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Exercise for Degus
Exercise is vital to the health and well being of your Degu. Degus that do not get enough exercise will quickly become overweight, and will most likely develop diabetes – even if sugar is not a part of their diet.
For the most part, Degus are not lazy creatures. When they are awake, which is during the daylight hours, they will be in constant motion. However, if they do not have the space to move around, they can quickly learn to be lazy.
Your Degus should have access to many different activities. They should be able to forage, to dig, to chew, to climb, and to run. The items that you provide in their cage will determine whether or not they can participate in these activities.
First, you need an exercise wheel. The wheel should be about 11 inches, and should be constructed of material that your Degu cannot chew to bits. If you have numerous Degus, and a large enough cage, you may want more than one exercise wheel.
If you have a wire cage, your Degus will spend a great deal of time climbing, but they need to have something that they are climbing towards, such as a shelf. There should be one shelf for each Degu in the cage. Cotton ropes are also healthy for your Degus. They may chew the ropes, and the ropes will have to be replaced, but they will get plenty of exercise climbing and swinging on the ropes. If your cage is not made of wire, you will need to provide little ladders for climbing activities.
Bedding is important. Your Degus will forage and tunnel in the bedding, and again, these are important activities for your Degus sense of well-being, as well as for his physical exercise. Bedding should be dotted with foraging opportunities by including a few seeds or oats in the bedding.
You should rearrange the cage often. This keeps things interesting for the Degus, but it also gets them to take action, inspecting and rediscovering their environment.
Finally, your Degus need plenty of running space. While there are many different items needed inside of the cage, there still needs to be enough open space for running. If there is not ample space for running, you will need to let your Degus out of their cage daily for a bit of running. Since it can be hard to keep up with more than one Degu, you might try putting them in a baby's playpen, within nothing else inside of the playpen, and let them run there.
For the most part, your Degu will ensure that he gets the proper amount of exercise, as long as you have provided items and space for that exercise. At the same time, however, it is important to monitor your Degus eating habits, and to weigh him monthly.
Degu information,Degu tips, Degu advice,pets,Degu pet
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