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Keeping Your Degu Safe
Safety is an issue when it comes to Degus. Degus are active, curious, and fearless, and this often gets them into dangerous situations, which can lead to serious injuries, or at the worst, death. Here are some tips to help you keep your Degu safe.
Make sure that the cage provides adequate safety. The bars should not be spaced to far apart. The floor should be solid, and in multi-tiered cages, there should be flooring at certain levels to prevent the Degu from falling from the top of the cage all the way to the bottom.
Know which woods are toxic for your Degu, and which are safe. There is a long list of woods that are toxic for Degus, and a short list for safe woods. Never give your Degu access to toxic woods!
Make sure that the hay and grass that you feed your Degu have not been chemically treated. Use only organic grasses and hays.
When you let your Degu out of the cage, you must watch him. Keep your eyes on him. He can disappear from sight in the blink of an eye, and there is no telling what he may get into before you find him again. Make sure that the environment that he is set free in is safe.
Many plastics can be toxic, and Degus chew plastic like there is no tomorrow. Simply do not provide any plastic or plastic toys for your Degu. Furthermore, if you have chemicals in containers, note that the Degu can easily chew through those containers, and ingest the chemical. He simply doesn't know better, and his curiosity gets the best of him…not to mention his need to chew.
Inspect your Degu daily. Look for signs of illnesses or injury, and tend to problems immediately. Also be on the lookout for skin problems. Make sure that you are providing dust baths regularly.
Keep your Degus away from other pets, except other Degus. Cats see Degus as prey, while Degus see cats as other animals that they would like to get to know better. Dogs also see Degus as toys.
If you have children, make sure that you establish rules for handling the Degus. Remember that a Degu that feels threatened will use teeth and claws to defend himself, and could easily injure a child, just as a small child could easily injure a small Degu.
Overall, think like a Degu, and look around for possible dangers. Remove those dangers before you allow your Degu to come into contact with them. What will he chew? Where will he hide? What will pique his curiosity?
Degu information,Degu tips, Degu advice,pets,Degu pet
Next Article: Choosing Hay for Your Degu
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