the same time, they could hate the one or two new ones and end up very stressed by the whole thing- and I don’t have the room for another cage for if it were to go badly. Though, I also fear the possibility of one of my remaining two also dying young and how horrible the last one would likely be doing when they are struggling this much while still having each other.

What do you guys think would be the best choice in this?

I have a cage like in the image but a bit shorter.

https://preview.redd.it/mmcqcf98icxd1.png?width=485&format=png&auto=webp&s=e68f8e0ea34a2c85375fe549ee4803783da81305

I have used granulated hay as bedding material since day 1. Is it good? I can't see any hay pellets in the videos here. Is the cage good? I might upgrade as it has much of plastic which gets crushed (yes he has many pieces of wood inside across the cage but sometimes he still chooses the plastic). Thanks for any advice.

Edit: Have 1 degu

I had been planning to get a couple of pet rats for the past few weeks and was going to make the plunge whenever my financial situation allowed, but I just recently discovered the Degu and they really interest me! Particularly their long life-span.

I’ve done a lot of research already but I’m hoping someone here who has had both could tell me how they compare and contrast.

So I've had my degu for a month and I was gone for a week, now I'm back and yesterday I noticed a white string attached to one of them, it turns out it's a worm.

I don't understand how tho, I'm not exactly sure how someone even gets worms in the first place. Me and my mother will try to get her medicine to help but can someone let me know how she got them.

hi im a first time degu owner (2 females around 3 years old) and just came back from college for the weekend just to find out one of them passed away few days ago. obviously im devasted but i mostly just want to find out why it happened. my younger brother who cares for them while im away told me she was shaking a lot that morning, barely moving with a bad balance and after he came back from school she was just laying down unmoving but still breathing until she eventually stoped. im assuming it might have been some kind of seizure but its just a theory. for some medical context she had a heatstroke last summer but ever since then she looked and behaved completely normal. any help with what might've happened is appreciated bc honestly I am lost.

also if anyone could help me with what i should do with the remaining one that would be great. what would be the best way to care for her ?? should i buy her a new friend ?? i think that would be the best but im just scared she won't accept it. she acts normal so far, eats just as much as before and she was always a little bit skittish so no change in behaviour.

thank u for any response

I'm a longtime rodent pet owner, and have had guinea pigs, hamsters, gerbils, rats, and now degus. I've always loved these different kinds of rodents, and I recently got my first pair of degus a few months back, two females who are now 6 months old. I have become passionate about degus since I've had them, and I've been thinking of becoming a breeder. I want advice on how to start, and how to do it right. I want to fully commit to this, and I want to make sure I do it in the best and most ethical way possible. Caring for animals has been feeling like my calling lately, and I think it'd be awesome to be able to help more people learn about degus and have them as pets. If anyone has any tips on how I can get started on researching this, I'd greatly appreciate it!

Hi, I'm a long term rodent keeper who has had a lot of rats and a decent amount of hamsters. I'm facing being ratless very soon for the first time in 10 years and I'm debating taking a break from rats and I'm interested in degus. Just hoping for some extra info! To those who have had both, how different are they to keep/handle? Do they have health issues as often as rats? I've spent a lot of time in the vets with respiratory issues and skin issues, plus the odd lump removal. My last few groups of rats have had to be split due to fighting, does this happen often with degus? Is one gender less likely to fight than the other? Do they tolerate being in the same house as other animals ok like rats do? I have a dog and cats and while they're never allowed to interact with the small furries they do enter the room when the cages are locked up safe.

I have a liberta explorer cage so fully metal and a good exotic vet already. Done a decent amount of research but I much prefer info from real owners to generic Google searches!

Thanks in advance!

How does this work? Is it a difficult process? I’ve seen on social media a Degu that has lost its friend and its owner is asking for him to be rehomed. My daughters have 2 males that are 8 months old and have lived together I assume since they were born. Will introducing this possible homeless boy to ours be difficult? Any advice greatly appreciated. Thank you ☺️

My last 2 goos passed away in 2021 and I’m thinking about rescuing some more. The cage we had before is a bit worn out now and also was a wide, low cage and I’d need to get one thats ~120H x 60W x 90D cm to rescue some from a shelter. Ive seen some on amazon that aren’t too expensive but my concern is that a lot of the components especially the trays and ramps are made of plastic and I know degus love to chew. Is that something I need to avoid in a cage or will it not be that much of an issue? Can anyone recommend any good cages? I’m in the UK if that helps 😁

Do they keep squeaking whole night every night. I cant seem to figure out whats bothering them.

Are they bored? They stop when i come closer to the cage, but when i get back to bed they start again - well they, its just one of them, but cant say whether same one every night or just one of them at a time.

Is it hormones? They hut puberty and it started short time before they hit puberty

Are they scared? They seem to be more stressed last month or two. They startle easily when i walk nearby. Could it be hormones or something scared them shitless so they are still bothered by it.

I didnt sleep well for more than 2 weeks now. HALP!!

Hello guys! Sorry in advance english isnt my first language.

I have two degus, and I’ve only had them since Saturday, but I’m already feeling overwhelmed and hope you can help.

One of them is much larger than the other, and I’ve noticed that the larger one doesn’t let the smaller one near the food bowl and generally behaves more aggressively. Today, things escalated(i didnt see it) — the smaller degu is injured, with wounds near his eye and ear. I’ve read online that some aggression can be normal during puberty due to the establishment of a hierarchy.

They are both around one year old, though I’m not entirely sure of their exact age.

What worries me is that the smaller one seems terrified when he’s in the cage. He just sits there and doesn’t do anything. The larger degu keeps approaching him from behind, and the smaller one squeaks as if he’s scared or uncomfortable. Outside the cage, in the free run, the smaller degu behaves normally and seems curious and active. However, as soon as he re-enters the cage, he shuts down and becomes completely inactive.

Right now, he’s hiding in a corner near the sand bath, a spot the larger degu can’t easily reach, but the bigger one keeps trying to get to him. I also hear the larger degu chattering his teeth when he’s near the smaller one.

The larger one has one injury as well but he is way harder to catch so im not sure he has a wound on his nose

Is this normal behavior? I’m really worried about the smaller degu, especially with how passive and scared he seems in the cage. Please help thanks!